While we know there is a complex process behind the delivery of water to our taps, it’s one that isn’t often understood by the wider community. The people behind this process, the water operators, are now being recognised for their efforts in delivering clean water from catchments, reservoirs, treatment plants, tanks and distribution networks, all the way to the property connection.
The Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOA) has been at the forefront of efforts to recognise water operators, in particular through its annual Water Taste Test Competition.
Each state crowns the best tasting water, with those winners then competing against each other in a national competition for the chance to represent Australia at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting competition in West Virginia, US.
The 2017 WIOA water taste test winners were:
ACT/NSW: Icon Water – Mt Stromlo
South Australia: SA Water – Morgan
Tasmania: TasWater – Lake Fenton
Queensland: Toowoomba Regional Council – Mt Kynoch
Victoria: Goulburn Valley Water – Merrijig
The team from the Mt Kynoch treatment plant in the Toowoomba Regional Council area then went on to win the national award for best tasting tap water at the WIOA event held in Launceston last October.
The Mt Kynoch team are competing in the international heats in the US in February 2018.
Behind the water operators, and helping them to deliver the highest quality water standards, are the suppliers, service providers and industry peers who provide the innovative technologies, systems and products used in all operations to treat water and wastewater. Looking at the operators who won the 2017 WIOA Taste Test awards, as well as the technology companies behind their success, highlights how Australia is continuing to test the limits of what can be done with smart technologies and systems in the water sector.
These efforts extend to filtration, disinfection, control and monitoring, all of which are tools that operators utilise daily to manage their operations effectively and safely.
Evoqua Water Technologies helps municipalities and industrial customers improve water quality and water treatment plant efficiency through treatment systems that ensure quality of water, enable regulatory and environmental compliance, and maintain productivity.
Evoqua supplies products for membrane ultra-filtration, analysis and control for disinfection and many more to enable improved performance, efficiency and safe operations of water treatment plants.
Innovative technologies in action
TasWater is currently undertaking a Regional Towns Water Supply Program to upgrade its drinking water supplies for communities. As part of a TasWater commitment to addressing water quality issues in regional towns, packaged systems will be installed to accommodate eight townships by Evoqua’s southern region distributor Hydramet and it’s parent company TRILITY, while Stornoway is also completing another five to meet the August 2018 timeline.
This project includes the use of Memcor skid-mounted pressurised membrane modules, VAF self-cleaning pre-filters, Barrier-S UV systems, and Wallace & Tiernan control packages.
The Memcor systems manufacturing plant, provides local jobs for over 150 people to produce Australian made complete membrane systems for global supply.
This is just one project in Australia highlighting the collaboration between local Australian water operators and their business partners.
Those operating in the water industry also have an obligation to consider the environment in which their operations are located. One way to do this is by partaking in responsible wastewater management through the employment of skilled treatment operators, diligent process steps and innovative technologies in every aspect of the process, from sewage collection, to reuse or safe discharge.
Evoqua’s Memcor Membrane Bio-Reactor is the backbone of many plants, in addition to aerators, clarifiers, biogas harvesting and other key technologies.
This partner content is brought to you by Evoqua Water Technologies. For more information, visit www.evoqua.com.
