Inside Water September/October 2024

How avocados could collect heavy metals

Innovation Challenge Working together for Indigenous people A circular journey of collaboration and innovation

We’re keeping communities connected through elegant culvert solutions

REGULAR FOCUS

WASTEWATER

22 Aerofloat

A custom solution designed to ensure compliant effluent for a major Australian food manufacturer is also keeping up with business growth.

The future of the water industry is providing numerous opportunities. Key voices in the industry share their thoughts on where we are heading.

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

10 Troy Grant

One independent government official oversees the MurrayDarling Basin to ensure transparency and compliance.

14 Fabianna Tessele

The red meat industry in Australia is working to improve its sustainability and circular economy goals. YOUNG PROFESSIONAL 18 Lily Rofail

A young researcher has found a way to reduce heavy metal contamination in waterways. ASSOCIATIONS

24 GWMWater

Rural and regional Australia is a considerable source of innovation, with people coming together to try new things.

26 Kallipr

Having the right data is critical in wastewater for ongoing understanding and savings in the entire network.

PIPES

29 PIPA and OZPIPE

OZPIPE is an event that will focus on sustainable infrastructure, hosted by the Plastics Industry Pipe Association of Australia (PIPA).

32 Eire Construction

Assessing the condition of a pipeline is essential for many industries. However, doing it noninvasively is a different matter.

34 kwik-ZIP

One Australian company’s involvement in the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project has provided insights and perspectives for the water industry.

INTERNET OF THINGS

36 WaterGroup

Learn how a dedicated platform can transform data into action, driving significant water savings and sustainability outcomes.

38 Taggle Systems

The Queanbeyan-Palerang region offers a balance of city proximity and rural lifestyle. Population growth in the region has led to water security challenges, and digital water metering is set to help.

PUMPS

40 KSB

With more records being set for temperature, fires, flooding and other extreme weather events, operating sustainably is a crucial focus for pump operators.

PARTNERSHIPS

42 Interflow and GO Foundation

A new partnership with a charitable foundation brings a powerful purpose to life.

EVENTS

44 Intelligent Water Networks

Encouraging the creation of tomorrow’s water innovation today through collaboration and transformation.

48 WA Mining

The WA Mining Conference and Exhibition is back at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Time not wasted in wastewater

AS THE WATER industry embarks on another year of dynamic change, it’s important to reflect on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The future of water, a resource critical to life and economic prosperity, is increasingly intertwined with innovation, sustainability, and technological advancements.

Our cover story features key decisionmakers within the water industry sharing their thoughts on the industry’s future. Their insights provide water utilities and users across the sector with the opportunity to reassess and take advantage of projects that could reinvigorate their future directions.

One of the most pressing issues facing the industry today is wastewater management. As populations grow and urbanisation expands, the need for efficient and sustainable wastewater treatment solutions is paramount. We are witnessing a shift towards advanced technologies, such as membrane filtration and biological treatment processes, to enhance water quality and minimise environmental impact.

Many companies are continuing to push the envelope when it comes to improving wastewater reuse and finding new revenue streams within it. Proper wastewater treatment plant and system maintenance is also vital to ensure appropriate operations.

The Internet of Things (IoT) revolutionises monitoring and managing water infrastructure. Connecting sensors and devices to a network allows us to gather real-time data on water quality, flow rates, and pipe conditions. This data-driven approach enables proactive maintenance, reduces water loss, and improves operational efficiency.

The backbone of any water distribution system is its network of pipes. Ageing infrastructure, leaks, and corrosion pose significant challenges. Investing in pipe rehabilitation and replacement ensures a reliable and sustainable water supply; and new materials and innovative

techniques are being developed to enhance pipe durability and minimise maintenance costs.

Pumps are also vital in water treatment, distribution, and wastewater management. Advancements in pump technology, including energy-efficient designs and variable-speed drives, are helping to improve operational efficiency and reduce energy consumption. As the industry evolves, we expect to see even more sophisticated pump solutions tailored to specific applications.

We are proud to partner with leading organisations in the water industry, and they are making significant impacts within their spheres of influence. Our association partners share our commitment to excellence, innovation, and sustainability. Together, we work to promote best practices, foster collaboration, and drive the industry forward.

In this issue, we explore various topics, including emerging technologies, case studies of successful projects, and insights from industry experts. With feature stories including leading decision-makers within the Murray Darling Basin and award winners from OzWater’24, there is something for everyone in this issue of Inside Water

It is a continued pleasure to foster the growth of individuals and organisations within the water industry, as well as the water industry itself. I trust that you will continue to enjoy our magazine.

Chris Edwards, Inside Water Editor

Chief Executive Officer John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au

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Dampier

A collaboration and innovation journey for circularity

The water industry is constantly evolving, with innovation, collaboration, sustainability and circularity all at the centre.

WATER IS THE lifeblood of our planet and the cornerstone of every community. As the world grapples with increasing water scarcity, climate change and urbanisation,

the water industry is called upon to innovate, adapt, and lead. Intending to foster a collective dialogue around the future of water, these leaders are working together to illuminate

The pyrolysis technology facility has provided numerous opportunities to create biochar from biosolids.

the path forward for an industry essential to our shared prosperity and wellbeing.

SUEZ Vice President of Growth and Innovation Stephanie Clarke believes an essential part of the future of water is collaboratively embracing a circular economy. The potential circularity offers for resource sustainability is enormous.

“If we are to be responsible custodians of our resources for future generations, then clever innovations that use and value every component of the system are key to that goal.”

When asked what key innovations and trends are shaping the story of water, Stephanie highlighted the energy capture possible in wastewater.

Similarly, Managing Director of South East Water, Lara Olsen, believes there are many

Images: South East Water, SUEZ Australia and New Zealand

Lara Olsen is the Managing Director of South East Water.

opportunities for water utilities to embrace the circular economy and resource sustainability.

“The water sector’s core objectives have always been serving customers and protecting the environment,” Olsen said. “We know the external environment has changed, which means dealing with new challenges. Part of that is changing the way we as an industry work and the solutions we come up with.”

Decarbonisation focus

There has been considerable discussion across the entire economy around decarbonisation, and the water industry is a key player in this space. For example, the Victorian water sector is working to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 42.4 per cent by 2025, 93.7 per cent by 2030, and achieve net zero emissions by 2035. Clarke believes that this needs to remain a key focus for the industry.

“The water sector must be a leader in decarbonisation, and there is great scope for us to achieve this,” Clarke said. “To do so, we need to modernise our networks and assets through digital solutions and reconceptualising our wastewater treatment plants to be biofactories and even key power generation assets for our communities.”

Biofactory is a term adopted to describe the benefits that come when wastewater treatment and water treatment plants are operated under a circular economy framework, where byproducts of treatment once considered waste are utilised as valuable resources.

The concept originated from Chilean company Aguas Andinas, which has identified six main principles behind the operation of a biofactory.

Firstly, it seeks to use the energy of water as a resource, creating

new opportunities after being cleaned. Secondly, it should run on its own energy, ideally feeding its own system as energy and biomethane. A biofactory should also understand that waste is a font of new resources, such as sludge being turned into biochar. A biofactory has deodorisation systems that neutralise odour, reduce gas emissions and minimise the environmental impact. There also needs to be a focus on biodiversity protection and community engagement.

“Renewable energy solutions and critical minerals mining to support decarbonising futures create a new demand for water not previously encountered,” said Lisa Chan, Market Lead of Major Projects at SUEZ. “Sustainable water infrastructure solutions need to be incorporated as critical infrastructure to support these new industries. This provides an opportunity not only for crossindustry collaboration but an excellent opportunity to provide economic solutions to water scarcity in regional areas.”

Collaboration is key

Cross-sector collaboration and regulatory support are the keys to success for this type of energy asset. Greater collaboration between industries, communities, and governments will help society realise the benefits.

“SUEZ waste-to-energy facilities across the globe are an inspiration for current local activity,” Clarke said.

“The key to success for this type of sustainable endeavour relies on strong collaboration. In Australia,

The wastewater treatment plant southeast of Melbourne has been a hotbed for cutting-edge research. The plant is designed for minimising carbon emissions and maximising potential revenue streams.

many water utilities already harness waste-to-energy for behind-themeter demands, like powering their own treatment sites. In comparison, European examples are designed more deliberately to provide gas and electricity to local networks, meaning the energy generated plays a greater role in our efforts to decarbonise.”

By seeing the changes in Europe and how they could be applied to Australia, there are numerous opportunities for working together across the Australian water industry.

“I believe that the greatest opportunity will come from collaboration,” said Clarke. “If people collaborate, we can solve problems together. We all think differently and come at problems from different directions. Our ideas collide to ensure we solve problems and are more creative.”

Collaboration has been a crucial part of South East Water’s success. Olsen pointed to one of the biggest

Stephanie Clarke is the Vice President for Growth and Innovation at SUEZ Australia and New Zealand.

COVER STORY Suez Australia and New Zealand

projects undertaken in Victoria for its success in growing understanding of purifying biosolids.

“A collaboration between South East Water, RMIT University, the Intelligent Water Networks (IWN) and Greater Western Water (GWW) has been studying the challenges and opportunities of biosolids,” she said. “With Australia being a net importer of biochar, we believe it is a good opportunity to create biochar from biosolids, and to pilot pyrolysis technology that also removes PFAS and other contaminants in an energy-efficient and carbonefficient way.”

“Opportunities lie in partnerships across sectors, knowledge sharing and supporting sustainable economic growth through thoughtful and responsible water resource management and water infrastructure solutions,” said Chan. “Opportunities also lie in embracing a circular approach to development.”

Controlling contaminants

Emerging contaminants like PFAS, microplastics, and heavy metals continue to frustrate the water industry. The industry must continue to work together to find new ways

to eliminate these forever chemicals from wastewater through the water recycling process, to help prevent them from entering the environment.

“One of our key focus areas in controlling contaminants such as PFAS is through the innovative biosolids to biochar conversion technology,” said Olsen. “It’s a fantastic example of the university sector and multiple water corporations coming together to solve a problem and refine a product.”

Together, the partners have developed Australia’s first pyrolysis technology. It transforms biosolids from water treatment and recycling plants into biochar, a safe and nutrient-rich material the agricultural industry seeks. Currently in its second stage of development, the latest trials found that PFAS could not be detected in the resultant biochar. This provides opportunities for the water industry to explore emerging contaminants and study how to eliminate them.

“When we are looking at the planet and new technology, there are numerous prospects to study the issue of emerging contaminants, particularly in wastewater,” Clarke

said. “While water corporations are not the source of these chemicals, they’re working hard to protect the environment and their products from these chemicals through the wastewater treatment process.

As an industry, we need a better understanding of supply chains and where these contaminants are coming from, and there are a lot of potential investments to make and different solutions that could help manage how we deal with these pollutants.”

Climate change and resilience

The water sector is uniquely positioned to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

“We have a long-term view on how we can transform the delivery of water and wastewater services,” said Clarke. “Our role extends beyond service delivery. We’re on the frontlines of climate adaptation, ensuring that our infrastructure is resilient enough to withstand the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. We’re building a stronger, more adaptable network by investing in innovative solutions like smart water management systems.”

Sustainability is also a vital aspect

The resultant biochar can be used for a range of agricultural purposes.

of South East Water’s operations, particularly with wastewater treatment plants being upgraded.

“We are upgrading four water treatment plants across our network over the next five years,” Olsen said. “Part of our considerations when designing these vital pieces of infrastructure includes determining the impact on nature and ensuring that it is positive. It includes everything from design and operations to energy use and the beneficial resources we can produce from our processes. Increasingly, we will see a range of different treatment plants employing naturebased solutions.”

One of those solutions is the Aquarevo community-level Water Recycling Plant. Centred within a residential estate, the plant’s nature-based design for the urban environment will see it connected to a pressure sewer system within the development. The plant will treat the water to Class A standard and send it back to each home via the purple pipe for use in the garden, toilet and washing machine. South East Water expects to award the contract for the plant later in 2024, with construction and commissioning of the plant to be completed in 2026. The site will operate an Organica Food Chain Reactor (FCR) ‘Bluehouse’ water recycling plant. It is a uniquely aesthetic Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge (IFAS) process where the plant roots act as the fixed surface area that the biofilm can grow on. This nature-based solution results in great benefits to the community - a low carbon footprint, limited noise & odour emissions and visual impact

Innovation

The water sector increasingly recognises innovation’s importance in driving efficiency and sustainability.

“Innovation is at the heart of everything we do,” said Clarke. “From smart metering to AI-driven water quality monitoring, we’re leveraging the latest technologies to improve service delivery and enhance our understanding of water systems.”

South East Water has also been focusing on how it can take an innovative approach to the circular economy.

“We spent $150 million on the Boneo Water Recycling Plant upgrade, our largest upgrade to a water recycling plant,” Olsen said. “We believe this upgrade approach can serve as a roadmap for future upgrades. The upgrade sought to increase the plant’s capacity ahead of population growth, to meet our customers needs, but also ensure it was energy efficient and low emissions.”

Part of that upgrade was the installation of a nitrite shunt process. A nitrite shunt’s objective is to minimise nitrate production by stopping the nitrification process at nitrite, which is then converted to nitrogen gas. According to Water New Zealand, this provides a direct energy payback of up to 25 per cent and a 40 per cent reduction in the carbon requirement for denitrification.

“We are really excited about what the nitrite shunt could do, particularly in reducing the amount of energy we need at the plant,” Olsen said. “Similarly, as we scale out the pyrolysis technology project, where could that go? Hopefully, we will see these facilities at plants everywhere. That’s an exciting development down the track.”

The

future of water

A commitment to resilience, sustainability and customer satisfaction will determine the water industry’s future. Water utilities

Lisa Chan is the Market Lead Major Projects at SUEZ Australia and New Zealand.

will need to continue evolving, embracing new technologies and approaches to ensure that water and wastewater services remain reliable and accessible to all.

Success in the water sector will be measured by the efficiency of service delivery and the positive perceptions held by customers and communities - even in the face of rising costs.

“By 2030, we envision a water sector where all decisions are balanced and deliver value to current and future generations,” said Clarke.

“This future will see water businesses that are financially sustainable, with resilient supply chains and systems that protect the safety and privacy of all customers.”

To achieve this vision, the water sector must continue to innovate, collaborate, and lead by example. By prioritising resilience, sustainability, and customer-centricity, we can ensure that the water sector remains vital in shaping a better, more sustainable future for Australia and New Zealand.

“I think the future of the water industry is very bright,” said Olsen.

“There’s a great willingness to collaborate across different parts of the sector. This includes universities, consultants, suppliers, the community and water corporations.

I think we will continue to see innovative ideas that we can use to address the industry’s challenges while taking up new opportunities and creating new products and services for our customers.”

For more information, visit www.suez.com.au and southeastwater.com.au

INDUSTRY INSIGHT Troy Grant Grant seeking compliance

The Inspector-General of Water Compliance oversees the Murray-Darling Basin, ensuring trust and transparency in managing our precious water resources. Inside Water spoke to Troy Grant, the Inspector-General, to learn more.

AS A FORMER country police officer, Troy Grant fundamentally understands doing things right.

With a 32-year public service career in government, law enforcement, emergency service, social justice, community and charity, he has lived and worked in the northern and southern Murray–Darling Basin for over 40 years. Grant maintains a sound understanding and connection to the communities in the Basin. As part of his years of service to the community, he was the Parliamentary Secretary for Natural Resources during his time in the NSW Parliament as the member for Dubbo.

“Part of my brief was to lead the community consultation on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, which was being introduced in 2012,” Grant said. “I worked with many people to author the response to the plan back to the Commonwealth on behalf of

the New South Wales Government. I travelled extensively throughout New South Wales to partake in many community consultations while working with the Department to formulate a response to the proposed plan.”

It was from this unique position that he received the recommendation to become the Inspector-General of Water Compliance (IGWC).

“I was recommended for the Inspector-General of Water Compliance (IGWC) position by former interim inspector-general Mick Keelty,” said Grant. “It was an interim position at the time, so a big part of my role was building the office and contributing to the legislation drafted before the Parliament. I started in that role in December 2020 and was appointed Inspector-General by the Parliament and the Governor-General in August 2021.”

As the Inspector-General of Water Compliance, he holds a suite of delegations under the Water Act relevant to that role. For example, the Inspector-General makes decisions relating to the commencement of audits, inquiries, and enforcement actions. He’s also the main conduit for public engagements and is Chair of the Regulatory Leaders Forum.

The history of the IGWC

Many outside of the water community are unaware of the IGWC. Grant operates as an independent umpire for water compliance within the MurrayDarling Basin.

“What was very clear in the sentiment from stakeholders across the Basin was that they didn’t believe that there was a level playing field,” he said. “They believed those responsible for water management under the Basin Plan and the Commonwealth Water Act were marking their homework. Essentially, they were not being held accountable for the proper management, compliance work and oversight of the outcomes of the Basin Plan.”

In 2019, the industry and its stakeholders demanded an independent arbitrator and umpire. Keelty was initially put in charge of the northern basin, which covers parts of southern Queensland and northern New South Wales.

“This was driven primarily by a 4 Corners documentary highlighting the loss of over two trillion litres of water over seven years,” Grant said. “There was evidence of people stealing water, tampering with meters, and investing in structures that divert water into their dams and reservoirs.”

After his appointment, Keelty did considerable work, expanding the investigation to the entire Murray-

Troy Grant (left) meeting with decision makers within the Murray Darling Basin.

Images: InspectorGeneral of Water Compliance (IGWC)

Darling Basin. This resulted in his appointment as the interim Inspector-General for Water Compliance. While the states are the lead regulators for water theft, with their own obligations related to it, many of those powers have been referred to the Commonwealth. This has allowed for a comprehensive and holistic approach to developing the Basin Plan, creating a legislative tool and instrument. This is where Grant steps in.

“We are a regulator of the Commonwealth Water Act,” he said. “We regulate water markets, sensitive water market information and noncompliance within the Basin. There are also oversight powers that IGWC can use to compel information from government departments and inquiry powers, similar in power to Royal Commissions.”

Compliance

The IGWC has not stood still in developing better ways to ensure compliance across the MurrayDarling Basin. Grant has worked tirelessly on the issue.

“We are building a reporting portal that’s about 12 months from being an incredibly powerful dashboard,” Grant said. “People can log onto the dashboard to examine who has been prosecuted or pursued for compliance breaches. There are a whole range of things that we will be able to show through our mandate.”

All of this involves working with the states and territories to publicly raise confidence in the Basin’s measurement. The IGWC’s recently released metering report card shows that those efforts are coming together to support a more sustainable Basin.

“The metering report card is part of what will be a suite of user-friendly products and increase transparency for the public as to what is happening in the Basin,” said Grant. “Hopefully, more transparency will lead to more confidence in what is going on. It should also increase the accountability for those responsible for managing the water effectively. Over time, we expect performance metrics to improve,

Having grown up in the region, Grant has a fundamental understanding of the Murray Darling Basin.

so the metering report card should create an incentive to do what is right for the Basin.”

The challenge

One of the biggest challenges of increased transparency is providing that information in a way the general public can understand. That science communication style is vital to help people understand a highly complex subject matter.

“We’ve seen plenty of times where people have read something into the results of information published that might not be an accurate reflection,” Grant said. “We need to continue to educate and communicate with the Australian public to show where the truth lies. As the IGWC, my team and I are also responsible for debunking any myths out there.”

Honest communication is central to Grant’s approach to his role.

Talking about how different groups can improve is critical to improving transparency.

“We are not afraid of calling out performance or identifying areas where improvement is needed,”

INDUSTRY INSIGHT Troy Grant

he said. “At the same time, we want to balance that out by acknowledging where good work is being done.”

However, this communication is just one part of the complicated challenges facing the IGWC and the Murray-Darling Basin. In Grant’s eyes, properly managing the Murray-Darling Basin is the most complex, contested, and, at times, controversial piece of public policy in Australia.

“We are talking about a finite natural resource that has incredible value to different groups,” Grant said. “We are also discussing water as a commodity, competition, and different agendas around its utilisation. The challenge for the IGWC is ensuring that the agreedupon plan returns the right amount of water into the system. It needs to balance socio-economic, environmental, First Nations cultural, and community needs.”

The Basin Plan will also report on the legally allocated water rights as they fit within sustainable diversion limits. The report card will be central to assuring the public that people

are playing by and complying with the rules set down by the IGWC and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA).

Trust and confidence

Trust and confidence in the IGWC’s work will be central to its growth in terms of what it can do and how it is viewed. The IGWC’s social license to operate will represent its report card. This is established by the community consultations that the IGWC has conducted.

“We are already surveying the community about our role and what they understand of it,” Grant said.

“The very strong sentiment from those surveys is that the community desperately needs us. They want us to remain independent, which is the most important point. The community is looking for more oversight, accountability and reporting on the performance of water users within the Basin.”

While people generally want better management and oversight, one of the IGWC’s challenges is that not everyone is willing to let it into what

Irrigation and agriculture are key facets of what Grant and the IGWC does to support rural and regional communities within the Basin.

they consider ‘their space’.

“It’s all about relationship building,” said Grant. “We want to develop a positive relationship with each jurisdiction or agency so that we do not have to go hard with our compelling powers. That relationship building has been key to improving trust and confidence across the Basin.”

The IGWC’s future remains bright, mainly as it works to be the trusted and honest truthteller for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

“It’s taken time for us to get established, get all our frameworks and systems functioning, and we’ve done well to do all that in just a couple of years,” Grant said. “We’ve already had an enormous impact with water managers seeking accreditation across all Basin states and territories. We will continue to call out better water management while ensuring continual improvement and integrity.”

For more information, visit www.igwc.gov.au or call 13IGWC (13 44 92)

INDUSTRY INSIGHT Fabiana Tessele

Improving circular economy outcomes

New research is showcasing how the Australia red meat industry is improving its sustainability and circular economy performance.

THE RED MEAT industry in Australia continues to be a significant economic player. It is also working to improve its sustainability and circular economy goals; and new research is showcasing how the industry is improving.

Who is Dr Tessele?

Tessele is the Director of Tessele Consultants, a boutique consultancy firm specialising in integrated water management, wastewater, and

resource recovery. The company seeks to help its clients improve its sustainable growth and prosperity. She is also part of the management team for the International Water Association (IWA) Anaerobic Digestion Specialist Group.

“I found myself on the path into the water and wastewater industry while at high school,” Tessele said. “A lecturer showed how water can be cleaned in a jar test via coagulation. I could see the water getting cleaner,

Tessele is the Director of Tessele Consultants in Perth, Western Australia.

bringing me to tears. I was so overwhelmed that I asked the lecturer what I needed to do to study this. That’s where I found my passion for the water and wastewater industry.”

Originally from Brazil, Tessele studied at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. She completed a degree in chemical engineering before pursuing her master’s and PhD in environmental engineering and water resources.

“I originally thought I was going to become an academic,” she said. “However, my work was connected to real-life situations, so water authorities across Brazil contacted me for consultancy work. It was an area I enjoyed instead of being an academic in the lab. I decided to shape my career to remain ahead of the game as a consultant. It ensured that I was always publishing and keeping up with what was happening in the water industry.”

Passion for innovation

That desire to continue publishing innovative and cutting-edge research has fuelled Tessele.

“I think that it’s not only the innovation but also the speed of the information that is changing,” she said. “That’s the major shift I see since my first paper in 1995. Back then, the time to publish a paper, get references, go to the library, and search for paper journals was far longer than today. Sometimes, you might not be able to find the journal or paper you need. Now, everything can be accessed online. It means that I am far more productive, and that’s connected to the speed of innovation.”

Her passion led her to research deeper into resource recovery in the food industry, particularly the red meat industry. Australia and Brazil have significant red meat industries, focusing mainly on cattle. However,

Fabiana

Images: Fabiana Tessele

the industry is much bigger than many people appreciate, and that’s one of the big reasons that Tessele started studying it.

“The red meat processor industry is a pioneer in adopting innovation and making the most of its resources,” said Tessele. “Most people will only think about the beef taken in the red meat industry. However, many other aspects exist, including medicines, cosmetics, leather and numerous by-products.”

Circular economy paper

Her paper described a new digital tool created to help red meat

processing plants plan and assess wastewater management costs. The work was funded by the Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC), and the tool aims to turn traditional wastewater treatment facilities into bioresource recovery plants, focusing on improving environmental compliance and reducing the carbon footprint. It aims to reduce nutrient emissions, reuse wastewater, minimise waste, and produce biogas energy.

The tool considers plant size, urgency of wastewater issues identified by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) for Australian red meat processors, and adaptability for plants of different sizes. By assisting with decisionmaking in wastewater treatment and waste management, this model aims to help the red meat processor industry meet net-zero goals through resource recovery and adopting a circular economy.

Visiting the Hatta Dam in Sector 8, an enclave of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

INDUSTRY INSIGHT Fabiana Tessele

Even though it wasn’t her original goal, Tessele has spent much of her career on the circular economy.

“When I started my career, one of my first projects was in the United States, where they wanted to recover gold from mining wastewater,” she said. “The mining company commissioned me as a student to conduct some research on how the residual gold could be recovered instead of being washed away with the wastewater. Since moving industries, I’ve always had a mindset of finding the maximum value from what would otherwise be wasted.”

This has seen Tessele work in Chile and Montana in her early days, focusing on the copper mining industry. She then transitioned into organic wastewater at a domestic level before completing her PhD in integrated water and wastewater management.

Global innovation

With an eye for innovation, Tessele’s involvement in the red meat industry saw her work in Dubai at the behest of a client in south Brazil.

“The company was opening a factory in Dubai, and I was asked to do a project there,” she said. “I was supposed to be there for about eight months but ended up spending the next seven years there. There was a lot of work going on, and it was a great opportunity to get involved in a range of interesting projects. Later on, I was headhunted to come to

Australia to work within one of the large consultancy firms, and I moved over early in 2012. I was managing the water and urban development team, based in Perth, and I have never looked back.”

As part of her career in Australia, Tessele formed Tessele Consultants. It has focused on building a strategic, tailor-made approach to advice, serving an expansive range of clients around their water issues. Combining global experience with extensive knowledge of the Australian market, it aims to facilitate projects on water supply, wastewater treatment and reuse, resource recovery from organic waste, and energy production via biogas. With six employees working with her, Tessele can deliver on key projects to her clients. She has spent time across various industries, examining its circularity among the 36 countries in which she has worked.

“The Australian red meat processor industry already has a circular economy mindset,” said Tessele.

“The whole industry has a strong record of implementing practical solutions to maximise resource recovery, for example, 98 per cent of a cow is used when fully processed - with 35 per cent producing meat, and the rest of the animal used for pet food, leather, glue, compost supplements, insulin, medical prosthetics, gelatine, and other pharmaceuticals. It tends to have access to funding for innovative

R&D, but sometimes struggles with available resources and appropriate supporting business models when it comes to adopting the long term, high cost, new to industry solutions.”

Her award and the future Tessele was enormously surprised to receive the Best Water E-Journal Paper in honour of Guy Parker.

The development of the digital tool for integrated resource management in the Australian red meat industry represented a significant step towards embracing circular economy principles and realising the benefits associated with resource recovery.

“It was the third year in a row that I’ve been recognised by the industry,” Tessele said. “In 2022, I was the Water Professional of the Year in Western Australia. In 2023, I won the research and development excellence award for WA for their paper titled “Driving Circular Economy in the Red Meat Industry.” 2024 marks a third success, but this time at a national level.”

Tessele is thrilled to have won the Best Water E-Journal Paper award, particularly given the support she and her business have received from the red meat industry. This award has allowed her to explore new technologies and adoption avenues to support the industry.

“It’s not just me that has accomplished something,” she said. “The whole industry has achieved something together because it’s now a part of me.”

It has also given her more confidence to stick to her values and continue pursuing her dreams.

“Sometimes, when consultants like me deal with regulators and more conservative stakeholders, it can be tough to push for ideas and solutions that we believe in. Whenever we are doing that and succeed, we know and are reassured that we are on the right path.”

Tessele worked closely with the Myanmar people on their projects.

Avocado and native plants reduce metal contamination

A young researcher has found a way use avocados to reduce heavy metal contamination in waterways

ALMOST 1.3 BILLION tonnes of avocados are thrown into landfill every year.

This figure incorporates reports from the European Union, Australia, and the United States. Such a volume of avocados generates a tremendous amount of waste before the local impact of increased avocado farming is considered.

However, one person has looked at a way to use avocado skin powder to collect and pull heavy metals from waterways.

That person is Lily Rofail, a Year

10 student at PLC Sydney. Her project, “Hey-sop! Fix-up! and Avo-clean Water System,” won the 2024 Australian Stockholm Junior Water Prize at the Australian Water Association (AWA) Australian Water Awards. Her project investigated using water hyssop and avocado skin powder to remove heavy metals from aquatic environments.

“I know Lily is intelligent and hard-working,” said Dr Paul Burgis, principal of PLC Sydney.

“The thing that impresses me the most is that she is imaginative.

Her accomplishments take great creativity. Lily thoroughly deserves these accolades. We are all very proud of her.”

This is the second time PLC Sydney has had a student win the prize. In 2022, Julia Cummins won for her study on nanosilver, the tiny particles of silver that have a detrimental impact on our environment when released into waterways. By studying the population and heart rates of the aquatic organism Daphnia magna in varying concentrations of nanosilver, Cummins discovered a level at which nanosilver does not pose a toxicity risk. This level was 0.26–0.50 milligrams per litre (mg/L). Exceeding this value would cause toxicity in Daphnia magna and other aquatic organisms.

What drives Rofail?

Growing up in Sydney, Rofail has always been interested in scientific, environmental, and social issues around water. At 16 years old, this budding young scientist is interested in solving global water problems and how she can make a difference.

“Water and water toxicity are such important issues for the wellbeing of our world,” she said. “Water is the basis of all life on this planet. Without water, our planet will not survive.”

This drove her interest in water and, more specifically, water quality. As an essential influence on the world’s structure, she said new methods must be considered to improve water quality for everyone.

“There are many places around the world where people do not have access to enough clean water,” Rofail said. “This needs to be improved for the well-being of billions of people worldwide. In addition, waterways have been significantly affected by water pollution, destroying ecosystems, and we need to preserve these important ecosystems. This

Lily Rofail working on her project in 2022.

Images: PLC Sydney, Lily Rofail

is particularly true in this decade of sustainability when the environment is changing under the impact of climate change.”

Her inspiration

Rofail spoke openly about the role her science teachers had had on her.

“The science department at PLC Sydney has always encouraged us to take out-of-the-box thinking and find new ways to solve really big issues,” she said. “My amazing teachers, from primary school years to early secondary, as well as this year, Mr John Trimble and Mrs Jo McGrouther, have been truly encouraging.”

Rofail’s commitment to science comes in part from her two different science classes. She is undertaking Cambridge IGCSE Combined Science as an elective while completing the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Science course. The Cambridge IGCSE courses provide an alternative university path while encouraging in-depth scientific research. The richer content provided by studying the NESA and Cambridge programs allows students to delve deeper into their research. PLC Sydney believes that this crosspollination of science curriculums has allowed Rofail to undertake a ground-breaking research project.

“It’s easy to ask why or how,” said McGrouther, Head of the Science Faculty. “Lily asks, ‘What if?’ She proposes offbeat relationships underpinned by good research and is relentless in devising rigorous methodologies to test her ideas. She is quite extraordinary.”

When it comes to her project, there were multiple reasons for Rofail to concentrate on water hyssop and avocado skin powder as her two primary variables. The project wanted to see if water hyssop and avocado skin powder could reduce

the concentration of copper in aquatic environments.

“I chose avocado because it is in large supply worldwide, pretty much all year round,” Rofail said. “There is so much supply that about one point three billion tonnes of avocados are thrown into landfills each year. I wanted to look at what could be done with them that benefits the planet instead of contributing to air pollution, wastage, and greenhouse gases.”

It also helped that her grandfather had a flourishing avocado tree in his backyard. By using these avocados, there were no questions about their provenance. She could show that they are Australian-grown avocados, free from pesticides and with known growing processes.

Water hyssop continues Australian innovation

Water hyssop (officially Bacopa monnieri) is a perennial creeping herb native to many areas around the world, including Australia. Its broad use worldwide has made it native to many communities.

“If we think about large-scale introduction of water plants into an environment, we want to make sure that it will not impact the current ecosystem,” Rofail said. “Using water hyssops can improve the environment’s ability to stay unpolluted.”

Another benefit of water hyssop is that it absorbs copper and mercury. Scientific research has suggested that other heavy metals that water hyssop

Rofail at the 2024 Australian Water Association’s Awards Dinner.

can absorb include aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, iron, manganese, nickel, and zinc.

In her research, Rofail found that avocado skin powder is particularly good for environments with low nutrient quality. At the same time, water hyssop is good at extracting heavy metals from environments with high nutrient levels.

“The avocado skin powder acts as a nutrient enhancer, similar to what people would normally add to water to enhance soil and plant growth,” she said. “There are minimal byproducts released by the avocado skin. We particularly need to look at pigments, which will need further study to ensure they do not affect aquatic environments in the long run. As for the water hyssop, it can absorb the copper and be used to grow and produce more leaves and nodes. That makes it self-enhancing and will continue to absorb excess heavy metals with minimal effect on local aquatic organisms and environments, including fish.”

Bioremediation, avocado and native plants

Bioremediation is a low-cost, natural and eco-friendly method that can remove heavy metals from water. Only a few studies have focussed on bioremediation, especially phytoremediation using plants or plant derivatives to remove heavy metals from aquatic environments.

Duckweed (Lemna Disperma) is the ideal plant for studying the effect of phytoremediation as it is fast-growing

Lily

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS Lily Rofail

and can double its size in one to two days. It is a rapidly spreading, small, free-floating plant native to Australia and many parts of the world.

Environmental control and mining regulation agents in Canada, the United States, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and

All

Development (OECD) countries use duckweed to monitor heavy metal toxicity. Leaf count and/or dry weight are commonly measured. Thus, duckweed frond growth or the number of leaves alive can be used to measure the effectiveness of bioremediation strategies to remove heavy metals such as copper from water.

Rofail’s study aimed to determine if avocado skin powder and Bacopa monnieri can improve duckweed survival outcomes in coppercontaminated aquatic environments. The results supported the hypothesis that avocado skin powder and Bacopa monnieri (Water hyssop) significantly improved duckweed survival outcomes in coppercontaminated aquatic environments compared to the base case. Further, the average copper concentrations, measured by assessing duckweed growth rates and a calorimeter, were reduced with Bacopa monnieri and avocado skin powder. Thus, it was discovered that both avocado skin powder and Bacopa monnieri can be implemented as phytoremediation strategies.

Reaction from the industry and her future

Under the tutelage of her teachers and the science faculty at PLC Sydney, Rofail has developed this

project over several years. Having won awards in 2022 for this project, including one for science communication, she has spent time improving and enhancing her scientific research.

“PLC Sydney has been very supportive of my project journey in general, and my science teachers were very happy to see the results of my project. The water industry has been really welcoming, particularly when I attended OzWater in Melbourne. I met so many amazing people who encouraged me to pursue a career in science.”

The Stockholm Junior Water Prize is a prestigious award that recognises innovative solutions to water challenges and showcases the creativity and talent of high school students. Rofail will travel to Sweden later this year to represent Australia at the global level.

Ultimately, Rofail aims to pursue a career where she can make a physical change in the world.

“I think the water industry makes a physical change to our world when it comes to water issues,” she said. “I hope to do more research into water issues and find out how to make lasting physical changes beyond my school project. Science is such a wonderful field of study. I want to do more research and hopefully pursue a career in science.”

Lily Rofail working with PLC Sydney Scientist-inResidence Dr Stephanus Van Heerden on her project.

the winners of the Australian Water Association (AWA) Awards.

Sustainable wastewater assured

Aerofloat custom fit a wastewater treatment solution for Priestley’s Gourmet Delights to ensure compliant effluent and to keep up with business growth.

AUSTRALIAN-OWNED WASTEWATER TREATMENT

company Aerofloat designs, manufactures, and installs wastewater and sewage treatment systems for a broad range of markets. It recently custom-fit a wastewater treatment solution for Queensland food manufacturer Priestley’s Gourmet Delights to manage business growth. The Queensland food manufacturer is known for producing high-quality desserts and pastries.

“Priestley’s Gourmet Delights was looking for a wastewater treatment solution that would meet increased wastewater flows,” said Michael Anderson, General Manager of Aerofloat. “Strict space requirements at the site meant that Priestley’s Gourmet Delights needed a compact treatment solution.

“We have made a name for ourselves across industries for meeting small space requirements without compromising quality.”

Aerofloat’s custom solutions combine its proprietary and patented technology with off-theshelf products to address a wide range of industrial wastewater treatment needs.

Committed to innovation in wastewater treatment, Aerofloat’s ground-breaking technology can be integrated into wastewater treatment plant designs tailored to the specific needs of multiple industries, including food and beverage, pulp and packaging, plastics recycling, and leachate. Aerofloat’s solutions significantly reduce costs for its clients whilst being compact and easy to maintain and operate.

The Priestley’s project

Founded in 1990, Priestley’s Gourmet Delights is a prominent player in the dessert industry, catering to both the food service and retail markets.

The company emphasises using high-quality ingredients and innovative recipes to create

The effluent is effectively treated before being discharged into the sewer system.

unique and delicious desserts. This philosophy also applies to the company’s choice of wastewater solutions.

Edi Amstad, Maintenance Manager for Priestley’s Gourmet Delights, said Aerofloat was the obvious choice for the project and admired Aerofloat’s approach.

“It made sense to work with the team at Aerofloat, given their commitment to long-term environmental sustainability,” said Amstad. “Sustainable operations are something we do and have been embedded across all functions across the business.

“Aerofloat is also 100 per cent Australian-owned and operated, something the company shares with Priestley’s Gourmet Delights.”

Amstad said the wastewater treatment solution’s major requirement was to allow for future growth at the company while addressing current business needs.

“We needed a system that would allow our business to grow.

Aerofloat’s solution was flexible and could manage higher flows – we anticipated a growth trajectory of at least 50 per cent on the capacity of the existing system,” he said.

“Aerofloat’s system is comfortably treating wastewater flows of 45 cubic metres with the capacity to treat up to 70 cubic metres per day.

“Aerofloat proposed a wastewater treatment solution that would allow us to meet higher loads and reduce our environmental footprint. We could also meet Urban Utilities’ water quality requirements for SS, FOG, and pH for discharge to sewer.”

Collaborating towards success Aerofloat worked closely with Priestley’s Gourmet Delights before the project started, ensuring a strong understanding of the company’s needs and growth trajectory.

Keeping in close contact with the company allowed Aerofloat’s engineers to pinpoint the optimum placement for the on-site wastewater system, ensuring further growth could be accommodated in the future.

“Priestley’s Gourmet Delights also had strict space requirements, something Aerofloat has successfully overcome for multiple clients over the years,” said Anderson. “We worked collaboratively with Priestley’s Gourmet Delights to locate a suitable area behind the main building to which we could custom-fit a solution, ensuring a small space footprint.”

Aerofloat was also conscious of minimising costs for the company.

“The team at Priestley’s had had difficult experiences with trade waste systems with other suppliers in the past,” Anderson said. “We wanted to prove that working with Aerofloat would be a positive and rewarding experience. We were able to fit a solution into a tight space, and because we were with the project from the beginning, we were able to make it neat with a lot of inground services. For example, the connection between the station and trade waste plant and the discharge pipework is all inground, giving the system a tidy finish.

“We were also able to overcome the added hurdle of space conflict, ensuring there was discharge to the other side of the manufacturing facility where the main sewer was located.”

Aerofloat designed, constructed, and commissioned the treatment plant to ensure seamless integration with onsite production.

Food waste solutions success Amstad confirmed that the project met all the expectations of Priestley’s Gourmet Delights.

“Aerofloat installed a system including its AeroCirc DAF to treat

incoming wastewater from the food production area,” said Amstad.

“The solution included influent flow balancing and automatic pH correction to ensure compliant effluent discharge. Our sewerage system was a good distance from the designated wastewater treatment plant area, Aerofloat navigated this issue by installing a pump to move the final treated effluent to sewer.”

Aerofloat’s engineers worked closely with other project stakeholders, such as plumbers and engineers, to ensure a collaborative and efficient project outcome.

“Given there were pipelines we couldn’t control in the project, we ensured fluid communication with all stakeholders so that the required specifications were met,” said Anderson.

“We tracked all the various other trades and engineering services throughout the project – the result was no surprises for the client.

“This collaboration and focus on communication meant that the project was delivered ahead of time.”

Amstad agreed that Aerofloat’s engineers pulled out all the stops to ensure a smooth project and finish.

“We now have a system that can effectively treat our wastewater to ensure compliance and meet

requirements.

Images:

business growth,” he said.

“An added benefit has been the support of Aerofloat’s team across the project. Our operators also understand the system well following comprehensive training sessions.”

The result has allowed Priestley’s Gourmet Delights to meet increased wastewater loads and decrease its environmental footprint whilst meeting Queensland Urban Utilities’ water quality requirements for SS, FOG, and pH for discharge to sewer.

“Aerofloat’s team of engineers have also been on hand to support our team since the project finished and have conducted regular testing and optimisations on site to ensure ongoing compliance with Urban Utilities’ requirements,” said Amstad.

Aerofloat also provided ongoing monitoring services and onsite servicing to guarantee the system’s long-term performance.

“Aerofloat has given us a system that fits our needs, is performing well, and meets Urban Utilities’ water regulations requirements. If you want to ensure long-term sustainability and a small environmental footprint, choose Aerofloat.”

For more information, visit www.aerofloat.com.au

The Aerofloat solution for Priestley’s Gourmet Delights is designed to be compact to suit site

Aerofloat, Priestley’s Gourmet Delights

Improving wastewater in regional Australia

When considering an infrastructure task in regional Australia, scarcity of people and resources tend to come to mind. But these areas are also a significant source of innovation.

INNOVATION CAN LEAD to remarkable results for organizations in the water and wastewater industry, along with benefits for their customers. Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water (GWMWater) remains at the forefront of innovative technologies and techniques.

As a vertically integrated water business, they are directly involved in every aspect of the water cycle. GWMWater provides water and wastewater services to approximately 72,000 people in rural areas and urban towns, serving a large area of over 60,000 square kilometres— roughly the size of Tasmania and about one-third of Victoria.

There are challenges associated with managing a small population that is sparsely distributed across

a large area. GWMWater Executive Manager Infrastructure, Nalaka Vitharana, has been involved in the industry for many years across various states and jurisdictions.

“Every water utility is different, but they generally have similar challenges,” Vitharana said. “Every utility wants to provide reliable and affordable services, be able to manage extreme weather events, do less with more and maximise opportunities with what was previously considered waste streams.”

Challenges in rural and regional Australia

Rural and regional Australia face some additional challenges. Vitharana pointed out that regional

Wastewater treatment plant operator Matt Williams observing activities within the Horsham Wastewater Treatment Plant.

wastewater treatment plants tend to be much smaller than those in metropolitan areas. “It can be difficult to implement and maintain these systems affordably where you don’t have the economies of scale.”

“This challenge however drives our innovation and resourcefulness,” he said.

Another big issue facing utilities like GWMWater is climate variability. Vitharana pointed out that they expect rainfall events to be of higher intensity but occurring less frequently.

“This means there will be periods where we will get significantly higher inflows into our wastewater systems.”

Power outages during storms are also a challenge for the organisation.

“If there is a power outage, we still

need to be able to maintain power on site to ensure recycled water and wastewater is contained, especially when storms are accompanied by heavy rainfall events that increase volumes in our wastewater storages,” said Vitharana.

“At the same time, we’re also expecting longer dry periods where trees are looking for water. In our sewer systems, one of the major causes of blockages is tree roots entering the system at the joints between pipes. The scarcity of water at these times does however create the opportunity for us to supplement water supplies with fit-for-purpose recycled water.”

Making a difference Vitharana highlighted the importance of innovation in managing smaller wastewater systems across large service areas. GWMWater has a mixture of traditional gravity sewer systems, pressure sewer systems, and septic tank effluent disposal systems (STEDs) to collect wastewater, depending on the size, topography and existing infrastructure in the town or area.

“Innovation is fundamental to providing affordable and high-quality services to smaller regional centres. We also use a range of treatment technologies, from sophisticated Sequence Batch Reactor (SBR) treatment systems to simple waste stabilisation ponds,” he said. “We provide recycled water for irrigating green spaces such as parks, ovals, golf courses and racecourses, for agricultural trials for the grains industry, for grazing land, as well as viticulture.”

One of the latest innovative projects for GWMWater is the upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant at Donald. Donald is a small town located in northwest Victoria, within the Shire of Buloke, with a population

of about 1,500 people. The town has several industries that support its growth but that also discharge a considerable amount of trade waste.

With industrial influence continuing to grow, the original treatment plant - built in 1969 to treat wastewater from predominantly residential customers - needed an upgrade.

“Right from the start our focus for the upgrade was to minimise energy use, emissions, and waste and build in resilience for climate variability,” Vitharana said. “The existing treatment plant site did not have grid connected power and is a considerable distance from the town.

The orientation of the network also made it expensive to establish a plant at a new site. It meant that we had to do something different if we were going to meet our objectives. We landed on the installation of rotating

The Donald Wastewater Treatment Plant is getting a significant upgrade.

Nalaka Vitharana is the Executive Manager Infrastructure for GWMWater. Images: GWMWater

biological contactors, or RBCs. RBCs are an attached growth secondary treatment process with a low energy footprint. This technology is well suited to being powered by a Solar Batteries Energy Storage System.”

The local power also provides resilience against outages due to storms.

Wider uses RBCs can provide GWMWater with a low energy, low emissions solution for its smaller treatment plants. They can buffer variability in certain effluent parameters as wastewater quality changes.

“That’s one of the reasons we selected that technology,” Vitharana said. “This technology is great at handling different levels of biological load and we can generate renewable power on site.”

The Dimboola Wastewater Treatment Plant will also be upgraded in the coming months, taking learnings from the Donald Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade.

“Our focus remains on minimising our environmental footprint and maximising the beneficial use of recycled water and any of the by-products that are generated,” Vitharana said. “We’ll continue to support regional communities by looking for and adopting technology that supports our region’s development.”

For more information, visit www.gwmwater.org.au

Flushing out wastewater woes with IoT

Despite the challenging environment, wastewater is an area where having the right data is critical for ongoing understanding of the entire network. Kallipr is at the cutting edge of this technology.

THE ROLE OF Internet of Things (IoT) devices is growing in the lives of Australians and people around the world. The industrial IoT (IIoT) market is also growing rapidly, with one report suggesting that the IIoT market worldwide could grow by nearly 14 per cent per year to over US$450 billion by 2029.

The uptake of smart devices across different industry sectors has been rapid in the water industry. IIoT offers numerous opportunities to transform wastewater management and treatment systems while providing local councils with previously unknown insights.

Kallipr has worked in the water and wastewater fields for many years. The success of its project with Sydney Water is a testament to the quality of devices and services provided for a wastewater solution.

Alex Sims is the Technical Support

Lead for Kallipr and has been working on wireless technology for several years. As an electrician, he has an excellent understanding of the challenges at both the physical and data levels for devices entering wastewater systems.

“Wastewater is a really complex asset,” Sims said. “There is so much variance across the network. To start with, there are significant age discrepancies across the network. For example, you could find a network over 100 years old connected to one just a year or two old. That’s before you start looking at the unpleasantness of the situation in terms of what it is carrying around.”

Local government challenges

Because no two sites are the same, this creates challenges for any company, water utility, or local

Introducing IIoT systems in local government assets tends to be cost-effective in the long run.

Images: Kallipr

government organisation. Financial issues are also present.

“Wastewater networks present challenges for any organisation, regardless of size,” said Sims. “Even the largest utilities in metropolitan areas face resource constraints when managing their networks. In metropolitan settings, the proximity of assets and maintenance holes makes monitoring and maintaining the system easier. However, the task becomes significantly more challenging in regional areas, where assets are spread across vast distances.”

With fewer resources, smaller local governments often find it harder to keep up with the demands of managing these dispersed networks effectively. That’s why presenting the right solutions to local government can be critical.

“There are many different sensors for different purposes,” he said. “There are contact sensors, like float switches and submersible level sensors. They can be deployed to monitor things like surcharge alarms and water levels. There are also non-contact sensors that use radar and ultrasonic technology. These are designed to be deployed in sewers and monitor water levels.”

Sensors that measure turbidity, dissolved oxygen, chlorine, fluoride, and a range of other water quality monitoring issues are also included. Each of these solutions needs to be built to withstand the environments in which they will be installed. They also need to transmit the data in a timely and ‘on-demand’ manner while maintaining its accuracy.

Cost of inaction

Local councils manage an array of aging assets that lack end-to-end visibility, which creates enormous challenges. Kallipr encourages the digitisation of the network, as the

cost of inaction can far outweigh the initial investment.

“We’ve had councils concerned about the cost of installing an IIoT system into their area,” Sims said. “Understanding the potential for proactive maintenance is key. The cost of an IoT solution is far outweighed by its opportunities for reducing operational expenditure. In every trial we’ve conducted, the business case has stacked up, demonstrating the clear return on investment (ROI) and appetite for these solutions.”

Local governments will often see the benefits of improved maintenance and network management by reviewing the potential cost savings from improved maintenance and network management, such as a reduction in truck rolls, prevention of sewer overflows, and reduced EPA fines. The International Data Corporation reported that operational expenditures can be four times higher than capital expenditures, on average.

“The upfront capital expenditure will be a fraction of the overall cost through the solution’s lifetime,” said Sims. “Ultimately, the return on investment is positive due to improved business operations

management. These solutions are becoming increasingly accessible as the IIoT market expands.”

Learning from sensors

A simple float switch deployment can provide an immense array of data for local government. It also helps with both predictive and proactive activities to ensure that residents are not negatively impacted by work done on the network.

“With the right sensor solution, the costs of managing the wastewater network can drop,” Sims said. “It also allows the local government to schedule its works based on the data coming in. That’s much better than taking a reactive approach, which tends to cost more money. Staff deal with the job during business hours if work is planned and scheduled. That’s an immediate financial and workforce management improvement compared to reacting to an emergency.”

An example of these learnings came from the hyper-scale rollout of Captis devices across Sydney Water’s network. Over 8,000 devices were initially rolled out to proactively manage sewage overflows through localised monitoring of sewer risers. It enabled Sydney Water to identify issues before an overflow event

The Captis devices are designed for many different purposes, including the hazards of wastewater management.

occurred. Following the trial’s success, Sydney Water is scaling to add an additional 15,000 Captis devices across its network, having saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in incident costs by detecting blockages.

“We also worked with the City of Gold Coast to track saltwater ingress,” said Sims. While tracking salinity might seem simple enough, all that seawater was winding up in treatment plants. Treating unwanted seawater costs money, so providing the council with more data to identify and resolve ingress issues would be a significant cost saving. It was also an opportunity to pinpoint exactly where maintenance needs to occur.”

With the future of IIoT continuing to be bright, Kallipr will remain a key solutions provider for years to come.

“Utilities and local government will continue to adopt this technology,” Sims said. “The improvements across a business and the cost savings are undeniable. Having that real-time behavioural data from a wastewater network can inform future proofing and town planning. The opportunities are endless.”

For more information, visit www.kallipr.com

OZPIPE and using plastic for good

Plastic pipes have transformed the way we live, delivering essential services and utilities to our homes, businesses, and communities. OZPIPE 2024 is an event focusing on sustainable infrastructure.

THE PLASTIC PIPES Industry

Association of Australia (PIPA) is a peak industry body representing manufacturers and suppliers of plastic pipes and fittings, resin suppliers, fabricators, installers and training and certifying bodies.

“The work the association undertakes aligns with our four key pillars – Advocate, Educate, Technical and Sustainability,” PIPA Executive General Manager Cindy Bray said. “It’s important that we undertake activities to help advance the use of plastic pipes and fittings as a safe, durable, and sustainable solution.

“It’s especially important at a time when too often the perception of plastics is more negative than positive, despite the important role they play in our everyday lives.”

Global plastic pipes experts at OZPIPE

2024

PIPA will host OZPIPE 2024 in Sydney from November 11 to 13, 2024. The conference will focus on the future of plastic pipes under the theme “Sustainable Infrastructure – The Future is Now.” It will showcase a range of papers presented by pipe experts from Australia and worldwide, covering topics including global sustainability, the environment, water security, design, hydrogen, innovation, recycling, and case studies.

“If you are a manufacturer or supplier of plastic pipes and fittings, equipment or a specifier, engineer, designer or end-user of plastic pipe systems, this is the conference for you,” Bray said. “There will be an

extensive range of papers presented. On top of that, there will also be the opportunity to view exhibitors and explore poster presentations.”

As part of OZPIPE 2024, the focus on sustainable infrastructure will be prominent throughout the conference. Bray believes this area is essential for the industry.

“Sustainability is key to everything we value and produce,” she said. “It starts with the materials we use, then from design through to manufacturing, the performance of our pipe systems during installation, and through their entire service life and beyond.”

Focusing on sustainability

With the increased focus on reducing environmental footprint, and the transition from a linear to circular economy, plastic pipes have many advantages over alternative materials and are increasingly becoming the preferred material of choice to replace and upgrade pipes throughout the world.

Aligning with the key principles of a circular economy, plastic pipes are designed to minimise waste and pollution, be kept in use for a long time, and be repaired and recycled.

“One of the important features of plastic pipes is their design life - they are intended and designed to last a very long time,” Bray said.

Bray said in typical environmental conditions, plastic materials are well known to last in excess of 100 years. However, plastic pipes remain functional without requiring excess maintenance or repair when used and installed correctly in normal

One of the essential features of plastic pipes is their design life - they are intended and designed to last a very long time.

operation over its design lifetime.

Plastic pipes that are buried in infrastructure will likely never be dug up, even at the end of their long service life.

“Instead, they will likely become a host for a new plastic pipe through trenchless installation, saving huge amounts of energy and resources, significantly reducing the impact to the environment,” Bray said.

Education about plastic and plastic pipes

One key focus area for PIPA is educating people on the differences between plastic pipes and fittings and other plastics, such as singleuse plastics.

“Not all plastics are the same, and too often plastics pipe systems are mistakenly put in the same category as single-use plastics,” Bray said.

To help further educate on the positive use of plastics, PIPA launched a digital campaign last year titled “That’s using plastic for good.” Images: PIPA

As an industry that converts large volumes of virgin material into longlife products that play a critical role in our homes and communities, it’s important that we educate on this across a wide range of audiences. As the vast majority of plastic pipes are installed underground, people generally don’t think about them until they are forced to think about them, usually in an emergency.”

To help further educate on the positive use of plastics, PIPA launched a digital campaign last year, “Using Plastic for Good.” The campaign seeks to further educate people on positive uses for plastics, differentiating

2024-25 Inside Water features calendar

November/December

CEO/MD Year in Review

Water Security

Digital Twins Pumps

January/February

Education and Training

Water quality testing Pumps

Corrosion Control

Women in Water

March/April

Water Supply

Health and Safety

Internet of Things Pipes

Water pricing and affordability

plastic pipes from single-use plastic. This digitally-focused campaign highlights the essential role of plastic pipes in everyday life, broadly targeted at those outside the industry.

PIPA has also partnered with Cool.org, a company that brings real-world learning into classrooms and provides free lesson plans mapped to relevant year levels and the Australian curriculum. Each lesson is centred around environmental, social, and economic sustainability topics, focusing on circularity and the good use of plastic. The lessons developed are designed for Grade 5 to 6 students in design and technology. They cover topics such as how pipes are used in everyday life, circular economy principles and how they apply to plastic pipes, design thinking, suitability of pipe materials, recycling and material efficiency.

Industry guidelines

PIPA’s technical guidelines and notes provide further information for industry on relevant topics.

These are accessible on the PIPA website and are developed in collaboration with members, industry professionals and global counterparts.

An example is the recent revision of technical guideline POP003: Butt Fusion Jointing of PE Pipes and Fittings –Recommended Parameters and Practices It focuses on the importance of correct welding and installation of PE pipes to ensure long service life, which is critical for the pipeline infrastructure.

The first section of the document discusses the recommended parameters and jointing procedures as specified in

Technical guideline POP003: Butt Fusion Jointing of PE Pipes and Fittings –Recommended Parameters and Practices focuses on the importance of correct welding and installation of PE pipes.

ISO 21307 Plastic Pipes and Fittings – Butt Fusion Jointing Procedures for Polyethylene (PE) Pipes and Fittings Used in Construction of Gas and Water Distribution Systems

This includes considering the materials and components used, the fusion jointing procedure and equipment, and the quality assessment of the completed joint.

The second section focuses on best practices for butt fusion jointing. It provides guidance by identifying the key aspects that should be considered when butt fusing PE pipe and fittings, including equipment, operator competence, quality assurance plan, transport, handling and storage, prewelding inspection, prequalification and pilot welds, fusion parameters, site records, testing and other factors.

“In this new revision of POP003, PIPA and the industry is not only providing end users recommended parameters and practices when it comes to butt welding, we have also provided some guidance for procurement and asset owners,” Bray said. “The updated guidance highlights the importance of the competency level of the welder for critical assets. All welding supervisors and operators need to be qualified and regularly recertified by a suitable registered training organisation. This can be assisted by specifying minimum competency level requirements in quotes and tenders.”

For more information about OZPIPE, visit www.ozpipe.com.au

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Drilling under Avoca Lagoon: a technical triumph

Ever pondered the intricacies of subaqueous drilling to maintain vital water infrastructure? A recent project showcased cutting-edge solutions for a complex challenge.

SITUATED ALONG THE New South Wales Central Coast, a region celebrated for its beaches — the area boasts an intricate network of waterways, including the Hawkesbury River to the south and Lake Macquarie to the north. This abundance of waterways adds complexity to water and wastewater management. Eire Constructions, in collaboration with its specialist contractor Superior HDD, recently undertook the task of drilling a 400-meter-long pipe tunnel beneath the 290 megalitre Avoca Lagoon — a critical infrastructure endeavour for client Central Coast Council.

Project overview

Central Coast Council’s strategic initiative involved replacing the ageing water transfer trunk main beneath Avoca Lagoon, which is crucial for supplying the Copacabana Reservoir. This trunk main serves North Avoca, Avoca Beach,

Copacabana, and Macmasters Beach. This project was designed to mitigate environmental risks, provide capacity for the growing region and ensure a continuous water supply. Christopher Achelles, Eire Construction’s Site Supervisor, noted the urgency of replacing the water main due to its pivotal role in regional water distribution. The existing system’s fixed joint on the north side and flexible joint under the lagoon, affected by tidal movements, led to sporadic disruptions. Eire Constructions, leveraging Superior HDD’s horizontal directional drilling (HDD) expertise, executed a complex drilling operation to a depth of approximately 23.5 metres. They successfully pushed a 560 millimetre pn20 poly pipe in 12-metre sections through a nearly 400-metrelong underbore, securing it to the casing on the north side. This new connection is designed to provide a stable, long-term solution.

Technical challenges and solutions

One of the principal challenges was the high water table in this lowlying area. Recent precipitation had elevated the water table to near lake capacity levels, increasing the risk of frac outs — uncontrolled release of drilling fluid during HDD operations. Such incidents could have caused significant environmental contamination.

To mitigate these risks, rigorous sediment control measures were implemented to prevent mud or sediment discharge into the lagoon. Environmental safeguards were paramount, particularly due to the habitat of endangered green and golden bell frog (GGBF) species. Comprehensive preproject planning with Central Coast Council, including the engagement of specialised contractors, ensured adherence to environmental regulations and site protection.

Stakeholder engagement

Effective communication with the Central Coast Council and local residents was vital. Eire Construction, guided by its family-owned values, prioritised

Nigel Court was part of the pipe crew for this project.

Images: Eire Construction

a collaborative approach. Central Coast Council implemented their community liaison plan, which involved meticulous signage, public notifications, and online updates to manage community impact and maintain transparency.

Safety measures included extensive signage and fencing around the construction site, adjacent to a large oval and children’s play area. Proactive engagement with the local community, including addressing concerns of the local rugby club and interacting with local children, helped minimise disruptions and fostered positive relations.

Project reflections

Reflecting on the project’s success, Achelles emphasises the importance of strategic team planning and cohesive execution.

“The success of the project hinged on comprehensive planning and collaborative effort,” he said. “Our team consisted of Project Engineers Dave Fox and Andrew Bennett, and their commitment to executing

the plan and making informed decisions was crucial in achieving our objectives efficiently.”

Working effectively with the Central Coast Council project team, Glenn Crocker and Justin Parker, was pivotal to the success of the project. Their proactive engagement and deep understanding of local needs were instrumental in navigating the complex logistics and regulatory landscape. Overall, the

Eire Constructions worked with Superior HDD to tunnel under the lagoon.

The Avoca Lagoon was carefully managed to minimise the environmental impact.

Avoca Lagoon project exemplifies Eire Constructions’ technical proficiency and collaborative style. The team showcased the effort necessary to address complex infrastructure challenges, setting a benchmark for future endeavours in water management and construction.

For more information, visit eirecon.com.au

Canadian project for Aussie spacer firm

One Australian company’s involvement in the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project has provided insights and perspectives for the water industry.

The kwik-ZIP HDXT spacer has been installed on a 30-inch steel pipe for use as part of the TMPL Expansion Project.

THE TRANS MOUNTAIN Pipeline system, also known as the Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMPL), is a set of pipelines that carry crude and refined oil products from Edmonton to Vancouver on the west coast of Canada. It is operated by Trans Mountain Corporation, which the Canada Development Investment Corporation owns. The TMPL delivers about 300,000 barrels of petroleum products every day through over 1,200 kilometres of pipeline in Alberta, British Columbia, and Washington state. However, the TMPL needs to expand to increase Canada’s crude oil production capacity while ensuring access to global energy markets. The pipeline expansion seeks to increase capacity to about 900,000 barrels per day. It involves installing nearly 1,000 kilometres of new pipelines to essentially twin the network and building new pump stations and terminals. Trans Mountain Corporation will also build a new dock complex in Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver in the province of British Columbia.

But how does an Australian enterprise fit into this? Despite most of the project being an open-trench project, one section of the new pipes featured a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) component. The entry and exit points of two HDD pull-back casing sections needed protection. This is where kwik-ZIP comes into play.

Who is kwik-ZIP?

kwik-ZIP, an Australian-owned company, specialises in manufacturing and supplying a stateof-the-art centraliser and spacer system for a wide range of industry sectors, including production well drilling, trenchless pipeline installation, HDD and the general civil and construction markets.

Images: kwik-ZIP

The company’s innovative spacers and centralisers have been developed to effectively address support, grading and centralisation challenges in the trenchless and pipeline, vertical production drilling, and ground engineering industries.

Crafted from high-grade thermoplastic, kwik-ZIP products are widely embraced and endorsed by pipeline and civil contractors, water and gas utilities, drilling companies and international engineering firms. Embracing kwikZIP products ensures compliance with various regulations mandating the use of casing centralisers or pipe spacers. This includes wastewater and sewerage codes, as well as construction standards. kwik-ZIP spacers and centralisers also provide clients with a cost-effective and streamlined solution to their spacer and centraliser needs.

The range of HDXT, HDX and HD spacers have been appraised by the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) against their Product Specification WSA PA 324 Casing Spacers. They have also been added to the Accepted Infrastructure Products and Materials (IPAM) list for the South-East Queensland (SEQ) Water Supply and Sewerage Design and Construction Code, and the list of approved products by Melbourne Retail Water Agencies (MRWA).

kwik-ZIP has long been proud of its ability to provide customised solutions to customers as required, focusing on ensuring a successful outcome for the project. They have been utilised in a wide range of products across the globe.

kwik-ZIP’s wide range of spacers accommodates a wide range of carrier/casing pipe size combinations and provides flexibility to accommodate project alterations. The kwik-ZIP spacers have no metal parts and are made from kwik-ZIP’s

engineered thermoplastic blend, which is flexible, extremely tough, and has a low coefficient of friction.

How does kwik-ZIP fit in?

kwik-ZIP were approached to assist with a particular requirement on a small components of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project where the contractor was unable to find a suitable solution. The requirement was to centralise the ends of an HDD pullback casing at both the entry and exit points on two specific runs. Due to a 15-degree slope at each entry and exit point, the contractor was concerned about the potential damage to the casing and engaged kwik-ZIP to provide a specific solution to the scenario they were dealing with.

The solution was to use multiple spacer assembly rings using the HDXT-58W spacer model. This method was used on each end section of the 30-inch pipe, and due to the large load, kwik-ZIP load inserts were installed in each alternate runner.

HDXT load inserts are designed for the kwik-ZIP HDXT casing spacers to provide additional load capacity for heavy applications or where high-point loadings on one runner are experienced.

Although kwik-ZIP products have comprehensive instructions added to every box supplied, due to the contractors’ specific challenges, a project-specific set was compiled and sent to ensure trouble-free installation and utilisation.

The twinning project was finished by May 2024, following the completion of the “golden weld” on 11 April 2024. While benefits have started to flow to the Canadian economy and several of its Indigenous communities, kwik-ZIP has undoubtedly played a small yet

Having the right spacers and centralisers for the job is key.

crucial part in the project.

With its established stockists in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, kwik-ZIP operates from its Head Office in Bayswater and warehouse facilities in Sydney, Texas and the United Kingdom.

For more information, visit www.kwikzip.com

A platform for active water management

Is your water data a stagnant pool or a powerful stream?

A dedicated platform can transform data into action, driving significant water savings and sustainability outcomes.

IN TODAY’S WORLD, there are two dilemmas when it comes to efficient water management.

“We either don’t have enough data, or we don’t have enough action based on the data collected,” said Guenter Hauber-Davidson, Managing Director of WaterGroup, a leading provider of integrated water efficiency solutions across Australia.

Each scenario provides its own challenge, according to HauberDavidson. Not having enough data means organisations don’t have an evidence base for their decisionmaking processes, while not enough action means that the data being collected is going to waste.

A big part of this imbalance is that there are very specific demands on how a platform collects water usage information, displays it for analysis and makes it easy to understand. It also needs to provide the right insights into what corrective action should be taken if there is abnormal usage.

This is where a comprehensive,

data-driven smart water management platform like UtiliOS is needed. It is designed by practitioners for practitioners. With its intuitive interface and powerful analytics, UtiliOS enables users to harness the full potential of digital metering and achieve significant water savings. WaterGroup has recognised the opportunity to integrate cutting-edge digital metering with a human touch and has received the IoT Alliance of Australia (IoTAA) Data Transformation Award. Through its work, WaterGroup and UtiliOS help create significant, tangible cost savings and sustainability outcomes.

A comprehensive solution

Such a platform needs to simplify complex data management processes by handling everything from data ingestion and cleansing to integration and analysis. This enables users to focus on deriving actionable insights without getting bogged down by technical details.

WaterGroup received an IoTAA award for their UtiliOS platform.

Images: WaterGroup

A user-friendly interface makes data retrieval and analysis a seamless experience, allowing users to access the information they need with just a few clicks. Furthermore, it must provide flexibility in analysis, enabling the combination of digital metering data with other data series for a more comprehensive understanding of water usage patterns.

UtiliOS is one of the leading solutions for smart water meter monitoring and device management.

“Unlike traditional data lakes or interactive data visualisation tools, you need a platform designed to deliver immediate value from the moment it is implemented”, said Hauber-Davidson.

The platform must also excel in device and fleet management. Through an intuitive, traffic lightbased system, users should be able to efficiently monitor and manage devices, easily identifying issues and generating reports. The platform’s advanced alarms and alerts module lets users detect and prioritise abnormal water usage and leaks, ensuring timely interventions. Additionally, it needs to automate fleet and leak alert management, providing meaningful feedback that drives corrective actions and highlights water savings in clear, understandable terms, including related CO2 savings. UtiliOS ticks all of those boxes.

Proven success

WaterGroup has demonstrated the effectiveness of UtiliOS, having saved over 8 billion litres of water since 2017. This proven success makes it a reliable choice for scaling for larger residential smart water metering roll-outs by utilities. The platform’s graphical user interface (GUI), which includes geo-location and

human-machine interface (HMI) capabilities, allows users to locate devices in the field or within facility diagrams, providing near real-time status updates.

Security and scalability are integral to its design. The platform features hierarchical access structures and a robust database that ensures data security while allowing for seamless scaling. A dedicated water management platform like UtiliOS should also include a network balancing model that automatically calculates addressable leakage, streamlining the process of identifying and correcting inefficiencies.

What’s needed next?

As water management demands continue to evolve, so must the platform. Significant enhancements should be planned, including integrating artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically detect abnormal water usage patterns and diagnose device health. Hauber-Davidson expects these AI-driven insights to further enhance the efficiency and precision of WaterGroup’s AWARE Blue system, making water management with UtiliOS even more proactive.

In addition, WaterGroup expects more advanced water balancing and leak detection features to become available. They will differentiate between essential and non-essential water use, allowing for more accurate pricing and resource allocation. The setup and configuration process will also become more streamlined, further simplifying the user experience. AI-powered support, including ChatGPT-based help and documentation, will ensure users have the resources to fully leverage the platform’s capabilities.

Advantages of a dedicated platform

Compared to traditional data management tools like overall highlevel, corporate-wide, all-integrated sustainability and reporting platforms, data lakes, or interactive data visualisation, a dedicated platform like UtiliOS offers several distinct advantages. Its user-friendly design ensures that anyone with the appropriate access can use it without requiring specialised skills. This ease of use extends to easy, intuitive interrogation of time series data, allowing users to perform flexible analysis on the fly without needing to wait for expert assistance.

Hauber-Davidson anticipates that many complex processes typically associated with data management, including data cleansing, ingestion, and transformation, will become automated.

“One should not have to spend time on that,” he said. “Data displayed ought to be reliable and dependable.”

This automation frees users from manual tasks and allows them to focus on more strategic activities. User journeys should be streamlined with an intuitive interface, making accessing critical tasks a oneclick process.

It must also excel in alarm and reporting capabilities. Users need to be able to set up sophisticated alarms and receive automated reports, ensuring potential issues are addressed promptly. The platform’s scalability and reliability must have been proven across multiple applications before making it a

Smart city policies require integrated systems and a dedicated platform for ongoing success.

trusted solution for a wide range of water management needs.

Proven expertise

UtiliOS has proven expertise as a water management platform built on industry expertise and continuous user-driven development. Whether managing a single site or an entire utility network, UtiliOS delivers the insights, automation, and support necessary to drive efficiency and achieve cost-effective, sustainable water savings.

“These are essential not only for when the next drought hits us but even more so today in our current cost of living crisis with an increasing pressure on reducing costs whilst also achieving ever more stringent sustainability goals.”

Hauber-Davidson said.

Water storage management will need a modern solution.

For more information, visit watergroup.com.au and www.utilios.io

Securing water for a growing population

Located between Canberra and the NSW Coast, the Queanbeyan-Palerang region has been growing with its city proximity and rural lifestyle. This has led to water security challenges, and digital water metering is set to help.

THE QUEANBEYAN-PALERANG

REGIONAL Council (Council) area is experiencing ongoing population growth, which poses a significant challenge to water security. According to forecast projections, the population is expected to increase 28 per cent by 2041, rising from 66,475 to 85,084 residents, partly due to its proximity to Canberra. This growth puts immense pressure on the region’s water infrastructure and available resources, which means innovative solutions are required to ensure sustainable water management.

To address these challenges, Council has prioritised measuring and managing its water resources as a critical component of its strategy. By using digital water meters and accurately measuring water usage, Council can better identify and address losses and inefficiencies within the water network. This proactive approach is essential in safeguarding water supplies for the growing community.

“We recognise that as our population grows, so does the demand for our water resources,” said Rebecca Ryan, General Manager of Council. “It’s important that we take action now to ensure the long-term sustainability of our water supply. Our investment in digital water metering technology is a key part of our commitment to having a secure water supply.”

Digital transformation journey

Council has embarked on its digital water journey and stands at the forefront of innovation as one of the first utilities to roll out digital

water meters under a newly formed partnership with Telstra and Taggle. This collaboration enables Council to leverage Telstra’s existing NB-IoT radio network while benefiting from Taggle’s comprehensive end-toend solutions.

Telstra provides a class leading NB-IoT network that supports low-cost, utility-scale digital water meter deployments. This network coverage is extensive across the country allowing utilities to quickly and easily install meters. Taggle provides the end-to-end solution, from project management, installation, network-as-a-service, software and integration. When considering digital water metering it is easy to get caught up in a technology debate as there are pros and cons for every method, however, what is important is the outcomes.

Key outcomes

The key outcomes of a digital water metering program include improved customer service, more efficient water management, enhanced accuracy in billing, and real-time monitoring of water usage. The technology enables early detection of leaks, reducing water waste and associated costs. It also empowers consumers with detailed insights into their water consumption patterns, promoting water conservation. Utilities benefit from streamlined operations, more visibility into the water network, and the ability to quickly identify and address issues, leading to better resource allocation and customer service.

Ninh from Taggle completes installation training with Council staff.

What the project entailed

The project’s first phase includes deploying 2,000 digital water meters, introducing an online customer portal and mobile phone app, and seamless two-way integration between Taggle’s Aqualus Water Platform and Council’s billing system, TechnologyOne.

A new meter within the QueanbeyanPalerang Regional Council.

Of the 2,000 meters being installed, the majority will be EDMI WP20s, an ultrasonic digital meter with integrated NB-IoT radio, a new meter in Taggle’s expanding range. These meters will be used predominantly for residential customers, and larger commercial meters will be retrofitted with an added Taggle telemetry device.

Khoi

Council’s utilities team has completed their training with a batch of 100 meters installed and will continue to roll out the rest of the meters over the next few months. That initial batch has already revealed a number of leaks on residential properties, and in just a few weeks, it’s been shown that 100 kilolitres could be saved, a promising result for the project.

“In a region like ours, where dry spells can stretch our water resources to their limits, having the ability to closely monitor and manage demand is invaluable,” said Ryan. “The technology not only helps

us conserve water but also allows residents to identify leaks early, saving them from unnecessary waste and potentially high water bills.”

Introducing digital water meters marks a significant milestone in Council’s commitment to sustainable water management. By embracing advanced technology and innovative

The EDMI NB-IoT meter is new in the Taggle range.

partnerships, Council is taking bold steps to secure water resources for the growing population while enhancing the safety and efficiency of its operations.

For more information, visit taggle.com and www.telstra.com. au/business-enterprise

Images: Taggle Systems

FOCUS Pumps

Efficient pumps for all industries

With more records being set for temperature, fires, flooding and other extreme weather events, operating sustainably is a crucial focus for pump operators. KSB is working to help its customers become more environmentally efficient.

MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS all governments have been tracking the impact and effects of global climate change. According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), Australia’s climate has warmed by an average of 1.47 ± 0.24°C since national records began in 1910. Sea surface temperatures have increased by an average of 1.05°C since 1900. There has been a decline of around 15 per cent in April to October rainfall in southwest Australia since 1970. In southeast Australia, rainfall has decreased by around 10 per cent from April to October since the late 1990s.

As a result, it’s important that all responsible companies and individuals make significant efforts to minimise the effects of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Part of that solution is highly efficient pump systems.

The impact of pumping systems

Of the world’s total energy generated, pumping systems, especially centrifugal pumps, consume about 20 per cent. This corresponds to 2284 terawatt hours, which amounts to around 1370 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e), according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

That volume is about the same as the emissions of 443 coal-fired power plants in one year. Importantly, it is not only the pumps that consume this energy but the entire systems in which they are operated.

Sarel Erasmus, General Manager of Water and Wastewater at KSB Australia, has worked in the industry for many years, which has given him insights into what can be done.

“If you think about pumping systems as a whole, the system is essentially a pipeline with valves connected to a pump and a motor,” said Erasmus.

“Motors tend to operate at 85 to 96 per cent efficiency, as opposed to the hydraulic efficiencies of pumps that vary based on the system parameters and pump design. That’s why we need to focus on operational efficiency. We want to improve the efficiency of the entire system unit.”

This holistic approach to optimising the entire system offers the most energy savings, the greatest improvements in system reliability, and reduced maintenance. It also reduces life cycle costs for endusers, with energy alone accounting for an average of 45 per cent of these costs, according to the US Department of Energy.

“We run CFD and hydraulic modelling to ensure our pumps

Energy efficiency is at the core of many sustainability goals.

Images: KSB

operate at optimum efficiency,” Erasmus said. “Although the initial cost of assets is important, system efficiencies are more important. The total cost of ownership must be considered over the lifetime of the asset. Ultimately, it has a profound impact on our environment, our future and everything in between.”

KSB has set itself the goal of saving 850,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year by 2025 through such optimisation measures. It offers its customers solutions to reduce their energy consumption as far as possible. It provides highly energy-efficient products and options for monitoring and control. KSB advises its customers to ensure their pumps are correctly sized for their application.

What options are available?

There is still plenty that end-users can do to save energy, even once a system is installed.

“Our SES System Efficiency Service carefully examine and analyse the on-site systems,” said Erasmus. “It determines the actual load profile of the pumps and compares it with the design conditions. After identifying impermissible pump operating conditions and critical system conditions, we can make specific recommendations to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint.”

KSB has also been at the forefront of developing more efficient pump models while manufacturing them in a more environmentally friendly manner. A recent example is our

new AmaRex Pro submersible motor pumps, designed to guarantee the best possible performance.

“The AmaRex Pro features IE5equivalent motors and are coupled to an optimised hydraulic design,” said Erasmus. “That means your assets are highly efficient and further reduce energy consumption.”

The motors were designed with five per cent less copper than conventional motors. Pump casings are being cast out of recycled metals, improving the pump economy’s circularity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“We are making our production facilities around the world more climate-friendly,” Erasmus said.

“For example, our plant in Lille, France, where our AmaRex Pro is manufactured, is set to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 98 per cent in 2027 compared with 2021. This is achieved through effective system insulation, efficient heating systems, LED lighting, and photovoltaic systems.”

Improving

operational efficiency

The KSB team have found that pump operations and pump systems offer many more opportunities to save energy than pump manufacturing alone.

“The reality is that a pump’s

carbon footprint is caused by the electricity consumed during its use, representing about 90 to 95 per cent of the footprint over the pump’s lifetime,” said Erasmus. “That provides enormous potential to optimise pumps and their systems. Our global team has been able to reduce the energy consumption of pump systems by working closely with our customers, resulting in significant savings. If an individual or isolated approach is taken by examining individual components, it is only possible to leverage between 5 and 10 per cent of the potential savings.

“Therefore, the greatest potential

Reducing energy use and emissions ensures that companies are upholding their ESG requirements.

The AmaRex Pro submersible pump exemplifies the efforts of KSB to help its clients reduce maintenance costs and energy consumption.

for optimisation comes from reviewing and improving the pump system. For example, systems often have oversized pumps. Once we identify the inefficiencies and determine the appropriate system requirements, the pump set can be adjusted to offer improved performance.

KSB is committed to playing its part in healing our planet, and through our ongoing investment in research and development, we strongly believe our efforts are making a difference.

For more information, visit www.ksb.com/en-au

Forging a purposeful partnership

At this company, people are driven by a shared purpose: to improve lives. A new partnership with a charitable foundation brings that powerful purpose to life.

LEADING PROVIDER OF pipeline infrastructure solutions, Interflow, has entered a partnership with The Goodes O’Loughlin Foundation (GO) to provide First Nations kids with vital funding towards the Foundation’s scholarship and cultural support program.

Interflow’s Executive Manager of People and Capability, Tracy Keevers, said she was proud of this momentous occasion in the organisation’s history.

She shared that there are many

excellent reasons that Interflow has thrived for over 85 years, and they’re not just related to the innovative solutions the organisation provides to water authorities and councils.

“It is strongly related to the organisation’s purpose, which has always been about improving the lives of the people we work with and those within the communities we serve,” Keevers said. “As a family business, we’ve been able to do things differently. We have always cared for the families of people

Interflow and the GO Foundation are providing opportunities to young Indigenous people.

Images: Interflow, GO Foundation

working within the business. That philosophy hasn’t changed, but it has grown to include the lives of people outside the business, too.”

The 15-year-old organisation was founded by proud Indigenous men and AFL legends Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin - the ‘G’ and ‘O’ of GO Foundation. It provides scholarships for Indigenous children during primary school, high school, and university. Importantly, it puts culture at the heart of everything it does. The holistic program creates opportunities for young Indigenous people by focusing on the student’s identity, culture, and broader community as they complete their education.

“Education is the most powerful tool,” said Lua Pellegrini, who went through the GO Foundation program. “It allows me to unlock many opportunities and change my potential. If every Indigenous person had the opportunities I had, it could change the world.”

Developing meaningful partnerships

Interflow launched its first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2022 as part of its Diversity and Inclusion strategy.

The new partnership with GO Foundation aligns with its RAP commitments and the broader Interflow purpose. It has several aspects, including improving the lives of the communities Interflow serves and supporting young people to have brighter futures through better educational opportunities. It also demonstrates a commitment and action towards reconciliation while focusing on cultural respect and unlocking Indigenous talent.

Interflow has joined several other notable organisations as partners and supporters of the GO Foundation. These include David Jones, Bloomberg, Citi, GHD, Graincorp, and Toyota. Founding partners Sydney Swans, KPMG, QBE, and Allens are still vital to the foundation’s success.

Why GO?

Interflow’s focus on community and family heavily influenced the decision to seek a partnership with the GO Foundation.

“We already had two community partnerships close to our hearts,” she said. “One is The Smith Family, particularly its Learning for Life program, which improves lives through education.”

The other is WaterAid Australia, for which most funding goes overseas. It brings life-saving clean water and

sanitation to families.

“With that partnership, we can proactively see the dollars hit the ground over there, making a real difference to families,” Keevers said. “It’s about providing vital infrastructure and services such as sanitation to communities in the Asia-Pacific region.”

The GO Foundation partnership is deeply connected to Interflow’s Reflect RAP, which is currently in its second year and focuses on building strong foundations for meaningful reconciliation.

“Part of it is down to our industry,” she said. We want to learn about sustainable land practices and have a closer connection to Country as an organisation. At the same time, we want to have a long-lasting, positive effect on communities, and that’s what the GO Foundation is all about. It is very grassroots. Every dollar we give will make a difference to Indigenous children staying at school.”

Notably, while the GO Foundation focuses on cultural pride and students’ being comfortable in their own skin, the organisation also makes a point to focus on the eldest child in each family.

“It’s just such a clever idea,” Keevers said. “They focus on the eldest child because they know that if they can get the eldest child through, other children will have role models to follow. That insight comes from really knowing the community and the people.”

Similarly, 60 per cent of GO Foundation scholarships are awarded to girls, acknowledging

Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin have worked tirelessly with partners to improve outcomes for young Indigenous people.

the importance of women in Aboriginal communities.

“In Indigenous communities, women are often leaders and decision-makers,” Keevers said. “So, by giving young women the very best chance of a good education, we will enable and empower social change.”

Of course, in a partnership, support is not one-dimensional. It’s not just about funding. Interflow is exploring with the GO Foundation ways it can add value to the organisation’s mission by sharing skills, knowledge, and opportunities.

A grand goal

By partnering with the GO Foundation, which has been making a difference in Indigenous student education for 15 years, Interflow contributes to achieving a grand goal.

Right now, GO Foundation funds over 660 active scholarships. The organisation’s goal is 1,000 active scholarships, and Interflow is proud to support that goal.

“Maybe in the future, Interflow will be able to offer positions to candidates who have come through the program, but it’s not about that,” Keevers said.

“What is it really about? If we’re truly committed to reconciliation and improving lives, we need to put our money where our mouth is and do something about it. This is about us having a positive, powerful, long-term impact on future generations.”

For more information, visit www.interflow.com.au and www.gofoundation.org.au

Adam

More funding for Climate Innovation Challenge

Intelligent Water Networks is encouraging the creation of tomorrow’s innovation today.

WITH ITS ANNUAL Members

Conference taking place at the end of July, Intelligent Water Networks (IWN) had a fantastic opportunity to showcase the work done over the last 12 months. Hosted at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University’s Storey Hall, the theatre was full of members of the Victorian water industry. Postgraduate students, water utility executives, and business leaders flocked to the venue to learn what has been achieved.

IWN Chair and North East Water Managing Director Jo Murdoch opened the event with a message from Victorian Water Minister Harriet Shing regarding the Water Minister’s Climate Innovation Challenge.

“Victoria’s water sector is leading the nation on climate action because of its commitment to collaborative transformation,” she said. “We have near-term net zero targets that can only be achieved because of your willingness to innovate and to share what you’re learning. I

commend Intelligent Water Networks for its work fostering the best transformation involving learning and growing together. This is why I asked the IWN last year to establish my Climate Innovation Challenge. The 2023 Water Ministers Climate Innovation Challenge exceeded my expectations and identified ideas to test locally and right now with potential global impacts.

“As a result, I have decided to increase funding for my challenge to almost triple what was announced at the event last year. The prize pool for 2024 now stands at $255,000, and the challenge is now officially open for entries. I invite everyone to think big, be innovative and keep working together.”

Research partnerships

Emeritus Professor Felicity Roddick from RMIT University spoke about the importance of collaboration and transformation in addressing complex water research and

The Executive Panel session was facilitated by Victor Perton, Chief Optimism Officer at the Centre for Optimism.

industry challenges. In reflecting on the transformative nature of the collaboration that has taken place in Storey Hall in the last 137 years, Roddick looked up the word transformation.

“Many might think that transformation is about something big,” she said. “However, when I looked it up, it said change. It can be a small or large change, and the dictionary presented examples of both change sizes.”

This inspired Professor Roddick to examine some of the changes that have occurred through collaboration with RMIT University in the water space. She discussed the taste and odour challenges that Goulburn Valley Water had faced in the small town of Euroa. Feedwater to Euroa Water Treatment Plant contains increasingly high levels of natural organic matter (NOM), which were determined to cause its strong earthy odour. A multidisciplinary approach was used to evaluate the coagulation process to better remove the taste and odour (T&O) causing organics from water supplied to the local towns.

“By taking a multidisciplinary approach, the team found that there was a connection between rainfall patterns and the impact of the coagulant,” Roddick said. “With the vast amount of data collected on the coagulant regulation process under various conditions, the team could use that as a basis for developing an improved process for chemical dosing.”

Executive panel

The IWN executive team was next to speak in a panel discussion. Jo Murdoch, Jo Lim (VicWater), Sarah Cumming (Gippsland Water), Heather Griffith (DEECA), Andrew Jeffers (Wannon Water), and Jeff Haydon (Central Highlands Water)

were the members present. The panel facilitator was Victor Perton, director at Yarra Valley Water and Chief Optimism Officer for the Centre for Optimism.

The panel discussed topics like passion for innovation and transformation, the connection between fun and innovation, and the challenges of effectively communicating innovation to different stakeholder groups.

VicWater CEO Jo Lim discussed the opportunities that have arisen to reduce the carbon footprint of Victorian water utilities. Lim is extremely passionate about this area,

particularly the societal approach to carbon.

“We know much more about the carbon offset market than we did two and a half years ago,” she said. “It’s still an evolving, dynamic, and emerging market with many changes in government regulations, particularly at the federal level. The benefits of collaboration saw us bring in experts from across the industry in Victoria. After about two and a half years of dedicated work, we are now in the market with an expression of interest (EOI) for carbon offsets on behalf of most of our water corporations.”

The Intelligent Water Networks (IWN) Members Conference filled Storey Hall.

FOCUS Events

Digital transformation

The next presentation was from Mark Williams, the managing Director of Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water (GWMWater). He spoke about GWMWater’s digital transformation journey, providing important background information on GWMWater and the challenges rural water utilities face in Australia. Its network covers about 25 per cent of Victoria.

“That means we have a significant water network central to the community,” he said. “We earn about $70 million a year in annual revenue, with a bit of growth each year. There are certainly opportunities for the expansion of housing in the region. However, we needed to make sure that, coming out of the separation of Grampians Water and Goulburn Valley Water in 2004, we made the tens of thousands of kilometres of pipelines work.”

GWMWater’s digital transformation had many parts, but not all were customer-facing. This was part of the launchpad for the business transformation strategy.

“Based on essential business indicators, we needed to consolidate our back office systems and scale our network, among other areas,” Williams said. With $2.7 billion in assets under our stewardship and 62,000 square kilometres of service area to cover, we need to ensure that we can cover that footprint exceptionally well.”

Keynote speech

One of the event’s highlights was the keynote address from Harry

Seah, the Deputy Chief Executive (Operations) at PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency. Seah is also the Director of Technology and Water Quality at PUB. He addressed the audience on how collaboration and partnering were at the core of PUB Singapore’s transformation.

“Singapore has 730 square kilometres of land,” he said. “We can’t change that. Where we are at is based on today’s best practices, particularly regarding water management. Singapore is one of the most waterstressed countries in the world. That is because we do not have land to store water. Singapore is blessed with a lot of rain but nowhere to store it. Singapore is also a city-state, meaning it has no resources like oil. Everything generates waste, so we need to find ways to manage and dispose of that waste.”

Singapore expects its water use to double by 2060, with domestic use dropping from about 50 to 30 per cent.

“The challenge for us is from an energy point of view,” Seah said. “Can we deliver the equivalent of two times today’s water demand on the existing footprint? We think it is possible, and I think we are about 80 per cent of the way there.”

One of the issues facing Singapore is its small population. With a small population, finding the right talent to work within PUB is hard. As a result, PUB has had to open itself to talent from billions of people around the world while also exploring new technology.

“We allocate about $20 million of our budget every year for all our

Harry Seah from PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency spoke at length about the importance of collaboration.

research and development,” said Seah. “Being a first adopter comes with risks, but we need to ensure that we are adjusting to new paradigms.”

IWN program roadmaps

To finish off the day, each program operated by IWN presented its work in a wide range of areas. The programs are:

• Alumni

• Asset Management and Optimisation

• Circular Economy

• Contaminants of Concern

• Data and Analytics

• Digital Metering Systems

• Diversity and Inclusion Technology

• Edge Technologies

• Energy and Carbon

• Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration

• Pipeline Intelligence

• Safety Innovation

The Champions Program also seeks to promote innovative practices and develop professional and leadership skills within the water industry. Champions are supported with a series of workshops, professional one-on-one mentoring, and coaching. They are also an important conduit between IWN and the member water corporations, helping IWN engage on a broader scale.

What’s coming?

IWN Program Director Jason Cotton closed the conference by revealing the IWN Hackathon. It presents an opportunity for people in the water industry to use data to tell a story, and to explore how data and analytics can help water businesses better care for the environment. Melbourne Water will be the host venue for the Hackathon on 20 September.

For more information, visit www.iwn.org.au

NO-DIG DOWN UNDER

Go west for WA Mining Conference and Exhibition

The WA Mining Conference and Exhibition is back. Inside Water looks at what’s available for exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees.

PERTH HAS LONG been the centre of mining in Western Australia, with tens of thousands of people directly employed by the industry. With significant resources within Western Australian soils, events like the WA Mining Conference and Exhibition provide numerous opportunities to present products and services to key decision-makers.

The WA Mining Conference and Exhibition will integrate the innovation and research ecosystem while addressing the social and environmental standards driving a more sustainably conscious industry. The expanded exhibition will showcase technical and digital innovation across every aspect of the mining value chain. At the same time, the highly targeted conference will illustrate the economic importance of mining to Western Australia, its contribution to the resource technology sector, its innovation

capability, job creation, and the attraction of capital to the state.

Show Director Siobhan Rocks said the 2024 event is designed to connect mining industry businesses.

“Western Australia is an important market for the mining industry, and we’re focusing on connecting buyers to that market. We’re making it so they don’t have to come all the way over to the eastern seaboard to talk to people within mining communities.”

It is the ultimate event for mining and engineering professionals, showcasing the technical and digital evolution transforming the mining industry in Western Australia. Developed purely for the Western Australian market, WA Mining gives attendees a blueprint to solve operational pain points while listening to industry-leading experts in this highly targeted conference. It will feature a highly targeted paidto-attend conference that will cover key themes.

Images: Prime Creative Media

What’s happening?

WA Mining Conference will provide engineers, mine managers, site superintendents, HSE managers, exploration managers and operations managers with the technological insights that will shape the future of the mining industry in Western Australia.

Western Australian Minister for Mines and Petroleum David Michael will kick the conference off on day one.

In his keynote address, Michael will reflect on the long-lasting, dynamic, and diverse work the sector does to sustain the state’s economy.

“WA has been a leader in some automation technologies with over 400 autonomous trucks operating across the state at the moment. With that digitalisation, there are some really important things that we’re doing in Western Australia.”

Of note is the expansion of digitalisation and automation, which will continue to push the industry into new frontiers. The WA Mining Conference will examine these new technologies and applications and draw insights from digital experts

Hundreds of exhibitors will fill the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.

across a variety of sectors that could have applications in mining. Cyber security managers, technology heads, and chief technology officers will be in attendance as they look to discover the technological stepchange that will affect the sector.

Industry and stakeholder engagement is paramount to the success of the mining industry. The WA Mining Conference will look into the social license to operate and the most effective way to limit the environmental impact of mining in Western Australia. Environmental managers, stakeholders, and community engagement managers will hear from industry and government experts.

“Understanding the needs of the Western Australian mining industry, we are excited to expand the show’s offering,” Rocks said. “Attendees will be able to find a whole range of solutions for mining, including advanced technology and equipment on display.”

It will also provide mining equipment, technology, and services (METS) suppliers with the opportunity to engage with a highquality audience of mining industry professionals. This event will provide the ultimate platform to showcase the latest range of products or services. There will be numerous opportunities to access new sectors or regions. Attendees can place their companies in front of Western Australia’s mining industry.

These are just a few opportunities to get involved in the WA Mining Conference and Exhibition. The conference allows companies to showcase their business as technical leaders in the Western Australian mining industry. Attendees will engage with a high-quality audience of mining industry professionals looking to evolve, adapt, and improve their mining operations.

Decarbonisation Showcase

The Decarbonisation Showcase will return for the second year, providing mining companies with solutions to boost productivity and lower operational costs. Many enterprises will participate in the Showcase. One such company is Allight, a market leader in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of mobile lighting and power solutions. Similarly, Remote Energy is a power and energy specialist building high-performance, low-emission critical solutions across a range of industries. Other companies in power solutions that will attend include Earthtrack Group and SCIG (Southern Cross Industrial Group). Another company that will be at the WA Mining Conference and Exhibition is SIGMA Air Conditioning. It is renowned for designing, manufacturing,

Thousands will flock to WA Mining to network, connect and learn.

Speakers from across the WA mining ecosystem will present on cutting-edge developments.

supplying and servicing specialised air conditioning equipment. SIGMA Air Conditioning has thrived in providing equipment where high ambient temperatures, severe vibration, dense particulate and corrosive environments prevail. When it comes to environmental issues, EARTHLOK will be at the decarbonisation showcase with its revolutionary erosion control solutions. It manufactures flexible concrete matting products that are cost-effective and easy to install. EARTHLOK has developed strong relationships with clients seeking an alternative to rock beaching and other erosion control solutions by offering custom solutions for an enormous range of mining applications.

For more information, visit: www. waminingexpo.com.au/attend/

Nature-based solutions to wastewater

With water utilities and local councils increasingly looking at nature-based solutions, a project out of Millowl (Phillip Island) is providing opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

WESTERNPORT WATER HAS teamed up with scientists to explore how floating wetlands can be used in wastewater treatment. The twoyear research project involves installing a floating wetlands system on a wastewater lagoon at Cowes Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Together with scientists from Deakin University and CSIRO, Westernport Water will monitor the plants over 18 months to determine how effective they are at absorbing nutrients, which is expected to reduce emissions and contaminants from the water.

The project’s initial stages have been promising, and the completion date is set for mid-2025. Dona Tantirimudalige, the Managing Director of Westernport Water, has been a major driver of the project.

“I do love a pilot program because I think you can only desktop test

things to a certain extent,” she said. “The goal was to test some hypotheses around how we could use nature-based solutions to lower greenhouse gas emissions, improve water quality and extract emerging contaminants.”

“This pilot program was directly related to a larger-scale project that we are hoping to begin building in 2025. The learnings from the pilot program will feed directly into this 60-megalitre recycled water wetland.”

Zoe Geyer was intrigued by the project due to the perceptions of the water industry focusing predominantly on pipes and storage.

As Westernport Water’s Climate Change Senior Advisor, she was the project manager and thrilled to be part of this future-ready transition mindset.

“I believe that nature-based systems

Zoe Geyer, Westernport Water’s Climate Change Senior Advisor.

Images: Westernport Water

could provide opportunities for resilience and our climate adaptation goals,” said Geyer.

What is the project?

The floating wetlands project uses wetland plant species suspended on the water column with roots submerged in the water. The plants take up nutrients and contaminants from the water and hold these in their plant material.

Every six months, the nutrient-filled plants are harvested, allowing new growth so the cycle can continue. The harvested plants have the potential to be reused, composted, or turned into biochar. The floating wetland pilot trial was part-funded by DEECA as a key priority project in the Western Port IWM Forum Area. The findings are being used to inform the approach to the use of nature-based solutions, particularly for a 60ML wetland storage system at King Road Wastewater Treatment Plant.

This unique project attracted Shaun Ratten, a team leader at Westernport Water. As an operator within the water industry, he was intrigued by the possibilities.

“No one else in Victoria was doing this floating wetland project, and being a part of the project from the start was a great opportunity. As I got increasingly involved, I was recommended to present my insights into the project to the network operator development course,” said Ratten.

The project sought to manage treated effluent and emissions produced by wastewater treatment plants. Working with the CSIRO and Deakin University, Westernport Water wanted to find a naturebased solution.

Adding an additional, all-natural filtration step into the wastewater treatment process will improve the quality of water discharged into

the ocean, keeping the natural environment healthier and reducing the risk of nutrient pollution. In addition, floating wetlands minimise greenhouse gas emissions by capturing and storing carbon that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases.

Other benefits include increased biodiversity, improved bioremediation opportunities, enhanced water security and cost savings.

Outcomes so far

The project is still ongoing, but there have been some learnings. Geyer has been at the forefront of the project and has found that nature-based solutions can take some time to adapt to the conditions.

“We need to plan for the establishment phase for future projects,” she said. “By looking at nutrient removal, greenhouse gas emissions reduction and emerging contaminants uptake, we have seen some changes during the establishment period. We have not yet seen a significant change in nutrient reduction, but that could be attributed to that establishment year. There is variability in the growth of plant species during this period. Despite this difference, we are seeing those plants take up some of the contaminants.”

Geyer also noted some initial trends in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which shows that one of the original goals could come to fruition.

“We’ve seen some practical learning around implementing this project,” Tantirimudalige said. “From that perspective, nature-based solutions take longer as well. We have a little bit of flex that we need to build into our expectations when building nature-based solutions.”

Tantirimudalige pointed out that all

the learnings will feed into increasing the knowledge base. Tenders recently closed for the concept and design stage of the 60-megalitre recycled water wetland that Westernport Water plans to build.

There has been considerable interest from across the water and wastewater industry, with a site visit opportunity during OzWater’24, and an upcoming visit as part of the Australian Water Association (AWA) Regional Study Tour 2024 for young water professionals.

“People have sought us out and talked to us about the project. We are comparing notes with other water corporations, who are looking to do similar projects within their own catchment, “Tantirimudalige said. “Some have had conversations with us before they started on their projects. Such collaboration creates further ideas and thoughts.”

The future of the project

With a nature-based solution, Westernport Water believes there are many opportunities for the next stage of the project.

“It’s important to remember that we all exist in an ecosystem,” said Tantirimudalige. “And we need to think about how we exist within that ecosystem in a complementary way. There are many organisations that could benefit from this shift at a broader ecosystem level.”

Geyer believes that the knowledge gained from nature-based systems will be critical to Westernport Water’s core business and to assessing climate adaptation resilience.

“We also need to look at how Westernport Water maintains land holdings, improves the health

The floating wetlands system installed on a wastewater lagoon at the Cowes Wastewater Treatment Plant.

and biodiversity of the land, and improves the resilience of our society,“ Geyer said. “We are looking at how we can introduce complementary or even new systems within our current procedures to increase resilience and preparation for the future.”

Ratten sees the project as something that could be expanded further, whether it is filling a whole lagoon or across multiple lagoons.

“It would work a lot better if it went across the whole lagoon, and across multiple lagoons is even better,” he said.

A tray of the plant species used in the floating wetland.

For more information, visit www.westernportwater.com.au and vicwater.org.au

Revolutionising water data management ASSOCIATIONS qldwater

In the intricate world of urban water management, the Queensland Water Directorate Statewide Water Information Management system has emerged as a beacon of efficiency and innovation.

SINCE ITS INCEPTION in 2006, Statewide Water Information Management (SWIM) has transformed from a compliance reporting tool aimed at easing the regulatory reporting burden of Water Service Providers (WSPs) into a comprehensive mechanism for monitoring and benchmarking business performance. Alongside its localised data management counterpart, swimlocal, it has further streamlined the data collection and reporting processes, delivering significant benefits across various local government services.

The genesis of SWIM

Originally, some larger Queensland WSPs faced the daunting task of collating and reporting data on over 900 indicators to multiple state and federal agencies at different times and formats. SWIM was developed to simplify this process. By 200809, more than 80 per cent of WSPs were using SWIM for their reporting requirements, which has since grown to encompass all of Queensland’s Council-operated WSPs, two bulk water authorities, two distribution retail entities and other subscribers.

Lalji Rathod recalls his early interactions with SWIM while working at Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC), noting its ease of use and comprehensive functionality.

“When I first started at SDRC, I was playing around with SWIM to get a good feel for how the treatment plants are going and what may be happening at various sites. It fosters a culture where data becomes important, and capturing it also becomes very critical, which helps

with future decision-making.”

SWIM’s success lies in its ability to coordinate data requests from various government departments into a single, streamlined process. Service providers submit their data annually, which is then distributed to the relevant agencies in the correct format. This reduces the time taken to collate data and improves the efficiency and timeliness of reporting.

The benefits of SWIM are manifold:

• Reduced data handling minimises the need for manual data entry and manipulation

• Improved data quality and regular access to quality assurance/control tools ensure high data accuracy

• Simplified operations and version control is streamlined, allowing multiple staff to access and modify data simultaneously

• Historical data access and data visualisation can help inform business management and planning

The advent of swimlocal

To further enhance the data reporting process, qldwater introduced swimlocal, a cloud-based data management system that allows for data synchronisation across multiple locations, significantly reducing the time and effort required for data collation.

“swimlocal opened up a really big space for me to run projects and improve the operational side of things,” said Lucy Davies, a swimlocal user at Cairns Regional Council. “I can move towards the analytical phase of the data rather than

Having access to this data ensures that water utilities can operate as efficiently as possible.

Image: VIEWFOTO STUDIO/stock. adobe.com

spending so much time in the data collation phase. It can potentially be a one-stop shop for all our regulatory reporting.”

swimlocal features include:

• Off-site data backup ensures data security and integrity

• Automatic data import streamlines data entry from lab and telemetry/SCADA systems and formatted Excel sheets

• Mobile data entry enables data collection via tablets and mobile phones, even offline

• Indicator alerting sends SMS or email alerts for indicators outside specified limits, including sewerage discharge licences

• Performs instantaneous and scheduled calculations with a range of functions

• Produces regular reports that include data, graphs and dashboards

Expanding applications

While SWIM and swimlocal were initially designed for water and sewerage data reporting, their applications have broadened. For instance, Southern Downs Regional Council uses swimlocal to manage solid waste quality data, demonstrating its versatility.

Trevor Seth was around before SWIM/swimlocal and experienced the reporting pain during his long career with Goondiwindi Regional Council.

“We use swimlocal through the whole water and sewerage, plumbing and drainage area of our business, so it’s my one-stop shop for reporting,” Seth said. “I believe we are the second-highest data collection point in Queensland, running about 2.83 million data points. There’s nothing like having that data availability and setting up a report on 10 to 15 years of data within ten minutes.”

Seth believes continual improvement has benefitted the system, with qldwater staying abreast of the sector’s needs and adapting accordingly.

“For example, we use swimlocal for data collection at our pools and wanted to have a time date stamp on what time the data got entered because we had a few issues being able to tell who put it in. We found that the contractors weren’t actually doing all the proper tests at the right time. Under their rules of engagement, they’re supposed to test a minimum of three to four times a day and at a heavy loading. As we’re responsible for the health and safety of the patrons, we want to know that they were doing their testing morning, noon and night and not writing in three tests all in half an hour.”

How data supports better performance

Access to all the SWIM annual data allows qldwater to create an annual benchmarking report, enabling WSPs to compare their performance with similar service providers. For Seth, the comparative data allows for a deeper dive than just comparing the small, medium and large councils.

“For example, when looking at water consumption, you need to consider soil types and different scenarios,” said Seth. “More sandy, coastal areas will use smaller volumes but more often. Out in the black soil country, you’re better off giving it a heavy solid soak, and then you’ll get a couple of weeks between watering. That’s something I’ve been able to show because I’ve got access to the data. Our communities can trust that we are being waterwise through improved watering schedules.”

Ensuring compliance and improving transparency SWIM facilitates compliance with legislative requirements and enhances transparency and public confidence in urban water services delivery. From July 2024, service providers with fewer than 10,000 connected properties have been included in the Bureau

The range of data collected from SWIM can improve water management significantly. Image: fizkes/stock. adobe.com

of Meteorology’s National Performance Report (NPR), ensuring a comprehensive performance dataset nationwide.

The SWIM system’s ability to manage NPR obligations efficiently is crucial. The NPR provides an independent benchmark of Australian urban water utilities’ pricing and service quality, supporting decision-making processes for both service providers and government entities.

Future prospects

Looking ahead, SWIM and swimlocal continue to evolve. This year’s upgrade will enable direct data transfer from swimlocal systems to the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation’s WaTERS database. In contrast, an upgrade to the WebReports Tool will allow maps (with sites), text and images to be included in dashboards that can be directly ‘published’ to WSP websites.

A comparison of capital expenditures (CAPEX) for councils of different sizes taken from the latest Benchmarking Report. Image: qldwater

By reducing the burden of compliance, improving data quality, and expanding their applications beyond water services, these tools have become indispensable for local governments. As SWIM and swimlocal evolve, they promise to deliver even greater efficiencies and benefits, ensuring Queensland’s WSPs remain at the forefront of innovation and best water management practices.

For more information, visit www.qldwater.com.au/SWIM

ASSOCIATIONS Water Industry Operations Association

Sunshine Coast hosts Operations Conference Sunshine Coast hosts operations conference

While much of Australia’s east coast shivered, the Sunshine Coast was hot at the 2024 Queensland Water Industry Operations Conference and Exhibition.

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE and exhibitors returned to the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) Stadium in late July 2024. The warm weather in the area encouraged people to take advantage of the better climate for a two-day event dedicated to the operations industry. The Water Industry Operations Association of Australia (WIOA) Queensland held its largest Queensland event to date on the Sunshine Coast and drew over 800 attendees to the exhibition. Many arrived early to attend the UniSC Water Batter Plant and Lake Tour. UniSC and Veolia Queensland worked together to operate this hour-long tour, during which the tour group was taken around to explore the broader facility. Rather than a traditional battery, UniSC uses a thermal energy storage tank, mostly consisting of water. The water, once chilled using the power of the sun, is used in air conditioners across the Sunshine Coast campus, resulting in a massive leap towards the university’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2029.

The following day began with the popular Women of Water Breakfast. This preceded the opening of the exhibition on the floor of UniSC Stadium, the home of the Sunshine Coast Lightning netball team. With players’ banners fluttering in the breeze, hundreds flowed onto the arena floor to explore the range of products and services available to the industry.

Upstairs, the McBerns Paper Room was in full swing. The first speaker was Rhett Duncan, the Executive Manager for Customer Delivery at Unitywater, who opened the conference with a rousing speech. Next was Mat Greskie, the Chair of the Board at WIOA. Greskie welcomed all the attendees to the conference and wished them the best.

Water of Origin

An annual highlight of the event is the IXOM Water of Origin title, a fun and exciting way to raise awareness of drinking water quality in Queensland and New South Wales. The competition seeks to recognise the efforts of local water service

The annual IXOM Water of Origin competition was carefully watched on the main stage, with Teresa Travaglia from IXOM & Janice Wilson from Double Black Diamond Solutions among the panel of judges.

Images: WIOA

providers in delivering valuable water services to their communities.

Held just days after the third State of Origin fixture for the year, Rous County Council and Fraser Coast Regional Council went head-tohead for the 2024 title. The Water of Origin winner claims bragging rights over the other state for the next 12 months.

Water samples are judged according to the Water Tasting Wheel, which outlines some of the attributes that water professionals use when judging water, such as colour, clarity, odour and taste.

Rous County Council, represented by the Nightcap Water Treatment Plant, and Fraser Coast Regional Council, represented by the Burgowan Water Treatment Plant, were selected after winning the 2023 Queensland and New South Wales best-tasting tap water competitions in 2023. Ultimately, Nightcap Water Treatment Plant claimed the title for New South Wales by just a single point.

The competition has been running for eleven years, and the current score is now seven to four,

with New South Wales gaining ground against Queensland’s lead.

Paper presentations

19 papers were presented over the two days, covering a broad range of topics. One paper of particular note came from the NSW 2023 Best Paper Winner, Steven Buck, from Icon Water. He was up early on the first day to discuss the improvements implemented at the Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre (LMWQCC). Located west of Belconnen in northern Canberra, the LMWQCC was built in 1978 and is Canberra’s principal wastewater treatment plant. The plant removes gross solids using three-millimetre (nominal) screens and a dedicated grit removal system.

Because it had not been holistically upgraded since its initial construction, Buck sought to modernise the existing grit removal system with contemporary approaches. They included computational fluid dynamics (CFD), minimal scaffold construction, and contemporary online solids measurement instrumentation. The upgrades to the grit-capture and transport systems

saw a dramatic decrease in the manual labour needed to maintain the system while significantly improving the reliability of the grit pumping and downstream solids handling systems.

Main Tapping Competition

Another event that attracted attention was the Mains Tapping Competition, an opportunity for water operators to showcase their skills. WIOA has long worked with Reece Civil to conduct this competition in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales. The winners get their names on a perpetual trophy and the opportunity to nominate a local charity for a donation.

The City of Gold Coast maintained its winning streak, having won every year of the competition’s run in Queensland.

So how does it work? Two teams of two people compete in time

The University of the Sunshine Coast Arena was full of exhibitors and attendees for WIOA’s Queensland Conference over two days.

trials, with a maximum of eight rounds held. With a focus on safety, each team must complete a safe work method statement before the competition starts. They also wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), which includes long sleeves, long trousers, gloves and safety glasses. With all the necessary tools and fittings, each team needs to complete a 20-millimetre water tapping on a 100-millimetre ductile iron pipe (DICL), including a water service and a stop valve. Teams must carry out an under-pressure tapping through a tapping ferrule and pressure tapping ferrule (TPFNR), connecting a length of poly pipe and a ball valve. The teams need to install the tapping band and ferrule on the pipe and are responsible for turning the water back off at the ball valve and returning all tools to the toolbox before the timer stops.

There are penalties for leaks at the service connection, tapping that does not go through the pipe wall, not getting water from the service, and not placing all tools back in the toolbox. The fastest time wins the two-day competition.

What’s next?

The Mains Tapping Competition saw teams from across Queensland battle it out for supremacy.

The inland city of Tamworth will host the 16th New South Wales Water Industry Operations Conference & Exhibition in November. Abstracts are due soon, and there are still opportunities to exhibit at the event.

For more information, visit wioaconferences.org.au

ASSOCIATIONS Water Directorate

Supporting local water needs

The Water Directorate nearly two million people in regional NSW. Inside Water spoke to Executive Officer Brendan Guiney to highlight the work of this vital organisation.

ESTABLISHED IN 1999, the Water Directorate provides focused technical information to its members. It seeks to provide an independent source of advice to councils on water and sewerage operations and promote more efficient local government water and sewerage infrastructure operations. The Water Directorate also provides direction on technical issues and networking opportunities for water and sewerage engineers to share knowledge and improve communication within the industry. Executive Officer Brendan Guiney has now been with the Water Directorate for over five years.

“I fell into the water industry in the early 90s as a civil engineering undergraduate, working my summer breaks in a water and sewerage team at a council in regional NSW,” said Brendan Guiney, the Executive Officer at the Water Directorate.

“I realised that roads or structural engineering wouldn’t be my main passion. I discovered that the water sector was a multi-disciplinary industry – civil, surveying/ geospatial, environmental, chemical, electrical, mechanical engineering, I could go on.”

The Water Directorate makes a difference because access to specialist skills in regional water utilities is often limited, especially in the western part of NSW. It

distils decades of knowledge from experienced water managers across regional NSW into knowledge that assists member utilities.

“The Water Directorate is the peak body representing nearly 90 local government-owned water utilities, collectively serving nearly 2 million people across regional NSW,” said Guiney. “In some ways, that is unique compared to any other state in NSW, in that we are solely focused on local government water services, not metropolitan areas.”

Why regional NSW?

Regional New South Wales covers nearly 800,000 square kilometres of land, and almost three million people live there. Almost one in three member utilities has teams of ten or fewer, which makes it difficult for staff to specialise. On the other hand, Sydney Water has nearly 3000 employees, creating immense opportunities for specialisation within its talent pool.

“Sydney Water does not need the same level of support as local government-owned utilities,” said Guiney. “It means that our members do not have access to the same level of engineering expertise. There’s also a community of interest around local government-owned water utilities.” There has been increasing government attention paid to the

Understanding the needs of regional water utilities is fundamental to the work of the Water Directorate.

Water Directorate

sustainability of local regional water utilities in regional NSW. A Parliamentary inquiry report into protecting local water utilities against privatisation was published in March followed by the NSW Productivity and Equality Commission’s Review of funding models for local water utilities in July. Both reports recognised that local water utilities are council-owned businesses, with responsibility for their management and financial sustainability squarely on local councils. Councils must ensure that these essential services are effectively managed to meet their communities’ needs and circumstances.

The Review saw an ongoing role for well-targeted New South Wales Government funding to the sector. This role should be more clearly defined and focus on improving councils’ capacity to operate efficient water and sewerage businesses consistent with community expectations and statutory requirements, where they cannot fund this from their revenue base.

“Structural reform might not be necessary if financial support and access to specialist skills can be addressed,” Guiney said. “Our member councils across NSW are very proud of owning local water utilities and want to retain ownership. During the process of the Review, we found that there was unanimous support between the local government and state government representatives.”

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Supporting local government

Advocating for local government at multiple levels can be challenging. In Guiney’s eyes, the Water Directorate needs to provide frank and fearless advice to local government, which is at the centre of the operations of any independent voice. According to The Policy Project, the goal is to provide the best advice freely to decision-makers while being honest about where the pitfalls and risks are.

“We provide a voice in support of all regional communities in New South Wales,” said Guiney. “In saying that, it is important to realise that the scale and capacity of local water utilities in regional New South Wales sit on a spectrum. There are local water utilities from the far north coast to the Riverina and every point in between. One solution does not fit every local water utility. There are parts of New South Wales where we need to improve, and we collaborate with others to ensure that support can be provided.”

These local water utilities face technical issues in supporting local government. They include water security for critical human needs in regional towns, the need for safe and palatable drinking water, and the financial sustainability and affordability of regional water supplies.

“It’s impossible to separate these technical issues from political and advocacy issues,” he said. “Our focus is on regional collaboration and partnerships with the NSW and Australian governments.”

With a focus on local advocacy for local government, it’s crucial for the Water Directorate to collaborate with groups that have been formed. The Central NSW Joint Organisation Water Utilities Alliance and the Orana Water Utilities Alliance are notable

examples of regional partnerships with defined governance structures and delivery plans.

“I’m very grateful for the spirit of collaboration within the water sector across Australia,” Guiney said. “We work closely with the Water Services Association of Australia, the Australian Water Association, the Water Industry Operations Association of Australia, and Water Research Australia.”

The Water Directorate also works in partnership with VicWater, the Queensland Water Directorate, Local Government NSW, the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia and Engineering Australia.

The future of the Water Directorate

As a regional advocate, Guiney and the team at the Water Directorate have many projects to focus on over the coming years.

Brendan Guiney is the Executive Officer of the Water Directorate.

“We are due to finalise our next five-year plan very shortly, Strategy 2030,” he said. “The landmark report from the NSW Productivity and Equality Commission provides many opportunities for improving water and sewerage services across New South Wales. We want to achieve equitable, safe, secure and affordable water services for all communities in New South Wales.”

For more information, visit www.waterdirectorate.asn.au

Building infrastructure in the regions can be a challenge.

FOCUS The last word

The lighter side of water

If you’ve seen an amusing story, let us know so we can consider it for the next issue.

Shallower means slower?

With the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris now in the rearview mirror and planning attention now turning to the 2028 edition in Los Angeles, one area has attracted considerable attention.

And perhaps even more attention is needed, given that this topic could have broader applications for the water industry.

There was considerable discussion about whether or not the Olympic pool was slow.

Now, it’s important to remember that there are some rules for what an Olympic-size swimming pool consists of. It must be 50 metres long, 25 metres wide, and have ten lanes. There are also rules about lane width, water temperature, light intensity and volume. However, engineers are allowed to choose the depth of the pool within a range of two and three metres.

It seems odd that this variable is allowed to exist. One thing of note is that most of the pools used in the

Olympics since Atlanta in 1996 have been three metres deep, including the variable depth of the pool at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. In that case, the depth varies from two to three metres. The Athens pool was two metres deep, Tokyo was 2.23 metres deep, and Paris was 2.15 metres deep.

So why does this matter? There are scientific reasons why one pool might seem slower than another, and depth is just one factor. While digital twins have been introduced to help American swimmers at the University of Virginia, the swimmers’ actual outcomes have seen just four world records and 17 Olympic records fall. That’s the same number of world records that fell in Atlanta and fewer Olympic records than any Summer Olympics in the 2000s.

According to Scientific American, there were no standardised rules as to the depth of the pool. Until a few years ago, it had to be at least two meters deep, but now the minimum depth is 2.5 metres. A depth of three

meters, however, is recommended. When construction of the Olympic pool started in 2017, the two-meter rule still applied. The pool at Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre was, therefore, permitted despite its comparatively shallow depth. This shallower depth becomes an issue as soon as the swimmers enter the water. They are creating waves with their bodies, which are reflected at the edge of the pool and on the floor. This can create currents and whirlpools that slow the swimmers down.

Olympic pools and competition rules are designed to minimise these effects or, ideally, eliminate them altogether. In competitions, the outermost lanes are not used, and that is also the reason for the minimum depth of the pools. The deeper they are, the more the waves are dampened. This makes it less likely that the waves will be reflected at the bottom and create braking turbulence near the athletes swimming on the surface.

So how does this apply to the water and wastewater industry? It would suggest that having a proper look at the depth of the infrastructure could provide an enormous benefit to organisations.

The Paris La Defense Arena hosted the swimming events at Paris 2024.

Image: ERIC - stock. adobe.com

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