OPERATOMay 2018 REdition -I-O-A WAustralia

EXCELLENCE O IN P S ERATION Winners are Grinners find out more on page 9. Inside

From the MD’s desk...... 2 Profile of a Staff Member...... 3 NODP 2018 Commences...... 4 Clear Water Tank Roof Repairs...... 5 NSW Conference Report...... 6-7 Rod Wellings at the Qld Charity Bowls Day. NSW Operator of the Year...... 8 Read about this day on Port Macquarie Top Drop...... 9 page 15. Conferencing in Murray Bridge ...... 10 More than just Gold in Ballarat...... 11 Birds Eye View...... 12 PASS Award Winner...... 14 Royce Bowls them over in Yandina...... 15 Beyond Blue...... 16 Engineering Internship with WIOA...... 16 Tasmanian Interest Day...... 17 Camille O’Meara from Stornoway presenting in WaterRA Projects...... 18 Hobart. More on page 17. WIOA Talks...... 19 Managing Water - Spoiling Pests...... 20 Corporate News...... 21-23

News lette S ASSOCIA r o OR TIO f AT N the R OF W PE A AT O UST ER INDUSTRY RALIA FROM THE MD’S DESK

Welcome to the May edition of Operator and another jam- along famously and learned heaps from one another. packed update on WIOA’s activities. We also participated in the Water Industry Operations Group Our Annual General Meeting and Weekend Seminar were held (WIOG) “Meeting Challenges” conference in Palmerston in Ballarat on the first weekend in March with both Adrian North. Once again, the WIOG team did a fantastic job not Rijnbeek and Heidi Josipovic re-elected as President and only in organising and hosting the tour, but by running such a Vice President respectively. We also welcomed Mark Abela successful conference with 100% volunteer staff. and Glenn Alford onto the Committee for the first time. Our It is worth mentioning and congratulating the Australian thanks were extended to outgoing Committee members in Tapping Competition Team of Mae Jobson and Stephanie Darren Lord from Tasmania and Stephen Wilson from the Badger who put themselves out of their comfort zone and Water Industry Training Consultants. A small gift on behalf of had a go at a live tapping at the conference. Despite neither the members was presented to Stephen for his outstanding of them ever working in the networks area, and in front of a service to the Association over 23 consecutive years on the sizable crowd, they did a remarkable job in the competition Committee. and belted the pants off the Kiwi team from Wellington. Look The Weekend Seminar itself was another great success with out for a full report on the tour from some of the attendees in the assembled members treated to some informative technical a future edition of Operator. and product presentations, along with some “golden” themed Under Kathy’s expert tutelage, we have been assisting two competitions. A report covering all the goings on appears later University of Melbourne students to undertake their final year in this edition. project. They have been reviewing the range of products In early April, we staged our NSW conference in Tamworth. We and services WIOA offers and have been investigating other were excited that representatives from more than 40, or almost opportunities for us to consider delivering in the future. They half of the NSW Councils joined us over the two days. There have undertaken numerous personal interviews and produced were some excellent platform and poster papers presented a survey that around 400 WIOA Members completed. We and the exhibitors made an enormous effort to showcase look forward to their final reports, but more importantly, we their products and services. Our thanks are again extended to anticipate that the project will provide a blue print for us to be our excellent Host and major sponsor in Tamworth Regional able to follow, allowing us to offer even more to our members Council, along with all our other sponsors, the exhibitors, in due course. delegates and visitors. The award winners announced at the NSW conference also deserve our heartfelt congratulations, There is a building level of interest in Operator Certification. including Port Macquarie Hastings Council for winning the WIOA staff have worked with numerous organisations recently NSW/ACT Water Taste Test. to develop a matrix which allows them to match the operator training required to the various treatment plant processes We now head off to Logan for the Queensland conference in used at a plant. There is a substantial amount of training the first week of June. All 112 exhibition sites were sold out in already underway in several States with the intention of having around 35 minutes, demonstrating yet again how valuable the the operators certified once their gap training is completed. companies rate the opportunity for interaction with the water Anyone looking for more information on certification can visit industry operational staff. The technical program includes a the WIOA website or contact us at the WIOA office. diverse line up of presenters covering a wide range of topics including input from a number of Queensland Councils. We At a meeting of the Chairs of all the State based WIOA look forward to the fun and excitement of the mains tapping Advisory Committees, it was agreed that a revamp of the competition, and wonder if anyone will be able to knock off Advisory Committee structure and membership is required. the Gold Coast “Tapping Tubbies” team who have won the The number of positions on each Advisory will be limited to 11 last 2 events. Delegate and visitor registrations are still being and the opportunity to nominate for a position will be provided accepted with registration forms available from the website. to all Members in each respective State. More details on the process and the expectations of members on each Advisory Another new initiative is the South Australian Operations Committee will be shared with Members soon. Conference and Expo, which is being held in Murray Bridge on 1 & 2 August 2018. Although it is a significantly smaller In the meantime, the WIOA events calendar is rapidly filling event, and is being run under a different format to our East courtesy of some great work and assistance by all our Coast conferences, we are confident that it will deliver some State based Advisory Committees. Apart from our now four great benefits to everyone that attends. More information on conferences, there are a variety of interest days and tours the event will be provided in the coming months. either just completed or happening soon, along with some I had the pleasure of chaperoning the WIOA Operators Tour to seminars and Water Taste Test events. Although we do New Zealand in early May. The largest ever contingent of 17 understand that not everyone can go to every event, please Aussies converged on Wellington and enjoyed a fabulous tour make sure you support the work of your own members by of water, wastewater and network facilities in the southern participating whenever you can. region of the North Island. There was a mixture of old crusties Until next time, and new up and coming operators on the tour, who all got George Wall – WIOA Managing Director

PAGE 2 PROFILE OF A MEMBER

Name: Glenn Alford Favourite food: Chicken Parma Position: State Sales Manager Least favourite food: Fruit Employer & Location: Calix - Victoria Favourite TV show: Have you Been Paying Attention How long have you worked in the Worst TV show: My Kitchen Rules water industry and what attracted Favourite Movie: Hoosiers you to it? II’ve been a supplier to the Water Favourite Musical Artist/s: U2 Industry for the past 10 years. Always Favourite book: Devil in the White City liked the variety within the industry of different companies, contacts and ever-changing products Favourite team: The mighty Saints and services available. Ambition in life: Work hard and play hard Thoughts on the water industry at the moment Hobbies: My kids, golf, AFL, NBA Great time to be involved in the water industry. With new Best Trait: Positive attitude products and technologies coming along all the time to improve efficiencies, productivity and operator safety. The Worst Trait: Impatient industry is in a good place. Four people to invite to dinner: Mohammed Ali, Michael What do you enjoy most about your job? Jordan, Nelson Mandela, My Wife! Getting out and talking to a range of different contacts and companies across the country. Providing an industry recognised product, but with new technology to improve NSW EXHIBITORS SUPPORT performances with product expertise and data to support our claims. LOCAL DISABILITY SERVICES What are the major challenges in your current role? As the NSW exhibition drew to a close and exhibitors were Working within a very competitive environment and also packing up, WIOA put out a call asking if any companies had any surplus promotional merchandise that we could donate supplying products to sewer/wastewater which is a live to the local disability services. environment, always presents new challenges. A number of generous companies provided a range of goods How long have you been a WIOA member? (your that WIOA, in conjunction with the Tamworth Regional involvement) Council was able to donate to the local Challenge Community 10 years Services. How do you relax? Barry Murphy, CEO of Challenge Community Services, was I don’t, but red wine helps very grateful for the items that will be used to encourage participation and reward good manners by the services Where do you live and what’s the best thing about it? clients. Barry was very excited about the light sabres and Rowville Victoria, close friends and community told us he intended to take one back into his meeting to keep Your involvement with WIOA & as a new member on the everyone in line! WIOA committee, what contributions are you hoping to be able to make? Hoping to bring some new ideas and energy to an association that is recognised and growing, but with further growth possible. Would love to have WIOA make inroads into South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania. Quick questions Age: 39 Nickname: Plugger Family Status: Married, two children (10 & 7) Left to right is Tamworth Regional Council Headworks Operators Pets: Daisy the wonder dog Travis Hutton and Mick Hearn, and Challenge CEO Barry Murphy.

PAGE 3 NODP 2018 COMMENCES

The 2018 Victorian Network Operator Development Program (NODP) kicked off in Melbourne in February with a new group of network operators wanting to further develop their skills and leadership qualities within the water industry.

Session one focussed on leadership and our regulatory obligations as a water business. The first day commenced with a presentation from the EPA’s Dan Hunt which aligned our responsibility to the environment in which we operate and the legislative requirements that we as operators are expected to meet.

We then heard from Leanne Wells from the DHHS who outlined Leanne Wells from DHHS Victoria presenting our responsibility in supplying safe drinking water to our customers and maintaining disinfection during repairs as well It was a very interesting session to start the program. The next as the other maintenance activities we undertake. few sessions will focus on more technical components of the role of the network operator. Goulburn Valley Water Managing Director Peter Quinn and The operators will have some assignments to complete along East Gippsland Managing Director Bruce Hammond spoke the way and each participant will step out of their comfort zone about the relationships between an MD, their board and the and complete a presentation to the group. Minister’s Office, the obligation we have to our regulatory bodies with why we do what we do, our obligations to our At the end of the program the Victorian Network Operator of the Year will be announced at the WIOA Conference in Bendigo. customers, and the importance of being actively involved within the community while delivering the best service we can. Contributed by Mick Mahoney, NODP Committee member

The 2018 NODP Participants

Bruce Hammond and Peter Quinn presenting to the 2018 NODP participants DOODLE At the recent WIOA Weekend Seminar and AGM, a prize was The evening brought a few “ice breaking” beverages and a awarded to the most interesting doodle drawn on the team meal. We then sat back down to introduce the group to each place mat. The winner representing team Southern Cross other and explore their own expectations of the program and was Kristy Elrington from Goulburn Valley Water who came what they each want out of it. up with this artistic version of the water cycle. It would not be out of place in a coloring book resource for kids. Day two was focussed on leadership. Mike Rankin from Water Training Australia ran the day and gave some very interesting insights into different leadership techniques and how to get the best out of yourself and your team, while understanding differing personalities and expectations of individuals.

The group had also completed some personality profiling prior to commencing the program, to assist with understanding their own goals and aspirations for their chosen career and why and how we tick like we do. WES Doodle Winner

PAGE 4 CLEAR WATER TANK ROOF REPAIRS

re-tighten them again. Appropriate battery powered tools were North East Water (Vic) has a regular inspection and cleaning used as they are completely water proof and have long operating program of all their water storage assets. It was during the cycles. cleaning of the Benalla Clear Water tank, that loose nuts and also some complete nut and bolt sets were found lying on the tank Once the internal repairs were completed, it was time to tackle the floor. This prompted a more detailed under-roof inspection of the missing roof screws around the edges. The same operators were tank and serious structural issues were soon identified. deployed as they were also rope access technicians, used to working safely at heights and having all the necessary anchoring This tank is relatively new, has an aluminum roof framing system and safety equipment to carry out the job effectively. and is situated on top of a hill, where prevailing winds are frequent. As well as replacing the missing roof screws using loctite solution and removing/replacing the remaining screws with the same fixing process, it was decided to go one step further and fix the overlap areas of the roof sheets directly into the top of the concrete walls. Ultra-long concrete fixing plugs were drilled into the tops of the walls and the sheet overlaps were securely fixed, independently of the already renewed screws which were placed into the edge flashings. This process took another two days, but the overall cost of labor and materials was minimal compared with a structural failure and complete or partial roof replacement, and the resulting Aerial view of the Benalla Clear Water Storage contamination potentials from having an uncovered clear water storage tank. The external edge fixings of the roofing sheets were also missing Contributed by Mark Welsh, North East Water & David Barry, many screws and these were found to have unwound themselves, Aqualift rather than simply being broken off. Due to the windy environment present, it was only a matter of time before partially fixed roof sheets blew off and the internal framing suffered a significant THE LIGHTER SIDE structural failure. Former US President George W Bush had a way with words. Following are examples of some of his verbal highlights. It was decided to carry out extensive external and internal re- fixing repairs while the roof was still relatively undamaged. A ‘I stand by all the misstatements that I’ve made.’ few days of repairs were judged to be more cost effective than a ‘The vast majority of our imports come from outside the complete roof replacement. country.’ ‘If we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure.’ ‘One word sums up probably the responsibility of any Governor, and that one word is ‘to be prepared.’ ‘The future will be better tomorrow.’ ‘We’re going to have the best educated American people in the world.’ ‘We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe’ ‘Public speaking is very easy.’ Internal view of the roof of the Benalla Clear Water Storage ‘A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to Contractors used to working in potable water conditions the polls.’ were selected to carry out the renovations. They operated out ‘I have opinions of my own --strong opinions-- but I don’t of an inflatable boat that is also only used in drinking water always agree with them.’ environments. They wore breathable, lightweight dry suits for their own comfort and to protect the stored water from any ‘We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not contamination that could easily occur if ‘corners were cut’ and occur.’ strict hygiene was not maintained. ‘For NASA, space is still a high priority.’ It took them two days to work their way around all of the roof ‘Quite frankly, teachers are the only profession that teach our framing connection areas and either replace any missing bolts or children.’ loosen off the existing ones, apply loctite material to the nuts and ‘It isn’t pollution that’s harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.’

PAGE 5 2018 NSW CONFERENCE REPORT

The 12th Annual WIOA NSW Water Industry Operations Conference and Exhibition was staged at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre (TRECC) on 11 & 12 April 2018. With Tamworth Regional Council acting as event host and major sponsor, more than 600 people from well over 45 NSW and Interstate Councils attended the conference and exhibition.

During the conference Opening session on the Wednesday morning, delegates were officially welcomed to Tamworth and the event by Cr Helen Tickle, the Deputy Mayor of Tamworth. The opening address was presented by Klausch Schmidt from Australian Industry Standards, who spoke about the skills forecast aimed at identifying the industry skills needs in the future and then reflecting this in the management and update of the National Water Package Training Package.

Dr Melita Stevens from Melbourne Water delivered the conference Keynote Address providing a well-received insight into the 2016 water quality incident in Havelock North (New Zealand) and the impact it has had on the industry in New Zealand.

The conference culminated in the Awards Dinner on Thursday evening where David Cashen from Bathurst Regional Council was named the winner of the 2018 NSW Operator of the Year. The team from Port Macquarie Hastings Council were awarded bragging rights for the next 12 months for having the Best Tasting NSW Operator of the Year, David Cashen making his Tap Water in NSW/ACT after winning the Ixom taste test. acceptance speech

NSW CONFERENCE – WHAT ATTENDEES HAD TO SAY DELEGATES what is happening “on the ground”. The wide variety of speakers It was an overall great experience that I would encourage any and topics presented has something for everyone to learn from. operator or business wanting to expand their skills to invest in. These are presentations of practical activities and initiatives being A great variety of topics and subject matter to give something undertaken in the water sector. The trade display is worthy of a to everyone from ground staff to management. Ben Hildebrand, visit just on its own. The extent of the equipment, services and Rous County Council technology on display, backed by knowledgeable exhibitors will The technical papers, posters and site visits are good allow us to find solutions to many questions and issues. Murray communication tools for enhancing the knowledge and improving Thompson, MTWS the presentation skills of the WIOA members. The rewards make EXHIBITORS the team motivated. The exhibition is a one stop shop to get in This was our first time as exhibitors at WIOA NSW and I was very contact with new suppliers and for networking. I really appreciate impressed with the event. The visitors were genuinely interested the WIOA team effort. Vipuli Narangoda, Nambucca Shire in our products and the venue was ideal. Jim Fotiniotis, Pump Council Engineers Australia The conference really opened my eyes to a lot of great services The WIOA Conferences are a great opportunity for us to build and products that are available throughout Australia. I will be relationships with the organisations and the people in those encouraging PowerWater to chase up some of the exhibitors that I organisations who deal with the issues that we provide - met at the conference so we can start using the latest and greatest economically and environmentally efficient long-term solutions products in the Water Industry. Steve Casey, PowerWater without Excavation. The opportunity to expose our solutions in WIOA’s NSW conference and trade display is an excellent lateral lining through WIOA is extremely valuable to the growth of opportunity for the water sector to get together to learn about our business. Brendan Dover, The Drain Man

PAGE 6 NSW CONFERENCE 2018 WINNERS

NSW Conference 2018 Winners Congratulations to all the award winners from the NSW Conference and Exhibition. William Constable (R) winner of NSW Operator of the Year – sponsored by NSW Water Best Paper by an Operator with Directorate Alex Maderasi from David Cashen from Bathurst Regional Council Actizyme Actizyme Awards for Best Paper by an Operator 1st William Constable - Tamworth Regional Council 2nd Adrian Cameron - Tamworth Regional Council 3rd Barry Young - Kempsey Shire Council Thomas Lees (R) Iwaki Pumps Australia for Best Paper Overall with Les Szanto Thomas Lees - Ballina Shire Council from Iwaki Pumps after WIOA Award for Best Poster by an Operator winning Best 1st Wes Trotter - Kempsey Regional Council Paper OveralL WIOA Conference Charity Presentations Manilla Fish Hatchery $1,000 Sailors with Disabilities $1,000 Ron Bergmeier Award Best Exhibition Site sponsored by Utility Magazine Wes Trotter (R) Fluidquip winner of Best Operator Poster PASS Award 2018 with George Wall Hydraulic Gatic Lid Lifter - Michael Cartmer, Martin Zardins, Quinton Caird, Stephen Casey & Michael Dixon from Power and Water Corporation Ixom 2018 Best Tasting Tap Water in NSW/ACT Winner Port Macquarie Hastings Council The team from Ixom 2018 Best Tasting Tap Water in NSW/ACT Finalists Fluidquip, • Walcha Shire Council winners of Best • Tamworth Regional Council Exhibition Site • Kempsey Shire Council • Port Macquarie Hastings Council

NSW Conference Images 2018

PAGE 7 TOOWOOMBA TACKLES THE DAVE CASHES IN AS OPERATOR WORLD OF THE YEAR After about 30 hours of travel time having left Toowoomba on Congratulations to David Cashen from Bathurst Regional the morning of 19 February, l arrived in Washington DC on the Council who was named Operator of the Year at the WIOA NSW evening of 19 February in what seemed like the longest day Conference in Tamworth in April. ever. Congratulations also to runner up, James Davis of Upper Hunter Berkeley Springs is about 170 km Shire Council. James was commended for being a dedicated from Washington DC, so the logistics operator under difficult conditions, for his involvement in of travel to the venue arose. To provide supervising Chinese technical staff installing membrane water Toowoomba with the best chance of filtration modules – a first for Australia. success, two sets of samples were sent to the US, one set in plastic and David has been a supervisor at the Bathurst Filtration Plant for one set in glass. The next morning one a decade and has been with the council for 20 years. He is a set of samples arrived but the second fully trained Water Filtration Plant operator and motor mechanic who ‘lives and breathes’ water filtration. Dave is enthusiastically Berkeley Springs - set of samples didn’t arrive until the Bottled Water display following day. committed to providing the best water supply to the residents of Bathurst. The temperatures at this time of the year can be around zero degrees Celsius and entrants had been warned about the He has demonstrated his commitment through the co-ordination potential to freeze the samples and thus disqualifying them. of multimillion dollar upgrades of ageing infrastructure, providing in depth tours to those interested in water supply; from school Berkeley Springs is a beautiful town in West Virginia but a little groups, to interested residents and to fellow water operators, bit off the map with no rail or bus services and I was a bit hesitant in getting a rental car. I found the thought of driving on and finding new and innovative improvements to make the water the wrong side of the road while sitting in the passenger’s seat system better. behind the steering wheel a bit daunting. David is genuinely passionate about emerging processes and the There is a distinct lack of public transport, taxis and Ubers in development of our profession, in particular those new to the Berkeley Springs. But Chemists have solutions and l was able industry. to find an Uber driver that was up for the challenge. Ed the Uber driver was the Knight in Shining armour or the Knight in the Shining Toyota, and came to the rescue transporting the samples to Berkeley Springs. NSW Operator At the event, one of the speakers took ill so I finished up of the Year providing a presentation on the water industry in Australia David and the Toowoomba scheme. A case of have presentation will Cashen, (L) with Gary travel. Mitchell from NSW Water The Water Taste competition final judging was on Saturday 24 Directorate February in 6 categories. The Toowoomba sample was entered in the Municipal Water section but unfortunately didn’t win. The winners came from Clearbrook, BC Canada who took out the top gong, not for the first time. As Operator of the Year, David will be sponsored for a trip to New The taste test competition is a hotly contested world Zealand to attend WIOA’s annual tour of NZ water facilities as well championship with entrants from across the globe. The as attending the WIOG NZ conference in Palmerston North. The competition is held in good sprit and a fantastic learning NSW Water Directorate has been pleased to sponsor the award experience for all competitors. The hospitality shown by the for the past 12 years, to raise awareness of the unsung work organisers and venue providers is first rate. As well as the done by Operators across New South Wales. competition, I was able to visit a number of municipal and bottled water facilities and what would be a conference without a visit to a water reclamation facility. Our American counterparts face similar challenges as we do. As the current Australian title holder, Toowoomba will host the Water Master Arthur Von 2018 Ixom Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia competition Wiesenberger and during National Water Week on Wednesday 17 October 2018. John Mills Contributed by John Mills from Toowoomba Regional Council

PAGE 8 PORT MACQUARIE HAS NSW/ACT TOP DROP

Port Macquarie Hastings Council was announced as the winner This year a local guest judge was included for the grand final of the Ixom 2018 Best Tasting Tap Water in NSW/ACT at the with the Tamworth Queen of Country Music, Alexandra Kellahan WIOA NSW Conference in Tamworth, for their sample taken from joining the judging panel. Conference attendees enjoyed local the Hastings River. After being a finalist last year, Port Macquarie golden guitar winner, singer Jodie Crosby who also performed Hastings Council was named the 2018 winner ahead of the other at the grand final. finalists Kempsey Shire Council, Walcha Council and the local The competition is a fun way of allowing WIOA and the industry hope Tamworth Regional Council. to raise awareness of the hard work that our operational staff do behind the scenes to ensure a quality drinking water supply is continually available to communities all around Australia. The Port Macquarie sample will now go on to represent NSW in the Ixom Water of Origin Taste Test against the Livingstone Shire Council, winners of the qldwater Best of the Best Water Taste Test. The water of Origin competition will take part at the WIOA Queensland Conference in Logan in June. Queensland currently leads the Water of Origin 4-1, but confidence levels are high that maybe NSW can get over the Port Macquarie Hastings Council team with line this year. Teresa Travaglia from Ixom

Using a blind taste test approach, the samples were judged on colour, clarity, odour and taste. WIOA LOOK-ALIKES

It is not often you take a photo of the same person for two completely different look-a-likes on the same evening. Well we think Anthony Evans from Wannon Water created a couple of creative look-alikes by coloring his hair during the weekend seminar. Why? We didn’t ask, better left alone!

The serious business of being a taste test judge - the all female judging panel put their taste buds to the test

Anthony Evans Guy Fieri From Wannon Water from A Minute to Win It

Anthony Evans From Wannon Water Steven Segal Tamworth Queen of Country Music, Alexandra Kellahan was part of the judging panel If you know of a WIOA member who has a look-alike send us a photo.

PAGE 9 CONFERENCING IN QLD WATER INDUSTRY MURRAY BRIDGE SKILLS FORUM

WIOA will be conducting our first Conference and Expo in South The inaugural Queensland Water Industry Skills Forum was Australia at the Murray Bridge Racing Club on Wednesday 1 hosted by qldwater on 28 February 2018. It was a productive August to Thursday 2 August 2018. day with 54 participants from 19 organisations including 40 representatives from Qld Water Skills Partnership Members. The The event will be different to the traditional WIOA conferences forum included presentations from industry experts about critical held in the eastern states and fundamentally it is a one-day workforce and skills issues and opportunities for participants to conference and expo being held over 2 days. It will start at discuss possible solutions. 12noon on the Wednesday and will conclude at 1pm on the Thursday. George and Kathy both attended the Skills Forum. George made presentations to operators who had met the requirements to be A dinner on the Wednesday evening will be held off-site at certified under the National Certification Framework for Operators the Murray Bridge Community Club and will provide a great within Drinking Water Treatment Systems, and Wastewater and opportunity for attendees to network and socialise in a relaxed Recycled Water Treatment Systems. Kathy gave a presentation environment. on the growing concern over the skills needs of contractors The Expo will include table top displays from 33 of the leading associated with outsourcing of operations in Queensland, and water industry product and service suppliers who will showcase potential risks to public health outcomes. their wares to the assembled delegates and visitors. The expo During the forum, discussions covered critical issues for the will provide a great opportunity for South Australian based industry including recruitment and retention of staff, along operational staff to see and discuss the latest advances in with an ageing workforce. Participants discussed options for technical equipment and systems secondment, worker exchanges and traineeships to fill skills The members of the WIOA South Australian Advisory Committee gaps and the Water Skills Partnership Group will consider how are currently finalising the conference technical program which best to progress those. will include two invited Keynote presenters, one on each day. Certification is still a high priority and work is continuing on The papers program will highlight technological developments, development of a Networks Certification Framework and a new initiatives and operational improvements undertaken by framework for dam and catchments operators will be considered operations staff in South Australia. This will allow attendees to at a later stage. Participants identified that it can be difficult to update their knowledge and skills, as well as network with other demonstrate the value of ongoing training for operators and are operations staff and leading figures in the SA water industry. keen to hear more about how best to measure and communicate return on training investment. Following the success of this first event, the forum will be held annually. To find out more about the Water Skills Partnership please contact Carlie Sargent at qldwater.

Murray Bridge Race Club will be the venue for the inaugural SA Conference and Expo

George Wall presenting the credentials to one of the certified operators

PAGE 10 MORE THAN JUST GOLD IN BALLARAT

There was a lot happening in Ballarat on the weekend of 3 Next up, Kristy Elrington from Goulburn Valley Water discussed March this year. The Australian Rally Championships, the State her studies and the continuing effort to educate their customers Rowing Championship and the Western Bulldogs were taking on on what we should not flush down the toilet. Kristy was the Hawthorn in the JLT series. The annual WIOA AGM and Weekend winner of the IWA Laurie Gleeson Award and has been overseas Seminar was also underway at the Bell Tower Motor Inn. to look at how some of the major cities control and educate what people flush away and the flow on effect it has not only to With the wonders of modern technology, President Adrian the sewer systems but the cost of removing contaminants. The Rijnbeek was able to address the meeting from beside the pool interesting thing for me was the “middle” age group that thought at his holiday resort and with the help of Vice President Heidi it was OK to flush anything they could down the toilet, a good Josipovic and Secretary George Wall, the AGM was conducted sign that we need to start educating people early in their lives. without any issues at all. A discussion on community and industry engagement and the role WIOA should take in the forum concluded the day. Pre-dinner drinks outside amongst the “Poo Pit” and pipes was an interesting affair with some slightly strange goings on, we were later to find out, if you hadn’t already worked out, being undertaken by the first timers at the AGM. After the meal it was time for the entertainment to begin and once again no expense was spared to make sure everyone had an unforgettable night. The teams that were formed early in the The AGM in full swing day had to rise to the challenge and complete a task with “A minute to win it”, hosted by none other than Guy Fieri direct from On completion of the AGM, our first seminar speaker was filming a segment in the USA. Mark Samblebe from MBS Water. Mark spoke about some of the discoveries he has made in his work in remote areas and Peter and Yuan working communities in outback Australia. It was amazing to see the true well as a team in the Ready value of water in these regions, the local responses to treatment Spaghetti challenge and supply of potable water and how they think it should be Everyone was up to the done. The difficulties that arise when you need something in a challenge and some very hurry, along with the added challenges to keep projects on track innovative ideas were were a real eye opener. adopted to complete the Sam Hawkins and Warren Cuts from Smartstream Technology challenges with team Southern Cross running out the winners were next up introducing us to their range of innovative for the evening. wastewater and sewer products with the unforgettable and aptly named “Poo Pit” the major attraction. The range of lightweight Sam and Kristy celebrate victory in a minute to manholes, pits, covers and sewer pipes were all on display as win it with Guy Fieri well as a range of equipment for clearing blockages and carrying in the background out inspections to maintain your system at its optimum operating level. The TFSOBMSMQ was again the talking point on Sunday morning and the final challenge undertaken by the teams before the technical session started. Kriston Nilsson from Veolia ran us through the operation of the Ballarat North WWTP and Class A recycling facility. The plant has been operated for CHW by Veolia since 2008 and is capable of treating 8.4 ML/d of wastewater. The presentation was a perfect Weekend Seminar attendees and the Poo Pit Segway to the on-site plant visit for delegates attending the tour before heading home. Using ultrasound to control blue green algae in lakes and The AGM and Seminar was again a great weekend of learning, reservoirs was the theme for Paul Harries presentation. Paul networking and a lot of fun was had by all in attendance. presented us with some case studies undertaken utilising the Remember, the water industry is a great place to work so do Envirosonic Algae Control Systems in Victoria and New Zealand. your best to get the most out of it. Paul also had a very effective matting used to stabilise stream banks, garden beds and cuttings in roads. Contributed by Anthony Evans and Paul Brown, Wannon Water

PAGE 11 BIRDS EYE VIEW - Facilities Members Operate Edmonton Wastewater Treatment Plant, Cairns

Plant Features 1 UV, outfall pumps and onsite reuse 2 Clarifier – 2.8 ML 3 Bioreactor – 6 ML Oxidation ditch 4 MCC with emergency generator 5 Chlorine dosing for reuse 6 Lime dosing 7 PTA – 5 mm Step screens 8 Alum dosing 9 Belt press 2

Location Swallow Road, Edmonton Service Area Southern estate on Peterson Road to Foster Road (western side of highway) and to Griffin Road on the Eastern side of the highway, Edmonton, Part Mt Sheridan, Part Whiterock. 1 Capacity 24,814 people or 6.7 ML/day Treatment Standard Tertiary Treatment Process The Liquid stream treatment is an Oxidation ditch with Clarifier. Effluent is treated with UV and discharged to Trinity Inlet. Sludge is dewatered directly out of the Bioreactor using a Belt filter press. 3 5 8 6

7

9 4

2018 PASS AWARD WINNER THE POWER OF THE WIOA NETWORK The winner of the 2018 PASS Award was announced at the NSW Conference in Tamworth in April. The winner was the Employer Aaron team of operators and maintenance technicians from the Sewer It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Well in Daniel’s Reticulation Operations and the Mechanical Maintenance group case it was both what he knew and who he knew within at Power and Water Corporation in Northern Territory. The the WIOA network. After approaching us through the WIOA team included Michael Dixon, Quinton Caird, Stephen Casey, and LinkedIn community, Daniel started with SAFEgroup Michael Cartmer and Martin Zardins. Their winning idea was Automation during his 3rd year of engineering in a part-time the development of a hydraulic gatic lid lifter to reduce the need position. Daniel showed early signs of being an exceptional to get contractors in with heavy machinery on a regular basis engineer and has since become an asset to the organisation. to pop stuck gatic lids. At the start of 2018 we offered Daniel a full-time position as control systems engineer, which thankfully he accepted. Since then he has continued to astound us with his passion for knowledge and motivation for continuous learning. We are glad to have him as part of our team and are looking forward Two of winning team to working collaboratively with Daniel throughout his career. members - Martin Zardins and Stephen Employee Daniel Casey from Power and Water NT (L) with Jillian From the beginning, being a part of SAFEgroup Automation Busch from Aqualift has been a huge learning experience. Guided by some of Project Delivery the industries best, I am consistently pushed to develop my technical skills and knowledge. I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects, from the development of automation systems for large scale treatment plants, to radio Gatic lids that have been in service for several years without path analysis for council water and wastewater networks. No being opened, or ones in a high traffic area, are often stuck so two jobs are the same and I am always engaged in something tightly that they cannot be opened using the standard method. interesting. I am excited to begin my career within the water This poses serious manual handling issues for operators. industry, made possible by the power of networking and The Sewer Reticulation Operators asked the Mechanical organisations such as WIOA. Maintenance group if it was possible to develop a hydraulic lifter. After several welding bench discussions and chalk drawings, the final design was agreed upon. The solution was to fit two hydraulic cylinders to a hand cylinder pump via a three way splitter and isolating valve. Angle brackets and Tee bolts were fabricated and fitted to the cylinders. All this Daniel Biltris allows for the lids to be hydraulically lifted with the ability to pump on one lifting point or both at once. This is especially helpful if the lid is not lifting evenly.

The hydraulic gatic lid lifter in action popping a stuck lid

Daniel on site

The 2018 PASS Award had 11 great ideas submitted for consideration from SA, NT, Tasmania, Victoria and Qld. Aqualift Project Delivery is the PASS Award sponsor and provided sponsorship for a nominated representative from the 2018 winners to join the WIOA team on their annual operational tour Contributed by Aaron Christie and Daniel Biltris from Safe Group of New Zealand in May 2018. Automation

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ROYCE BOWLS THEM OVER IN YANDINA The picture was set for another perfect WIOA - McBern’s Charity Bowls Day held on 9 March at the lovely Yandina Bowls Club. Amid the concerns of possible torrential rain, we ended up with a few perfectly timed showers, which also helped keep the squad of “elite” bowlers cooler than last year. With a field of almost 40 bowlers, the day got under way with 13 teams, bowling for the Queensland Tradies’ Cup. Not sure if it was a fluke, but Tom Allen, one of the Yandina Bowls Club gun bowlers and Champions, just happened to end up playing on Craig’s team. GOLD Sponsors for the day were McBerns, Pensar and Xylem. TEAM Sponsors for the day included GHD, NETZSCH, National Pump and Energy, Royce Water Technologies and Thermo Fisher Scientific. A big thanks to all the sponsors and the Yandina Bowls Club members who did not disappoint in cooking up a storm on the BBQ for lunch! Congratulations to the winning team from Royce Water The girls had high expectations at the start Technologies (Rod Wellings, Mansell Wellings and Keith Payton from Unity Water), after several countbacks and some sort of Overall, the Charity Bowls day was another successful event “Scissors Paper Rock” system, they made it to the Finals and with just under $2000 being raised for charity. Thank you to took out the coveted Tradies Cup for 2018. all and hope to see you all at Logan in June, for the WIOA Once again, the raffle tickets were a hot item with some highly Queensland Conference. sought after prizes on offer thanks to the sponsor donations. Contributed by Col Haynes from Unitywater

Seqwater team, winners of the encouragement award Qld bowlers in action

Not sure thongs are a legitimate measuring device The Seqwater operators

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WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT OUR ENGINEERING SUICIDE – AND GET TO INTERNSHIP WITH WIOA KNOW THE SIGNS Together we’ve been working with WIOA since February, to scope out potential new products and services for members. A major component of the project has been taken up with market research, including interviews and market surveys. How did you end up interning at WIOA? Daniel, Masters of Chemical Engineering, University of Melbourne: Personally, I’ve never worked out in industry before, so I chose this industry project, thinking it was an The warning signs of suicide are sometimes subtle but learning exciting opportunity to see what it would be like. I ended up how to identify them and raise your concerns could help choosing this opportunity with WIOA for a couple of reasons. change another person’s life – and you don’t have to be an The first being I find the business side of engineering quite expert to make a difference. Ground-breaking new research interesting. The second was that I didn’t know a lot about the water industry, and so I wanted to learn and get more involved from beyondblue has found that while few people express and along the way, develop industry contacts. their suicidal thoughts directly to others, they often show signs through changes in their behaviour. Kayley, Masters of Engineering (Chemical with Business), University of Melbourne: This project attracted my interest as A national beyondblue commissioned survey found everyday it combined the technical and the business side of industry. Australians want to help family and friends at risk of suicide but While my degree is a double major of business and chemical are unsure how to identify and respond to the warning signs. engineering, we get little to no practical experience for the business side of things. The development of content for training • 50 per cent of participants believe assisting someone at and knowledge sharing is a topic close to my heart as I spent risk requires the skills of a professional; the better part of last year developing a training program for • 40 per cent of survey respondents believe suicide happens my department in the student union. I was also keen on the without warning; project as I have previous experience with the food, and mining industry and wanted to gain working knowledge of another • 30 per cent believe most people at risk of suicide show no major sector. sign; and Personal Outcomes of the Project: • 30 per cent believe discussing suicide could encourage a Daniel: So far, I’ve learnt an incredible amount, both technical person to consider planning suicide. and non-technical about the water industry, especially with Yet, according to the research, there are simple, safe steps that the visit to a water treatment plant in Kyneton and talking with friends, family and workmates can take to identify and support industry employees. The most valuable insight I’ve gained someone at risk. There are simple things every one of us can however, would be to see the relative scope and importance of do and say that can reduce suicide. The recommended actions the industry. Prior to this opportunity, I hadn’t really considered arising from the research were: a career in water. However, after my experience with WIOA and the operators and supervisors I’ve met and talked to, being • Asking the person how they are feeling and explain changes employed in the water industry would be amazing, working for you have noticed in their behaviour; potentially one of the most important industries with people who are passionate about what they do. • Listening without judgement and without trying to advise them how to ‘fix’ their situation; Kayley: I cannot overstate how much I have learned during my time at WIOA. Daniel and I have met so many interesting • Asking direct questions about whether the person is thinking people who have such a thorough knowledge of the field it can of suicide and has a plan; be intimidating at times. It was being on a chemical treatment • Showing support and suggesting they seek help from GP or plant when I was 17 that made me realise I wanted to be a chemical engineer and seeing the Kyneton Water Treatment a mental health professional. Plant brought back those same feelings. I had not considered Asking how someone is feeling and asking directly about the water industry as an option post-graduation but after my suicide could be the first step to help someone to reconnect time here I could definitely see a future in it. with living and get them the support they need. One of the things that will Learn more about identifying and responding to warning signs really stick with me though of suicide at https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/suicide- is the WIOA attitude. They do the best they can with prevention/worried-about-suicide/what-are-the-warning-signs what they have and do not Mental health professionals are available on 1300 22 4636 or rest on their laurels, but via www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support for online chat 3pm – continue to seek out how 12am AEST or email responses within 24 hours. they could do even more. Contributed by Daniel Hidajat and Kayley Cuzzubbo PAGE 16

TASMANIAN INTEREST DAY – BRYN ESTYN WTP The Tasmanian Water Interest Day took place at the Bryn Estyn Water Treatment Plant, New Norfolk on 15 May, providing an Matthew Robertson with his opportunity for development and general interest for WIOA media sampling tool members and employees at TasWater. The clear focus of the day was on water quality and the application of preventive measures such as Critical Control Points and improved water treatment plant performance. Mark Abela, the new Tasmanian Advisory Committee Chair, welcomed the 25 attendees and commented about the great line up of speakers for the event. Paul Hochman (Senior Water Systems Engineer) spoke on Critical Control Points (CCP’s) at TasWater and showed how a CCP is a step or procedure in which controls can be applied Measuring the amount of media and is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a hazard to fluidisation in a backwash an acceptable level. In the case of a water treatment plant to prevent nasties getting through; essentially monitoring turbidity post clarification and filtration, final water chlorination and ensuring there is no overdosing of fluoride. The Health of Water - Cameron Dalgleish (Tasmanian State Water Officer), an avid brewer, reminded us that water Inspecting the sampled filter quality incidents can have lethal effects on a community and media repercussions for a water utility and its management. Flint Michigan 2014 and recently Havelock North in NZ in 2016; showing how poor water management can cause thousands of illnesses and multiple deaths. Afterwards, Mark gave the Operation Control Centre staff a tour of the plant, as they are generally couped up in a room full of SCADA screens and relished the opportunity to touch and feel the plant operations. All in all, everyone had a great day and we look forward to the next event.

WHITE RIBBON WORK- PLACE ACCREDITATION

Cameron Dalgleish presenting Unitywater has been officially recognised as a leader in helping George Wall, having just arrived in Hobart via NZ, provided an prevent and respond to violence against women. update on WIOA activities, talked about the benefits of WIOA The water and sewerage services provider has been named membership and showed us footage of our awesome Aussie a White Ribbon Workplace after undertaking an accreditation team at the recent ‘live tapping’ competition held in NZ. program over the last 18 months. The lunch sponsor was Stornoway, one of WIOA’s newest CEO George Theo said he was proud that Unitywater’s Corporate members. Camille O’Meara (GM Business Services) commitment to preventing violence against women had been ran through a number of projects and installations being strengthened through the program. undertaken at TasWater. “This recognition from White Ribbon Australia demonstrates Scott Thow (Senior Engineer Asset Planning) at TasWater our long-term commitment to achieving a safe, gender equal talked on the upcoming Bryn Estyn/Forth water treatment plant and respectful workplace and that we have a strong stance upgrades. These are multimillion dollar upgrades on two of against violence in our community,” he said. TasWater’s major water treatment plants. “We want our people to know that they have the resources and The day was topped off by a filter assessment demonstration support available to them should they need it. on a live filter by Matthew Robertson (Process Engineer Water) at TasWater. The cold sleet held off just long enough “We all have a role to play in helping end violence against for everyone to get down and dirty to see how a filter functions women.” The White Ribbon Australia Workplace Accreditation and discuss issues that can impact on filter performance. Program is nationally recognised and lasts three years.

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PROTECTING WATER QUALITY DURING PIPELINE REPAIR AND RENEWALS In February 2018, WaterRA published a report outlining a new framework for preventing contamination during pipeline repairs and renewals. Water main renewals, repairs after main breaks, and valve and hydrant repairs are important activities in management and operation of water distribution networks. However, repairs and renewals pose a contamination risk to drinking water supplies, when pipelines are depressurised, opened up and exposed to the environment. International studies have shown increased microbial risk associated with mains breaks and repairs, although there is very little data available from Australian utilities. The Australian water industry expressed an interest in gaining a better local understanding of the microbial risks of renewals and repairs, including the impacts from current management practices. The WaterRA Pipe Breaks Project aimed to identify areas for improvement in pipeline repair and renewal management practices. Methodology used in the project included; information review, identification of current management practices for pipe repair and renewal works of Australian water utilities, and development of control framework

- including evaluation and comparison of industry against the proposed framework. NEW PROJECT ANNOUNCED – Identifying control measures and sharing case studies VALUE OF OPERATOR To identify current management practices across the industry for pipe repair and renewal work, Australian water utilities were COMPETENCY surveyed and case studies developed. An online survey was used to ask water utilities questions on the frequency and WaterRA has announced the launch of a new project, the “Value contributing factors for pipe break events, as well as questions of Operator Competency”. The project has been awarded to on the extent of their pipe repair and renewal work procedures WaterQPlus and will commence in May 2018. This project and practices. was developed and funded in response to growing industry recognition of the importance of Water industry operators All utilities that responded to the survey reported they had either being at the forefront of both public health and environmental informal or documented pipe repair renewal works procedures protection. The production of safe drinking water and the in place, with 85% reporting they had procedures documented. treatment of wastewater demands a competent operator Other common practices reported by utilities responding to workforce to appropriately manage water quality safety risks the survey included; mains flushing, hygienic work practices and ensure that customer and community expectations are met. (to prevent contamination of equipment), pipeline disinfection, water quality monitoring, staff training, and sub-contractor The aim of the project is to identify the key operator management/governance systems. competencies required for the delivery of safe drinking water and the treatment of wastewater to specification (discharge or An important outcome of the investigation was the development recycling). The value to the Water Industry will be measured of various case studies to illustrate examples of good practice across a number of risk categories e.g. financial, reputation, in the areas of governance, compliance, hygiene, operator service delivery, environmental, compliance (governance involvement, risk assessment and disinfection. and regulatory), and considers the value to government and/ Pipe break framework or regulatory agencies and ultimately the benefit to customer and community wellbeing. It will examine current learning and Arising from the Pipe Breaks Project, a pipe repair and renewals development practices used by Australian water businesses control framework has been developed for use by Australian and compare this to other industries with similar public health water utilities, taking into account existing control strategies and and/or environmental obligations. International water industry utility specific risks. Due to the varying controls used, and the standards will also be considered, including the requirement for degree of implementation currently being undertaken by water building operator skills and capability for the future. utilities across Australia, the developed framework is flexible while allowing areas for improvement to be identified based on The desired outcome is to provide a clear communication of individual utility risks. the criticality of operator competency and of how and what value is achieved by having skilled and competent operators. The pipe repair and renewals control framework has been Strategies that may be useful to improve current practices developed to be in line with the Australian Drinking Water will be highlighted to further encourage the Australian Water Guidelines (ADWG 2011) Framework for the Management of Industry to integrate operator workforce competency into an Drinking Water Quality. organisation’s learning and development program.

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WIOA TALKS TECHNICAL WEBINAR Harmful Algal Blooms Water in Antarctica The first WIOA Talks technical webinar, Harmful Algal Blooms, Ever wonder what it would be like to be a water operator in was held on 6 March 2018. The event attracted participants Antarctica? That very question was answered on 27 March, in from Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia the WIOA Talks technical webinar on Water in Antarctica. and Tasmania. The aim of the webinar was to highlight the various challenges The aim of the webinar was to share practical operational of remote operations, logistics, resourcing and staffing, knowledge and experience in addressing the challenges of as well as the impact the extreme elements have on water algal bloom events, including the impacts to drinking water treatment operations in Antarctica. The webinar featured five sources, treated water quality and process operations. presentations, as well as an opportunity for a Q&A session for The webinar featured three speakers, as well as an opportunity participants via an online chat. for a Q&A session for participants via an online chat. The target Kathy Northcott (WIOA), Kathryn Mumford (University of audience was operators, process scientists, engineers and Melbourne) and Tim Spedding (Australian Antarctic Division) water quality staff. gave a combined presentation on industry, academic and AAD Peta Thiel (Research Laboratory Services), gave a presentation perspectives towards water research collaboration through the on “A Murray River Grand Tour – learnings from the 2016 Algal Antarctic Science Program. Bloom”. Peta’s talk provided an overview of the 2016 Murray Kathryn Mumford outlined the benefits of collaboration with River algal bloom, characteristics of the bloom, and treatment industry through multidisciplinary research. Tim Spedding options at drinking water plants. In particular, advanced provided further detail on the spectrum of collaborative treatment options such as ozone and biological activated research projects managed by the AAD, incorporating various carbon treatment were discussed. water treatment technologies, particularly in the area of Greg Smith and Bianca Atley (Goulburn Murray Water), gave contaminated site remediation. a presentation on “Managing raw water storages during Gavin Allen (Veolia) gave a presentation on his role in Supporting algal blooms”. Bianca and Greg’s talk covered the algal the Antarctic Science Program – a water operator’s perspective. management approach for source water catchments in Victoria, In his presentation Gavin described his experiences working as cyanobacteria monitoring programs, risk reduction options and a water treatment operator in Antarctica, to support the clean managing response to algal bloom events. up efforts of diesel fuel spills at Casey Station. Steven Newham (Goulburn Valley Water), presented on “Operational management to address algal risks for WTPs”. Steven’s talk covered information available on algal bloom management in the ADWG, source water considerations, dosing powdered activated carbon, managing conventional Gavin out in the wilds of treatment processes, sludge management, and disinfection / Antarctica during oxidation management. his summer at Casey Station

David Waterhouse (Australian Antarctic Division), rounded out the webinar with an overview of current water and wastewater processes used at each of the Australian Antarctic stations, as well as talking about some of the advanced technologies that are being implemented or are in the planning phase. Steve Newham from GVW, Craig Mathisen and Greg Smith from G-MW For those who missed the Water in Antarctica webinar, a For anyone who missed out on this webinar, presentations are highlights video is planned to be posted on the WIOA website. available for viewing (in PDF format) on the WIOA Talks web This will feature David Waterhouse’s talk about water and page. wastewater treatment in Antarctica. MORE ABOUT THE WIOA TALKS SERIES… Women in Water and general interest webinars on topics and issues that impact The WIOA Talks People & Culture webinar - Women in Water people and culture within water businesses. was held on 27 April 2018. It provided a focus on the programs For further information on the 2018 webinar program, and initiatives that have encouraged women to choose and check in on the WIOA events calendar on the website, or stay in the water industry. receive updates on events through the monthly WIOA Words In 2018 WIOA will continue to provide a series of webinars newsletter. For queries, feedback, suggestions for webinar to members. These will include; further updates on operator topics and presentations, or to volunteer to give a presentation certification and recertification, technical webinars featuring at an upcoming webinar, please feel free to contact George, key industry issues and the latest trends and technologies, Craig or Kathy. PAGE 19 MANAGING OUR WATER-SPOILING PESTS

TWO million people live in the Murray-Darling Basin, along with Below the surface hundreds of species of native plants and animals. It took widespread flooding in the early 1970s for carp (cyprinus However, the Basin is home to some invasive species, too – both carpio) to establish in the Murray-Darling. The Millennium Drought- above and below the surface. Willow and carp are among them. breaking floods in 2012 took them to feral numbers. Combined they not only alter habitats and displace native species across the Basin, they also reduce water quality and alter its flow. After years of multidisciplinary research, scientists have developed new tools to help control these two feral pests. Thirsty willows The weeping willow (Salix babylonica) and crack willow (Salix fragilis) are invasive European species estimated to occupy and clog more than 30,000 km of river streams across southeast Australia and displacing native vegetation. The loss in many areas of the great river red gum has reduced food sources, such as gum Carp – the scourge of freshwater environments flowers, and taken away habitats for native mammals, reptiles, (Image: NCCP/Tom Rayner) fish and birds. In some parts of the Murray-Darling Basin carp comprise more The deep canopy of willows also blocks sunlight from reaching the than 80 per cent of fish biomass, exceeding 350 kg per hectare. water, making the water colder, and changing the stream ecology. They are mobile, hungry, breed quickly and can survive in polluted, shallow waters. They feed by sucking through gravel and mud, dirtying the water and blocking sunlight from aquatic vegetation. This impacts plankton, aquatic invertebrates, waterbirds and native fish. This can cause blue-green algal blooms. Carp can also get into irrigation infrastructure and block pumps, causing significant financial losses.

Ecologist Dr Tom Rayner holds an adult carp collected during fish surveys in the Macquarie Marshes, NSW. (Image: Roger Scott). Ovens River, Myrtleford Victoria – Black willow. (Image: Tanya Doody/CSIRO) “Willows have also carved out a new niche for themselves within Dr Klaus Joehnk, Team Leader of modelling water ecosystems, the actual waterways—in-stream,” says CSIRO Senior Research is developing an all-in-one hydrological, demographic and Scientist Dr Tanya Doody. “All it takes is a broken two centimetre epidemiological modelling tool to guide a national release strategy twig to start growing a dense system of roots and begin an of the carp herpes virus. The strategy should be ready by the end infestation. This then disrupts what was once free-flowing water, of 2018 via the National Carp Control Plan. and erodes the waterway.” “We are trying to maximise the efficiency of the virus, which is Doody has developed a set of tools to help water managers transferred through body contact, but is also dependant on water understand where and how many hectares of willows exist and temperature and other environmental factors,” says Joehnk. how much water they use. “We’ve integrated this knowledge across our team, which Using quantifying water balance calculation tables and an includes health & biosecurity epidemiologists and RMIT University economical remote sensing technique, managers can better mathematicians, to tackle the question of when, where, and under understand the total water savings for each infested stream if which conditions carp aggregate in the connected river system.” willows are removed. Looking ahead The tables were calibrated using more than four years of field Managing the ecosystems through the removal of these pests is research and measurement of willow water use, and narrows the critical. results down to climatic zones. The riverine willow infestations drain a substantial amount of water from waterways—from 3.9 The removal of willows is labour intensive and expensive: in to 5.5 ML per year for each hectare of willow canopy in cool Victoria alone, the cost to the state is $2 million per year. The temperate and semi-arid climates respectively, she says. biggest problem is what happens to the site after the trees are gone: including the impact on bank stabilisation and the effect on “To put this into perspective, one megalitre is the volume of local biodiversity, ecological function and water quality. water used by three average households in a year. So the returns from removing one hectare of willows is enough for about 17 Just outside Canberra, willows along a nine kilometre-stretch of households each year.” river were recently sprayed, costing 100s of 1,000s of dollars.

PAGE 20 But the biodiversity remains as low as when the willows were there. CORPORATE MEMBER NEWS “Native vegetation should be reintroduced, but that doesn’t always happen,” says Doody. “The process of managing willows is long, AUSTRALIA MANUFACTURING risky and not always easy.” CAST-IN-PLACE PIPE EPOXY Joehnk also cautions that the initial release of a carp herpes virus The growing populations and economies of the Asia-Pacific needs to be followed by other measures to keep carp biomass region place more and more constraints on the maintenance and at low levels—such as introducing daughterless carp to reduce operation of urban infrastructure. breeding opportunities. In particular, it is becoming increasingly difficult to efficiently “The knowledge output of this simulation tool allows for a strategic manage the many thousands of kilometres of pipelines that are release of the virus. This minimises the hazards associated with buried beneath cities and towns. The continual expansion of urban massive carp kills, such as organising the removal and processing environments makes accessing these pipes difficult when repairs of dead carp biomass.” are necessary. Maintaining the structural integrity of pipelines— Combined, both sets of tools will help greatly with managing both the coatings and linings—is essential for safety of the asset invasive species, and returning water quality and quantity back to and the surrounding environment. the Murray-Darling Basin. Large ruptures of pipes requires the damaged sections to be dug Extracted from the CSIROS’s “ECOS e-News Murray Darling up and replaced. However, according to Peter Morgan, Managing Ecology special issue” – May 2018. The full article can be Director of Rhino Linings Australia (RLA) there are now methods obtained from https://tinyurl.com/ya6sszgp available to repair breeches that can be carried out without the expense of disrupting roads, railways and other public or private WORLD’S RIVERS FILLING WITH property. Cast-in-Place Pipe (CIPP) DRUG WASTE involves relining a damaged Rivers across the globe contain nearly two and half thousand pipe with an epoxy resin. A tonnes of over-the-counter and prescription drugs waste, mesh sleeve—like a large according to researchers. tube sock—is soaked in Researchers have found that more than 10,000 kilometres of the resin and then pulled the world’s rivers have well-above average concentrations of through a length of pipe. diclofenac – a common anti-inflammation drug. Along with The sleeve is inflated with diclofenac, the range of drugs that have been found in rivers air or steam to conform include analgesics, antibiotics, anti-platelet agents, hormones, to the contours of the pipe and allowed to cure, forming a new, psychiatric drugs and antihistamines. All were found to pose a smooth inner surface. threat to ecosystems, including wildlife. Morgan stated that the CIPP method was increasingly being used by councils and utility companies throughout the region to repair water and sewer pipes. “CIPP is ideal for both the structural and lateral water pipes in our cities,” he added. The resin and hardener system provided by Rhino Linings for use in pipe rehabilitation is designed to have a life span of a River pollution – its much more than the rubbish we throw away (The Source CC Image) minimum of 50 years. This life span is dependent According to another report by UN Environment published in on using the system in December 2017, around 70 percent of antibiotics consumed by accordance with Rhino humans find their way into natural environments. Linings Product Data Sheet and following the methods of the The volume of toxic pharmaceuticals entering waterways could relevant Standards. increase by two-thirds before 2050, scientists have warned. A The Gold Coast-based company has been manufacturing CIPP proportion of the overall amount was found in human waste, resins for several years, but many companies involved in the with a smaller fraction of 7 percent found to be filtered out by relining industry still buy the material overseas and have to treatment plants. Ecosystems absorb some 20 percent, with the contend with the many supply delays and disruptions. majority absorbed by oceans. All products RLA manufactures in Australia are regularly tested Regions in which pollution levels are most likely to rise included to ensure continued compliance with appropriate Australian Latin America, Africa and Asia, due to a lack of technological Standards and international guidelines. “A large part of the CIPP advancement in wastewater treatment. This was found to be a market is in water and wastewater so we made sure that the serious problem particularly in sewage systems of urban areas material we supply to our customers meets the highest standards,” of these countries. Morgan stated. Extract from The Source, International Water Association, For further information, please visit the Rhino Linings Australasia April 11, 2018 website: http://www.rhinolinings.com.au

PAGE 21 CORPORATE MEMBER NEWS PFAS REMOVAL FROM DRINKING IS THAT A DAF IN YOUR WATER USING ACTIVATED CARBON SHOPPING CART? Activated Carbon Technologies Australia (ACT) manufactures DAF manufacturers are getting more enthusiastic about the and supplies specialist, high quality activated carbon products for application of DAF technology in new areas of treatment or municipal and industrial water treatment plants in Australia, New processing. Applying existing DAF technology for a new Zealand and global markets. purpose can have its rewards, although it can be dangerous Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a man-made chemical that unless the principles of DAF are fully understood. had been commonly used in a range of household products and The specific design and features of a DAF system really specialty applications, including in the manufacture of non-stick do matter, as an incorrectly designed system can absorb cookware; fabric, furniture and carpet stain protection applications; considerably more power than it needs to, and it can take up food packaging; some industrial processes; and in some types of unnecessary space or, it simply may not work! fire-fighting foam. PFOS is very stable and does not readily break down in the environment. It can persist for a long time both in the There are two general areas to a DAF design, being firstly, the environment and in humans, potentially posing long term chronic actual hardware and secondly, the process. It is the process health risk. side of the equation where knowledge, experience, skill and - equally as important - having the ability to apply the technology Some drinking water treatment plants in Australia have detected to the application is most critical. low levels of PFOS within their raw water sources. In North America and Europe activated carbon has been demonstrated to The most commonly overlooked aspect of designing a DAF be a proven technology for PFOS removal, with granular activated is getting the air-to-solids ratio correct. This is basically a carbon (GAC) filtration in particular shown to absorb and retain ratio of the mass of air that is dissolved and released into the influent PFOS. One ACT customer has provided feedback that incoming stream to the mass of solids that are present. Many GAC filters using GS1300 media with an empty bed contact time text books will suggest a range of anywhere between 0.01 and (EBCT) of 10 minutes removed over 99.9% of PFOS and PFOA 0.2, but this is 20-fold difference. Given that the pumps used from storm water containing over 200 µg/L of each substance, to generate the dissolved air stream are by far the most power- reducing both PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to below hungry component in a DAF system, if you are generating 20 0.05 µg/L in the treated water. times as much dissolved air than you need to, you are paying way too much in electricity. ACT has also carried out jar testing to assess the ability of its powdered activated carbon (PAC) products to remove these At Hydroflux, we design each DAF system to suit the application contaminants. Using feed water with total PFAS (the chemical in question. Our intelligent software program considers a wider group to which PFOS and PFOA belong) levels of approximately range of factors including solids load, temperature, surface 10 µg/L, ACT conducted jar tests on a range of PAC products, loading rate, solids loading rate, fluid density and air solubility. with a contact time of 60 minutes to approximate PAC addition/ This is to ensure that the dissolved air system is ideal for your mixing/coagulation/settling times in a full scale plant. application and not simply based on a text book guideline. DAF systems are not inexpensive and are required to be extremely reliable - often having to operate 24 hours a day, Levels 365 days a year. So, making sure that your system is designed of PFOS and PFOA specifically to meet your needs is of paramount importance. removal from The capital cost for a properly designed DAF system may be water using a little more, but it may actually be a lot less, and you can be powdered assured that a DAF system from Hydroflux will present far less activated carbon. problems and certainly incur lower costs in the long term. Contact: John Koumoukelis, HYDROFLUX EPCO by Email: [email protected] or visit our At a dose rate of 50 mg/L, all 4 PACs removed more than 95% of Website: www.hydroflux.com.au influent PFOA and PFOS, and reduced levels of both contaminants to below 0.05 µg/L after simulated gravity filtration. This shows that the Australian manufactured PAC is a viable treatment option for PFOS and PFOA removal from drinking water. If you’re concerned about the ability of your treatment process to remove PFAS, contact us to discuss activated carbon treatment alternatives. We can organise laboratory scale jar or column testing as well as full scale, on site pilot plant testing to provide you with process selection and optimisation certainty for proven PFAS removal.

Email: [email protected] A Hydroflux HD100 HyDAF System Website: http://www.activatedcarbon.com.au

PAGE 22 CORPORATE MEMBER NEWS

AERATION BLOWER – SELECTION WATER QUALITY RISK AND TESTING MANAGEMENT We don’t pay for the air we breathe, however the cost of air used in industrial and process applications can be substantial. Supplying WANTS YOU! compressed air (oxygen) to the activated sludge basins typically consumes over 50% of the total energy used in wastewater treatment, As a specialty water quality risk management company, some sources claim up to 75% of operating costs are related to the WaterQPlus is called upon each year to facilitate numerous aeration blowers. Therefore, it will pay off for aeration blowers to be risk assessment workshops. optimally sized and selected very carefully. It should be noted that API 672 classifies as blowers or fans only These workshops aim to identify the water quality hazards those centrifugal machines that develop pressure rise less than 35 that exist within a water supply system – catchment through kPa(g) (approx. max. 3.5 m of water), therefore, we use the term to customer tap or discharge / reuse point – and then to blowers and compressors interchangeably in this article. assess the risk posed by each to water quality safety. A process commonly referred to as HACCP or Hazard Analysis With many technologies and brands available, it can be quite and Critical Control Point assessment. challenging to evaluate different blowers/compressors and select the best technology for your system. Therefore, it is prudent to Some of the most productive HACCP workshops facilitated remember; there are two different blower technologies: have been the ones with the greatest attendance and input 1) Positive Displacement (screw, lobe…) from the Operators. It is the knowledge and experience of 2) Dynamic (multistage, integrally geared single stage, high speed an Operator that truly adds substance to the risk outcomes turbo blowers with magnetic or air bearing…), and derived. Operators provide information that cannot be obtain from SCADA trends, reviewing historical water quality data blower manufacturers might refer to different efficiencies on their or by collecting additional water samples for analysis. It performance data sheets (adiabatic, polytropic, isentropic or isothermal) and also offer different guarantees, testing regimes and is sometimes critical information that can elevate a risk to tolerances. capture the attention of management and prompt much needed investigations and remedial action. Keep in mind that ambient conditions and process requirements change all the time, therefore blowers preferably should be sized Here’s an example: During many HACCP workshops a for; maximum ambient temperatures to be able to operate and keep control measure given for disinfection management is – the bacteria alive in extreme conditions, and maximum turndown at chlorine (hypo) dosing pump is a duty / stand-by arrangement. consistent high efficiency across the full operating range to address changing process requirements. Great! – in the event one pump fails, switch duty to the one working pump until repairs are complete. Perfect world Once the preferred technology is selected, the decision must be stuff! During a workshop the Operator in the room informs made on the test performance guarantee regime. that chlorine residual would only be maintained at the plant There are two main different internationally recognised performance being assessed during the low flow winter months. During testing standards applicable to two technologies; ISO 5389 – the warmer months the dosing pumps operated in a duty / Turbocompressors -Performance Tests Standard (which was based duty mode to maintain chlorine residual. This had been the on ASME PTC 10). Applicable to some dynamic technologies, and Operators experience over the past several years as water ISO 1217 - Displacement compressors – Acceptance tests. quality challenges had increased chlorine demand. This To our knowledge, to date there is no internationally recognised was also coupled with increased chlorine targets to meet performance test code for the direct drive turbocompressors. The a disinfection contact time (CT) for the system. Where proposed Annex G to ISO 5389 (ASME PTC 13) which aims to once the capability of the duty / stand-by chlorine dosing resolve this issue it is still under development. The ASME PTC 13 and pump arrangement may have been adequate it was now annex G will replace the ISO 5389 and the ASME PTC 10 and cover questionable. An elevated risk of supplying customers with all centrifugal compressors/blowers. Some manufacturers of direct treated water that had not received adequate disinfection drive high speed turbo blowers (magnetic bearing and air bearing) existed and warranted further investigation / remedial action. partly follow the ISO 5389 and combine test procedure with their own OEM standard, this is why inconsistencies between various The above example is Operator input that is invaluable to suppliers can be noticed. Mentioned inconsistences are the trigger achieving a proactive and preventative water quality risk of a more advanced testing regime such as ISO 5389 Annex G. management culture. The commonly used term “wire to air” (or wire power) is often So next time you’re invited to attend the HACCP workshop for misrepresented and misunderstood. Therefore, it is critical to be fully your water supply system, think twice before responding with aware of how power is measured, what is included in the total power “sorry I can’t make that day we have ‘critical’ maintenance of the package and what performance testing regime is being offered scheduled”. Come along have your say, provide your input, as part of the performance guarantee. share your experience and knowledge. Because water quality TurboCompressor Selection & Justification (TSJ PTY LTD) are risk management really does WANT YOU! consultants and Australian Agents for Next Turbo Technologies. Please call us if you require assistance in selecting the right blower For more information on water quality risk assessments and technology for your system. www.tsj-use.com.au, workshops, contact Sallyanne Bartlett: M: 0408 219 245 [email protected] E: [email protected]

PAGE 23 NEW MEMBERS COMING EVENTS 2018 Welcome to the following people and companies who have recently 26 June WIOA Talks Webinar - Operator joined our Association as a Member or Corporate Supporter. Certification, Online New Individual Members include: 5 July 3rd Biggest Ever (Laurie Gleeson) Dinner Warren Cutts, Klausch Schmidt, Peter Mylan, Tim Hardcastle, Greg for the Prostate Cancer Foundation, MCG Harmer, Carmen Whittaker, Alison Moroney, Joseph Fuller, Blake Melbourne Giddy, Raj Kurup, Dave Reid, Andrew Depree, Ivan Wady, Peter Clark, Simon Booth, Kafil Uddin, Todd Trench, David Longmuir, David 25 July Water Interest Day & Ixom Best Tasting Perry, Carly Carter, Marnie Coates, Lisa Proctor, Scott Thompson, Tap Water in Tasmania, Launceston Ross Shaylor, Stephen Westgate, Wayne Phillips, Ben Nurflus, 14 August NSW Water Interest Day, Wagga Robert Doughan, James Skaife, Trevor Reason, Fahaivalu Finau, Guy Mathieson, Michael Krol, Glenn Alford, Shane Wilson, Brett Cameron, 6 September Ixom 2018 Victorian Water Taste Test, Kristy Elrington, Robbie McDonald, Gary Turner, Darren Wise, Ian Bendigo Allsopp, Lachlan Little, Doug Tovey, Brokke Mudridge, Greg Morrow, 2018 Conference and Exhibition Schedule John Ducat, Michael George, Darren Clark, Wesley Trotter, Patience Kinnane, Tim Kiddle, John Webb, Warren McCoid, Don Cowan, 6 & 7 June 43rd WIOA Queensland Water Industry Derek Van Someren, Dean Narcisi, Colin Langman, Mark Donnelly, Operations Conference & Exhibition, Logan Kieran Adshead, Jon Hill, Rod Harland, Brenton Riley, Chris Smith, 1 & 2 August 1st WIOA South Australian Operations Juan Burbano, Nathan Rogers, Shane McRae, Ryan Porter, Jessie Conference & Expo, Murray Bridge Durning, Jennifer Harris & Michael Hodges. New Utility Corporate Members include: 5 & 6 September 81st WIOA Victorian Water Industry Operations Conference & Exhibition, Hunter H20, Whitsunday Regional Council & Lachlan Shire Council Bendigo New Corporate Members include: EJ, iQSafety, Sort It Water Treatment Services, Active Environmental Solutions, KOR Equipment Solutions, ISC Services, South Burnett Regional Council, Crusader Hose, Boral Cement, Integral Alliance, Pump Power Australia, IOTA Services, West Vic Industrial Supplies, 2018 Committee Stornoway Maintenance, Great Plains Industries, VFV & Iplex President Lindsay Walsh Mob 0427 105 421 Pipelines. Adrian Rijnbeek Chairman NSW Advisory Committee Mob 0419 698 367 Colin Haynes Mob 0419 763 054 Vice President Chairman Queensland Advisory Committee CONGRATULATIONS ROBRAN Heidi Josipovic Robran Cock Mob 0407 226 130 Mob 0429 701 237 Chairman South Australia Advisory Committee Congratulation to WIOA’s South AustralianO Advisory Committee Mark Abela Mob 0448 485 238 - - Managing Director I Chairman Tasmanian Advisory Committee Chairman, Robran Cock- for playing in the cricket team thatA George Wall won the grand final recently. Robran is second from left in Ph (03) 5821 6744 Anthony Evans Mob 0419 103 885 the front row. From all reports, if you make yourself captain, Mob 0407 846 001 Chairman Victorian Advisory Committee you’re guaranteedW a gameAu and battingstralia and bowling averages Ryan McGowan Mob 0440 055 508 are irrelevant. Simon Page Mob 0447 058 377 Mark Samblebe Mob 0400 126 141 Sally Taylor Mob 0409 307 554 Glenn Alford Mob 0423 622 146

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