The NSW Government has developed a plan to help residents affected by water contamination around the Williamtown Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base. Fire-fighting chemicals were found in some surface water, groundwaters and in small numbers of fish in areas around the RAAF base. As a precautionary health measure, the NSW Government will connect affected residents to the town water […]
Condition Assessment
Pumped hydro storage; the future for old mines?
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Electricity, Features, News, Projects, Renewable Energy 0The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will provide $4million in funding to a study that will determine the viability of a pumped storage hydroelectric power plant in Queensland. The feasibility study will explore the technical and commercial viability of constructing a 330 MV hydroelectric plant at the disused Kidston Gold Mine. ARENA’s funding will allow Genex Power Limited to build […]
Fault detected on Basslink undersea cable
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Electricity, Maintenance, News, Safety and Training 0Basslink has found a fault in the electricity cable that runs under the sea and connects Tasmania and Victoria. The Basslink Interconnector is the world’s second longest undersea electricity cable and it aims to enhances security of energy supply on both sides of Bass Strait. The cable protects Tasmania against the risk of energy shortages while providing Victoria and southern states […]
Colac water upgrades fast tracked
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, Condition Assessment, Maintenance, News, Projects, Water, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0Barwon Water will move forward plans to upgrade Colac’s (VIC) water supply by two years after results from a new water security assessment. The city of Colac will now be connected to the Geelong system by July 2017, providing increased supply diversity and security and effectively doubling the capacity of Colac’s water supply. The upgrade will cater for growth and […]
Funding to manage wastewater in Blackwood
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Features, Maintenance, News, Projects, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0Victorian Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water, Lisa Neville, recently announced $2.6million in funding to upgrade faulty septic tanks in Blackwood. The wastewater management funding will replace or upgrade faulty septic tanks that have been identified through an audit in the Blackwood area, conducted by Moorabool Shire Council. The audit found that, while about three quarters of septic tanks […]
EOI for leak detection technology
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, News, Pipelines, Projects, Water, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0Unitywater (QLD) is seeking technology based services to identify leakage in their trunk water main network infrastructure. Unitywater maintain and operate more than $3.1billion in water and sewage infrastructure in Queensland. If water loss through leakage occurs, it can be a significant and costly problem. An Expression of Interest (EOI) has been released to the market to find a solution […]
New water main for Bacchus Marsh
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, Condition Assessment, Maintenance, News, Projects, Stakeholder Engagement, Water 0Western Water (VIC) has begun work on a new replacement water main for Bacchus Marsh. The water main will replace the existing one in Bacchus Marsh’s Avenue of Honour, an avenue of trees that serves as a memorial to local soldiers who served in the First World War. The existing water main is very old and has frequent bursts that […]
Electricity poles damaged in Esperance fires
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Electricity, Maintenance, News, Powerlines, Safety and Training, Stakeholder Engagement 0Horizon Power has confirmed more than 170 electricity poles were burned down in the Esperance region (WA) after severe bushfires. After given the all clear from fire crew, Horizon Power used aerial patrols and ground crews to survey the damage. At the time up to 450 people were without power in the Salmon Gums, Grass Patch and Scaddan areas. Once […]
New pipelines to prevent drought
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, Condition Assessment, News, Pipelines, Projects, Stakeholder Engagement, Water 0The Victorian Government has recently announced a $27million investment to support communities facing drought, including the installation of pipelines. The investment package will fund stage one of the South West Loddon Rural Water Supply Project, which includes the installation of several pipelines and pumps. Stage one of the project will see 40km of trunk pipelines laid and three pumps installed […]
Sewage pump station upgrade
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, Condition Assessment, Land access, News, Projects, Pumps, Safety and Training, Sustainability, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0TasWater plans to construct a new sewage pump station for George Town (TAS) to replace the existing station due to its high risk of discharging raw sewage. The new pump station infrastructure will also reduce operating costs, improve the reliability of the service and allow for future growth in the catchment. Works are scheduled to begin in 2016 and TasWater […]
A methane testing study by AGL in the Gloucester region has found there to be negligible difference observed between concentrations measured inside or outside the Gloucester Basin. The Gloucester Shire Council commissioned AGL to measure background levels of methane in the air in the Gloucester region, and they found levels to be “typical of regional areas”. Using a highly accurate […]
Queensland STP flood recovery underway
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Features, Maintenance, News, Projects, Pumps, Safety and Training, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0Queensland Urban Utilities have begun works on their second largest sewage treatment plant in Oxley Creek to protect it against floods. The $30 million Oxley Creek Sewage Treatment Plant flood recovery project is a response to damage sustained from the 2011 Brisbane floods. Queensland Urban Utilities spokesperson, Michelle Cull, said “we’re rolling out a range of flood mitigation measures across […]
Water leaks a problem for Alice Springs
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Maintenance, News, Sustainability, Water 0The Power and Water Corporation has conducted inspections on almost 5,000 household water meters in Alice Springs searching for water leaks. The five day event revealed that 972 homes (one in five) in Alice Springs has a suspected leak. This amounts to wasting 286 million litres of water per year, costing homeowners over half a million dollars ($547, 000) collectively. […]
Anglesea pipeline repairs after cliff collapse
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Maintenance, News, Pipelines, Safety and Training, Water 0Barwon Water has begun replacing the Anglesea (VIC) outfall pipeline after it was damaged when a section of cliff collapsed earlier this year. The repairs have been fast-tracked ahead of the busy summer period for the region. Barwon Water said the repairs will be challenging as they will include significant onshore and offshore work. Specialist engineering and construction teams will […]
Burdekin solar farm approved
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, Condition Assessment, Electricity, Features, News, Projects, Renewable Energy, Solar, Sustainability 0The Queensland Government has approved the creation of one of Australia’s largest solar farms in the Burdekin Shire (QLD). Global solar power company FRV plans to invest up to $400 million to develop 238 hectares of photo voltaic panels on 340 hectares of privately held farmland. Construction of the solar farm in Clare will create 200 construction jobs. Deputy Premier […]
CCTV-equipped mini submarines and computer-chipped balls are now a part of Unitywater’s impressive arsenal, fighting the battle against pipeline leaks. These innovative new technologies are now regularly flowing through the utility’s water mains, identifying leaks quickly and efficiently, helping Unitywater save money and improve its operations. Roving through the network The Submersible Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) Robot, dubbed ‘Rove’ by […]
When leak comes to shove
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Pipelines, Sponsored Editorial, Water, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0With between 30 to 50 per cent of sewer lines globally exhibiting some type of infiltration and leaking, it’s no surprise that water efficiency programs have become a priority for water utilities. Sometimes it’s hard to know when a minor leak can cause a major problem, but the reality is, any leak is bad news and needs to be dealt […]
Innovation bolsters returns
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Pipelines, Safety and Training, Water, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0Innovation is more than just a dot-point inclusion on a list of corporate values at Queensland water utility Unitywater. Not only has it won a global award for adopting innovative technologies in recent months, Unitywater also has a Research and Innovation team dedicated to seeking out and introducing ways to work smarter, quicker and safer. The innovation process improves operational efficiency […]
The lost art of leak detection
Jessica Dickers Condition Assessment, Gas, Pipelines, Sponsored Editorial, Water 0by Anthony Johnstone, Access Detection Modern advances have made the detection of leaks in pipe networks easier than ever before. But while modern telemetry systems warn operators of the potential for leaks in a water network, what they don’t do is teach operators how to actually find the leak. Emphasis on correlation, looking at displays and inaccurate information to locate […]
Small sacrifice, big rewards
Jessica Dickers Asset management, Civil Construction, Condition Assessment, Maintenance, Pipelines, Sponsored Editorial, Stormwater, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0As a population, Australians are critically dependent on the pipelines that deliver essential services to our homes and businesses. Pipeline owners need to be vigilant in protecting their assets from corrosion. We take a look at some of the common methods for protecting these vital pieces of infrastructure. In Australia, tens of thousands of kilometres of steel pipelines run underground […]
Choppers to determine Tableland’s future
Utility Journalist Asset management, Company news, Condition Assessment, Electricity, News, Powerlines 0Ergon Energy’s inspections of power poles in the Atherton Tableland (QLD) will be carried out by helicopter to improve the safety and reliability of the electricity network. A helicopter will be flying at low altitudes in the vicinity of Ergon power network assets on the Ravenshoe Feeder taking in the Ravenshoe township, Mount Ronald and Millstream areas. Residents and property […]
Geospatial imaging system reaps reward
Utility Journalist Asset management, Company news, Condition Assessment, Digital Utilities, Electricity, Maintenance, Mapping & GIS, News 0The top prize has been awarded to an aircraft-based innovation at the 2015 Queensland Spatial Excellence Awards. Ergon Energy’s Roames aircraft-based laser and imaging geospatial system claimed the award. The innovative new technology received the JM (Mac) Seriser Award for the best of the best in the industry, after earlier being presented with the award for Innovation and Commercialisation. These […]
Trenchless project of the year winner announced
Utility Journalist Civil Construction, Company news, Condition Assessment, News, Water, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0A major Queensland-based utility has been awarded two out of the four major awards at a national trenchless technology conference held on the Gold Coast. Queensland Urban Utilities took out Project of the Year in both the rehabilitation and new installation categories at the Trenchless Australasia No-Dig Down Under Gala Awards. Queensland Urban Utilities spokesperson, Michelle Cull, said it was […]
Mini submarines to inspect water mains
Utility Journalist Condition Assessment, Maintenance, News, Pipelines, Water 0Unitywater will begin adopting new, innovative technologies including CCTV-equipped mini submarines and computer-chipped balls flowing through water mains to save money and improve the company’s operations. The Submersible Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) Robot, dubbed “Rove” by Unitywater staff, is a 25 centimetre-wide remote controlled device fitted with a CCTV camera. From a vantage point underwater, it performs a condition assessment […]
We need to talk: a smarter way of managing pipe assets
Laura Harvey Asset management, Condition Assessment, Features, Pipelines 1by Mark Heathcote, Executive General Manager, Plastics Industry Pipe Association of Australia A recent candid discussion between members of the Plastics Industry Pipe Association of Australia (PIPA) and a senior executive from a major utility highlighted some interesting shared experiences for both parties. The executive focused on the scale and complexity of the issues facing his organisation over the coming […]
Hunter Water is now in the final stages of the sale of the land purchased for the planned Tillegra Dam (NSW), which was cancelled in 2010. Hunter Water Chief Operating Officer, Darren Cleary, said after Tillegra Dam was cancelled, Hunter Water moved to a program of identifying significant water savings. “Modelling confirms there is no current need for a third […]
Utility in profile: Gold Coast Water
Utility Journalist Condition Assessment, Pumps, Sustainability, Water, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0Gold Coast Water is a directorate within the City of Gold Coast, charged with providing safe and reliable water and sewerage services to the Gold Coast. Working in cooperation with Seqwater, Gold Coast Water is focused on protecting the health and lifestyle of the community while building future prosperity and opportunities. In performing its job Gold Coast Water (GCW) is […]
What’s holding smart water meters back?
Laura Harvey Condition Assessment, Digital Utilities, Features, Sponsored Editorial, Water 0It’s our most precious resource, so why haven’t water utilities been as quick to deploy intelligent metering systems as the electricity sector? Of course smart meters for electricity usage have obviously been helped along by the mandatory rollout of metering devices in Victoria. And while they are different products and the benefits between the two industries are slightly different, both […]
Operating in a changing environment: the water industry professionals delivering water around the nation
Laura Harvey Condition Assessment, Features, Water, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0Sometimes overlooked, it’s the water industry operators who are at the coalface every day, ensuring the quality of water supply, managing assets and ensuring access to our most precious resource. We met with a diverse group of water industry operators to learn about the challenges they face, the new technologies they’re working with and the future for the water industry […]
Balancing act: future-proofing Australia’s electricity network
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