The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is taking several companies to court for allegedly making false and misleading claims that their wet wipes were “flushable”.The ACCC has instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against Kimberly-Clark Australia and separately against Pental. The ACCC alleges that, by labelling these products as “flushable”, consumers were led to believe that the products had […]
Condition Assessment
Cause of Basslink fault still unknown
Lauren Cella Condition Assessment, Electricity, Maintenance, News, Projects 0An investigation by international cable experts into the subsea cable fault leading to the December 2015 outage of the Basslink interconnector has determined the cause to be unknown. The independent investigation was completed by Cable Consulting International (CCI), a UK based firm regarded as one of the world’s leading submarine power cable experts. The investigation, which spanned more than […]
Smart water network for Adelaide
Lauren Cella Asset management, Condition Assessment, Demand management, Digital Utilities, Maintenance, News, Projects, Smart meters, Water 0SA Water will be one of the first Australian water utilities to use new smart technology to manage the water supply network in Adelaide’s CBD, following a $4 million investment in the emerging technology. A major part of the project will include the installation of flow, pressure, and acoustic leakage sensors to give insight into what is occurring in the […]
A better look at sewer pipelines
Lauren Cella Condition Assessment, News, Sponsored Editorial, Telecommunications, Water, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0New equipment that can carry out an instantaneous, cable-free look into sewers and stormwater pipelines is making assessing pipeline conditions faster, easier and cheaper. The SECA Quickview airHD is a pole-mounted camera that captures high-definition (HD) video and still pictures from inside pipelines and transmits live images wirelessly to a touchscreen tablet. The Quickview airHD allows businesses to prioritise and […]
New technology reduces water supply interruptions
Lauren Cella Asset management, Civil Construction, Condition Assessment, Maintenance, News, Pipelines, Projects, Water 0Water Corporation is the first water utility in Australia to use Mains Wizard technology which has allowed it to complete maintenance works without interrupting water supply for more than 35,000 Perth customers in 2016. Water Corporation Perth Regional Manager, Garth Walter, who is responsible for maintaining the 15,000km of water mains in Perth, said using Mains Wizard technology was a […]
Multi-Rotors, options for all requirements
Jessica Dickers Asset management, Condition Assessment, Digital Utilities, Mapping & GIS, Sponsored Editorial 0C.R. Kennedy is hosting a UAV/Accura Roadshow, with staff members and RPA/Accura experts on hand to explore the latest in UAV technologies. In attendance will be Aibotix staff from Germany, Scientific Aerospace local staff, and also representatives from Australian company CEE Hydro systems, in support of C.R. Kennedy’s Accura hydro Boat (CEE supply the sonar and software for the Accura). […]
Boondooma dam spillway repairs
Lauren Cella Asset management, Civil Construction, Condition Assessment, Dams, Maintenance, News, Projects, Water 0SunWater has committed $50.5 million to reinstate and repair the Boondooma Dam spillway, in the South Burnett Region of Queensland, following damage sustained during the 2011 and 2013 flood events. Queensland Treasurer, Curtis Pitt, said the work will support around 120 full-time jobs for the region during construction. “These works are essential to ensure the ongoing supply of water needed […]
Queensland substation going for gold
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, Condition Assessment, Electricity, News, Projects, Substations, Transformers and Switchgear 0In order to prepare Queensland’s electricity network for the significant power use increase expected during the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Powerlink’s Mudgeeraba Substation is receiving a $25 million overhaul including isolator replacements and a new transformer. The recent 2016 Olympic Games in Rio has highlighted the scrutiny that host cities of major sporting events experience, as the world watches […]
While new technologies such as smart meters, telemetry systems and satellite imagery are becoming popular in the leak detection world, water technicians still need to locate leaks visually or by using acoustic and tracer gas leak devices. Sewerin is currently at the forefront of leak detection technology, with high performing acoustic and tracer gas, water leak detectors, from digital correlators […]
Pipe failure research wins award
Lauren Cella Asset management, Condition Assessment, News, Pipelines, Projects, Water 0Sydney Water has won the International Water Association’s (IWA) Project Innovation Award in Applied Research for their Advanced Condition Assessment and Pipe Failure Prediction project. The award was presented at the IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition in Brisbane in October 2016. There are over $500 billion worth of critical pipe assets in Australia, the UK and US alone. Water […]
Wastewater pipe refurbishment in WA
Lauren Cella Asset management, Condition Assessment, Maintenance, News, Pipelines, Projects, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0Water Corporation will refurbish 2.3km of wastewater pipes in Bayswater and Maylands in north-eastern Perth to extend the life of the infrastructure by at least 50 years. Water Corporation General Manager Assets Delivery, Mark Leathersich, said the $2.6 million project formed part of an ongoing program to reline and refurbish wastewater pipes across the state. “Around 2.3kmof wastewater pipe along […]
Across Victoria, water loss accounts for around 10 per cent of total water usage, so being able to detect and fix leaks, as well as maintain the integrity of pipes, is vital to the success of the sector. Intelligent Water Networks (IWN) is currently investigating technologies that can detect leaks across Australia, including the use of high-tech satellites to locate […]
Major VIC water grid upgrade begins
Lauren Cella Civil Construction, Condition Assessment, Features, News, Pipelines, Projects, Water 0Works have begun on an upgrade to an important section of the South West Loddon water supply project at Korong Vale in north western Victoria, which will include a pump station, storage tank and new pipeline to improve the state’s water grid. The Victorian Government is investing $40 million towards the $80.6 million project which will secure water supply to […]
What really happened during the South Australian blackout?
Lauren Cella Condition Assessment, Demand management, Electricity, Features, News, Powerlines, Renewable Energy, Safety and Training, Sustainability 0In its preliminary report on the state-wide blackout in South Australia (referred to as a Black System), the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has determined the cause to be solely extreme weather and not the energy generation mix. While the storm triggered the blackout, the AEMO is now conducting an investigation into how each part of the electricity system responded. The […]
Sewer level monitoring to alarm for uncontrolled discharge
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Maintenance, News, Stormwater, Water, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0When a sewer reaches its flow capacity, uncontrolled spills into the surrounding environment may occur. This is why utilities across Australia are near real time monitoring sewer levels and alarming at critical thresholds. The following is an article prepared by Paul Hart and Graeme Jones from Metasphere and Colin Murphy from Pulsar Process Measurement. Many water utilities have Key Performance […]
Should Tasmania build a second interconnector?
Lauren Cella Civil Construction, Condition Assessment, Electricity, Maintenance, News, Projects, Sustainability 0It’s the world’s second longest undersea electricity cable, aiming to enhance energy security for Victoria and Tasmania, but after a fault was detected in late 2015, the Basslink interconnector went offline and impacted Tasmania’s energy security. The cable was repaired and operations resumed in June 2016 but questions surrounding the future of the state’s energy supply remained, with one question […]
New protection from concealed water leaks
Lauren Cella Company news, Condition Assessment, News, Water 0Queensland Urban Utilities has released a new leak detection device and now offers water leak insurance to help protect against concealed water leaks. The leak detection device, AquaTrip, acts like a safety switch for a homeowner’s water supply. Queensland Urban Utilities customers can also purchase Concealed Leak Insurance, reducing the financial burden associated with concealed leaks. Queensland Urban Utilities spokesperson, […]
Keeping wipes out of pipes
Jessica Dickers Company news, Condition Assessment, Maintenance, News, Pipelines, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0Sydney Water is calling for wet wipe manufacturers to follow the lead of Kimberly-Clark and commit to developing clearer packaging guidelines and to display a ‘do not flush’ symbol on products. Kimberly Clark has made these changes following consumer organisation CHOICE and Sydney Water testing finding that their brand of ‘flushable wipes’ did not not break down like toilet paper and […]
Power station leak contaminates creek
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Electricity, Maintenance, News, Safety and Training, Transformers and Switchgear 0CitiPower has been fined by the Victorian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after oil from one of its power substations contaminated a Brunswick East creek. EPA Acting Metropolitan Manager Danny Childs said oil entered Merri Creek after it flowed into a stormwater drainage channel near CitiPower’s Nicholson Street power substation. “EPA became aware of the situation after receiving a number […]
Vandalism damaging wastewater biosolid process
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Maintenance, News, Safety and Training, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0Vandalism and rubbish dumping on the site of Coliban Water’s Bendigo Water Reclamation Plant in Epsom is causing damage to the biosolid process in wastewater treatment. Over the past few years there have been several incidents of rubbish dumping, and damage to perimeter gates and fences at an area of the plant, north of Simpsons Road. Coliban Water General Manager […]
CCTV used to identify sewer problems
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Maintenance, News, Pipelines, Projects, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0MidCoast Water will use closed circuit television (CCTV) to investigate sewer lines in Cundletown (NSW) and identify potential problems. The CCTV investigation program will run over three weeks and contractors will clean street sewer pipes and pipes connecting homes to the main sewer service. As well as cleaning the sewer lines, this investigation program is also an important part of […]
IoT technology for QLD utilities
Jessica Dickers Company news, Condition Assessment, Digital Utilities, IOT, News, People and appointments, Projects, Water 0A Queensland water company has teamed up with a global leader in integrated event management solutions to provide Queensland water utilities with new cloud based network monitoring solutions. Unitywater is partnering with TaKaDu to offer TaKaDu’s IoT cloud-based solution to small water utilities across Queensland. Unitywater and TaKaDu have been working together since June 2013 when Unitywater started a long-term engagement […]
Modelling catchments, managing risk
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, News, Projects, Sustainability, Water, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0Seqwater’s Source Protection Team is undertaking a five-year catchment modelling program to better understand how risks and catchment scale interventions can impact South East Queensland’s drinking water supply at the source. The program, a first for South East Queensland waterways, allows users to interact with modelled data to improve understanding of the relationship between sediment loads and riparian vegetation cover. […]
Potential second interconnector for Tasmania
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, Condition Assessment, Electricity, Features, Maintenance, News, Projects, Sustainability 0The Federal and Tasmanian Governments are exploring the possibility of building a second interconnector between Victoria and Tasmania, after the Basslink Interconnector was damaged in early 2016. Former Member for Bass, Warwick Smith AM, will conduct a feasibility study to determine if a second interconnector would help address Tasmania’s long-term energy security issues. The study will also provide advice on […]
Utility wins Dial Before You Dig response award
Jessica Dickers Company news, Condition Assessment, News, People and appointments, Projects, Safety and Training, Stakeholder Engagement, Telecommunications, Water 0Unitywater has won a 2016 Asia Pacific Spatial Excellence Award for its fast response times to Dial Before You Dig enquires. Unitywater was awarded the Performance Award, which recognises high performance of member companies when responding to Dial Before You Dig enquiries related to the location of underground infrastructure. Competition entrants are judged on a range of criteria, including speed […]
ActewAGL takes flight to inspect its network
Jessica Dickers Asset management, Company news, Condition Assessment, Electricity, Land access, Maintenance, Powerlines, Projects, Safety and Training 0ActewAGL carried out helicopter inspections of overhead powerlines across its network during February, giving the utility an overall view of the state of its network. The helicopter patrols are an essential part of ActewAGL’s vegetation management and asset management program. The patrols inspected for vegetation encroaching on powerlines and flew at approximately 110150 metres in rural areas and above 310 […]
Drones key in pipeline assessment
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Drones, Maintenance, News, Pipelines, Projects, Water 0Water Corporation has announced it will use high-tech drones to inspect more than 160km of pipelines, following a successful trial of new technology. The corporation will survey pipelines in the Goldfields and Agricultural Region Water Supply Scheme (GAWS), which supplies water to more than 100,000 customers, farms, mines and other enterprises. WA Water Minister Mia Davies said surveys conducted by […]
Managing Victoria’s bushfire risk with spatial surveying
Jessica Dickers Asset management, Condition Assessment, Digital Utilities, Electricity, Land access, Mapping & GIS, News, Powerlines, Projects, Safety and Training 0Mitigating the risk of fire associated with certain electricity assets is vital in Australia’s bushfire prone climate. However, traditional methods of surveying large electricity networks are costly and timeconsuming. Recently, Geomatic Technologies completed works surveying parts of the Powercor and AusNet Services electricity networks in Victoria using an innovative method that greatly reduced the time and expenditure required. Reducing the […]
Balancing act: future-proofing Australia’s electricity network
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