When asset failure can have serious impacts on operations, the local environment and public health, it is vital to increase asset protection and reduce risk wherever possible.
With extreme weather events increasing in frequency in many regions of Australia, utilities need to ensure that their assets are well protected, or risk facing costly repairs and severe impacts to local communities and environments.
According to Enviroline Managing Director, Brent Wiggins, one of the biggest impacts that extreme weather events have on utility assets is the movement of the ground, which can disturb underground networks.
“When the wet weather comes, we can have a lot of water infiltration into our sewer systems, which overloads the treatment plants and can lead to overflows,” he said.
Mr Wiggins said that the age of the infrastructure can greatly impact the risks associated with extreme weather.
“A lot of our infrastructure is getting older now. There was a lot of earthenware and clay in the early days and as the ground dries out and then becomes wet again, this can cause a lot of strain and movement.”
When utility assets fail, one of the biggest threats posed to the environment is when large spills or overflows occur in the sewer network.
“This generally happens because of heavy rain events or in extreme weather conditions where there’s a lot of water infiltration. That’s when fresh water enters the sewer system, eventually overloading and resulting in an overflow event.”
Keeping assets safe
Utilities are increasingly relying on preventative maintenance to ensure that assets are always in the best possible condition, reducing the likelihood of failures occurring and catching failures before they become serious issues.
Mr Wiggins said that these kinds of programs generally include regular cleaning and inspection of underground assets.
“It’s very critical to partner up with a supplier that can provide the right equipment and advice for the network that you’re dealing with.
“You need to have a supplier that can maintain and back up that equipment and keep it in good working order so the maintenance program can be ran successfully.”
Mr Wiggins said that it’s important to work with an Australian supplier that can provide high-quality products specifically designed for Australian conditions.
Aussie-made
Enviroline has been a local supplier of a wide range of water jetters, inspection cameras, flow plug tools and accessories to plumbers, councils, water authorities and civil contractors across Australia for more than five decades.
“I don’t think there’s anyone in this space that spends quite as much on research and development as we do. We have an engineering team that consists of four full-time engineers, and we’re always working to develop new products to keep at the cutting edge of the industry and improve our existing offerings,” Mr Wiggins said.
“Our products are all Australian-made to a high standard of quality control, so you know that if you’re buying equipment from Enviroline, it’s going to be a high-quality product that’s going to work for years.
“We’ve got a plan for massive growth over the next few years, which will involve multiple locations. Moving forward, we’re going to be in an even better position to provide and support our equipment Australia-wide.”
For more information, visit enviroline.com.au
