To protect local platypus, WaterNSW is set to make its first large water release in early November, ahead of the upcoming irrigation season. Water delivery experts from WaterNSW will host the public meeting at Manilla Golf Club at 6pm Wednesday 16 October to gather feedback from water users and the local community on the planned water releases before finalising details [...]
The National Water Grid Authority is backing South East Water’s Western Port Recycled Water Scheme with a $46 million investment. The $113 million Western Port Recycled Water Scheme is jointly funded by the Federal Government through the National Water Grid Fund and the Victorian Government through South East Water. Once complete, the project will supply 4000ML of Class A recycled water to [...]
The Federal and Queensland governments have partnered deliver new infrastructure to help safeguard Queensland’s water security and protect the natural environment. Under the new $211 million Water Infrastructure for Sustainable and Efficient Regions (WISER) initiative, the Central Highlands Drinking Water Supply Program in Central Queensland will receive a $5.9 million boost. The Cassowary Coast Leak Reduction project in north Queensland will also receive [...]
SA Water is partnering with five major construction companies to deliver critical water and sewer infrastructure over the next four years. The record $3.3 billion capital program includes a $1.5 billion investment, announced as a key initiative of the South Australian Government’s Housing Roadmap, to increase capacity of the water and sewer network through upgrades to pipes, pump stations and [...]
Queensland’s new Rookwood Weir has celebrated another milestone, with water from the weir now being delivered to Central Queensland irrigators Rural Funds Management is the first customer to take water from the weir, using it to irrigate macadamia orchards in the Lower Fitzroy. The water from Rookwood Weir is enabling the company to plant 800,000 macadamia trees over 2,500ha of [...]
The Queensland Government has convened a high-level roundtable to examine ways to tackle the cost of providing drinking water to Mount Isa and the north-west. Hosted in Mount Isa by the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water on Wednesday 31 July, the roundtable looked at water management and the existing water supply arrangements in place between Mount Isa, Cloncurry and [...]
Water scientists from the University of South Australia and China have proposed a more effective method of removing organic pesticides from drinking water, reducing the risk of contamination and potential health problems. A 62 per cent rise in global pesticide use in the past 20 years has escalated fears that many of these chemicals could end up in our waterways, [...]
As climate change and population growth continue to put drinking water supplies under pressure, water utilities are exploring all options to ensure a secure and diverse water supply for generations to come. In South East Queensland, the population is expected to grow by two million people over the next 25 years. Ensuring a plentiful, safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable water [...]
Barwon Water and the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) have completed the installation of recycled water infrastructure to irrigate farmland surrounding Barwon Park Mansion. Barwon Water General Manager Planning, Delivery and Environment, Seamus Butcher, said an underground recycled water pipeline had been installed to connect the Winchelsea Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) to Barwon Park. “The new 1.8km pipeline now supplies [...]
The Queensland Government has said that Sunwater’s $32.5 million Mareeba Dimbulah water irrigation efficiency project is yielding more water than expected. Completed in 2021 under joint funding from the Queensland State and Federal Governments, the project has produced approximately 38 per cent more water than originally projected. Delivered by Sunwater, the water-saving project replaced 14km of pipeline, installed 125 automated [...]
Sandra Jefford and Wilco Droppert own and operate Wilandra Farms, an organic dairy farm in the Gippsland region of Victoria. However, despite the farm’s success, its irrigation and dairy operations were using about 500,000kWh of energy per year. Energy costs were high and irrigating the farm was a costly and time-consuming process. In 2019, the couple sought an energy audit [...]
Coliban Water has completed slip-lining works onf a historic 90-year old pipeline in Eaglehawk, Victoria, as part of ongoing works to enhance water security for rural customers in the area. The pipeline stretches over two kilometres, extending from Upper California Gully Road to Butts Road. Coliban Water Manager Infrastructure, Corey Bourne, said the works are part of an upgrade which [...]
Over 100 years since its inception, Brisbane’s S1 Main Sewer underwent an ambitious seven-year upgrade. By harnessing the power of innovation, Urban Utilities and its delivery partner, Interflow, have given new life to a hidden but essential piece of infrastructure. Deep under Brisbane’s bustling CBD lies the city’s oldest and largest sewer pipeline. Averaging 1.5m in diameter, the S1 Main [...]
With a growing population, a changing climate and the desire to improve the liveability of South East Queensland front of mind, Unitywater has harnessed the power of science, technology and Mother Nature to implement key infrastructure projects that will help reduce the utility’s operating footprint. Unitywater Executive Manager Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions, Daniel Lambert, expands on some of the projects and [...]
This past summer, communities along the River Murray in South Australia experienced flooding not seen in decades. Harnessing a combination of proactive planning, extensive infrastructure assessments and a hands-on community engagement approach, SA Water was able to largely maintain essential services throughout this generational natural event, including an uninterrupted drinking water supply. Peaking at around 190GL per day at the [...]
New figures, released by SA Water, indicate a significant decrease in 2022 of sewer blockages caused by unflushable objects in South Australia. A group of unflushable objects, led by wet wipes, cooking fats and oils, and even weird and problematic items such as superhero costumes, were responsible for 1,746 blockages over a six-month period in 2021 – during the same [...]
The second stage of Central Highlands Water’s Ballarat Sewer Build is now well underway, crossing the Yarrowee River last week. The $25 million sewer project will provide for another 100 years of growth and safe sanitation for the city, with 6km of duplicated sewer running from Ballarat East to Ballarat South. Stage 1 of the project – completed in early [...]
Unitywater is trialling an oyster reef restoration project, for the first time in Australia, to determine the effectiveness of oysters in filtering nutrients in waterways and to assist Unitywater in achieving its net zero sustainability goals. The restoration project – in partnership with the University of Sunshine Coast, Healthy Land and Water, and OzFish Unlimited – will explore the effectiveness [...]
The Laramba Water Treatment Plant has officially opened, with the use of ion-exchange technology to treat drinking water and reduce naturally occurring uranium levels to well below Australian Drinking Water Guideline (ADWG) levels – increasing accessibility to clean water for remote communities. Northern Territory Chief Minister, Natasha Fyles, said, the state government is committed to improving living conditions for remote [...]
SA Water has commenced the installation of a new water main in Port Vincent, which stretches for around 990m and runs under Lime Kiln Road, Kent Road, Alma Street, and Correll Street, as part of a four-year, $155 million water main management program by SA Water. SA Water’s General Manager of Sustainable Infrastructure, Amanda Lewry, said these works will involve [...]
In 2020, Franklin Harbour District Council implemented a new 23km gravity-fed water scheme to supply up to 200kL of water a day to a large remote farming area north-west of Cowell in South Australia, overcoming challenges around a mountain range separating the area to the connection point. The scheme had to deal with the fact that the farming area was [...]
The New South Wales Government has completed obligations under the Murray Darling Basin Plan by submitting a final water resource plan to the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA). New South Wales Minister for Lands and Water, Kevin Anderson, said this was an important milestone and highlights the New South Wales Government’s commitment to supporting Murray Darling Basin communities. “The New [...]
City of Marion’s $5.67 million water recovery project aimed at improving water recovery and reducing reliance on irrigated River Murray water has progressed to the construction phase. A 14km pipeline extension at Marion is expected to deliver at least 143ML of non-potable water to local parks and reserves, reducing the reliance on irrigated River Murray water. The pipeline extension will [...]
Construction has begun on a new pipeline connecting Parwan and Balliang, which will irrigate thousands of hectares of farmland with recycled water, expand agribusiness and support economic growth. The pipeline will provide Parwan and Balliang farmers with a reliable, year-round supply of recycled water from late 2023, as part of the Western Irrigation Network (WIN). WIN is a large-scale irrigation [...]
Upgrades to the Kyneton Recycled Water Irrigation project, a 14km pipeline network that connects the Kyneton Water Reclamation Plant to landowners and businesses in the Bendigo region, is now complete, delivering up to 300ML of recycled water for agricultural irrigation. The $7.5 million pipeline was jointly 50:50 funded by the Federal Government through the National Water Grid Fund and Coliban [...]
The Wamuran Irrigation Scheme is making significant progress with more than 13km of pipeline installed since the project was announced in 2022 and more than 1.7km of the pipeline has been drilled underground using horizontal direction drilling (HDD). The scheme, set to be complete and operational by mid-2024, will provide year-round water security for a number of Wamuran farmers while [...]
As the need to strengthen water networks rises due to increasing urbanisation and the impact of climate change, effective pressure management is becoming indispensable. Pressure regulating valves (PRVs) can combat non-revenue water by preventing unnecessary mechanical stress and improving the longevity of networks with modern materials, a simple construction, and digital functionality. Every year, utilities worldwide lose 126 billion cubic [...]
Melbourne’s population is growing. By 2030, more than six million people are expected to call the city home. A booming city means greater demand on services and infrastructure and this includes the sewerage system. Here are two projects that demonstrate how we are embracing technology to help us meet demand and achieve our goals in a safe and efficient way.
Water treatment sludge could be used to prevent 117,000km of sewer pipes in Australia from cracking in future, without any intervention by humans, helping to save $1.4 billion in annual maintenance costs. A world-first project led by University of South Australia sustainable engineering expert, Professor Yan Zhuge, is trialling a novel solution to halt unprecedented levels of corrosion in the [...]
Work is underway on a major recycled water scheme that will provide year-round water security to turf and crop farmers in Wamuran, South-East Queensland. Unitywater, the water and sewerage services provider for this region, is building the scheme through the Wamuran Irrigation Scheme Joint Venture, made up of contractor Pensar and two local growers – Twin View Turf and Pinata [...]
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