Wide Bay Water, the business unit of Queensland’s Hervey Bay City Council, is recognised both nationally and internationally for its expertise in water management. By providing innovative solutions to age old water problems, in 1998 it won the National Award for Innovation in Local Government. Placing a high priority on its investment in skills development, Wide Bay Water is set to further enhance its reputation.
“We are assured that water will become scarce and precious in the future,” said Tim Waldron, Chief Executive Officer of Wide Bay Water. “An innovative approach to a traditional industry has proved very successful in Hervey Bay. We have deliberately focussed on the whole water cycle, concentrating on Water Demand Management, Water Recycling and Environmental Protection.” Wide Bay Water’s international reputation in water management is not only based on conserving this vital resource but also on its expertise in extending the life cycle of infrastructure, using excess water to enhance returns for other industry and its skills in environmental monitoring.
Ratepayers the winners as Hervey Bay hits leaks
Generally between 15 and 40 percent of a water supply can be lost through leakage or poor measuring systems. Innovative Water Demand Management can drastically reduce this. Wide Bay Water’s Total System Control includes the use of District Metering.
Based on sample areas of 1,000 households, and analysing the water uses at night during periods of low consumption, any areas recording high usage usually indicate leakage is occurring. Introducing pressure control, followed by step test operation and leak correlation, has resulted in $7 million of proposed capital works being deferred, saving Hervey Bay ratepayers significant money.
Working with other water bodies, Wide Bay Water’s sophisticated monitoring and leak detection systems have seen other areas, which had also been contemplating the expense of a new water system, discovering their problems could largely be solved through pinpointing and addressing leakage.
“By ascertaining exactly what our current flows and losses are, we can reduce water pressure in the system to a point where leakage is minimised,” said Denis Heron, Project Coordinator with Wide Bay Water. “This saved us having to expend funds on new and costly infrastructure.”
The Hervey Bay program aims to reduce water losses of between two and three million litres per day. Using state of the art equipment and software programs, staff at Wide Bay Water have dramatically reduced the costs of running its water supply system.
Strategic methods to determine the financial and water volume savings have been developed. “As a business, we need to know how much we are producing and how much we are selling, and accounting for the difference,” Denis Heron said. “The result will be extended life for our infrastructure and lower costs for ratepayers.”
Water recycling a winner
In the early 1990s, population growth in Hervey Bay had created a need for an ocean outfall. Rather than take this path, alternatives were sought. Providing treated wastewater as irrigation for farms was one option considered. However, when this idea was first mooted in 1991, irrigation was not used in the area.
One farmer was prepared to put this to the test. Just four years later, this previously low producing holding won the district productivity award for the most sugar cane per hectare.
Today recycled irrigation water is being used on crops, sugar cane, pasture and tea tree plantations. A golf course, various sporting fields and a turf farm also use recycled water. Wide Bay Water’s success in providing recycled water for irrigation has led to an increased demand for this precious resource.
As a result, urban stormwater is now being harvested in flood retardation basins. It is then put through the sewer system at night, when the flow level is lowest. This has not only increased the available supply of irrigation water, but has dramatically reduced problems that occur with stormwater run off carrying nutrients and harmful chemicals into Hervey Bay.
“Moreover, the increased water flow in the sewer system is a natural solution to address problems of odour, and corrosion of the infrastructure, that occur during reduced flows at night,” said Michael Lever, Water and Wastewater Treatment Manager. “Except in periods of intense storms, this system can recycle 100 percent of wastewater.”
Consistent with Wide Bay Water’s whole of water cycle approach, the raising of the water table and potential for salinity is continually monitored. Using environmental management plans, land is assessed for suitability for irrigation, and farmers applying to use the irrigation water must also prepare a farm management plan.
As part of its extensive environmental auditing, 22 bores are regularly monitored, as well as various drainage points, for the purposes of carrying out surface water testing.
Sharing our expertise and scientific services
With an annual turnover of $30 million and staff of 72, Wide Bay Water actively markets its intellectual knowledge and expertise. A number of key personnel have extensive water industry experience from overseas, as well as within Australia.
“All Wide Bay Water’s senior staff and managers have, individually, over 20 years experience, specialising in water and wastewater matters,” Tim Waldron said. “I believe we have a terrific team, and the results are showing with many innovative solutions. We are now actively looking to form long term partnerships to help other local authorities and water companies.”
In conjunction with the University of Southern Queensland, Wide Bay Water has started training water supply engineers from Australia and overseas. It has already assisted many other countries including England, New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Tonga.
Through the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission, water management personnel from 14 South Pacific countries are currently receiving training. “We are keen to share our expertise, innovation, analysis processes and user friendly software packages with others in the water industry,” said Tim Waldron.
“The bottom line is simply this &endash; all these applications are efficiency measures that give you healthy balance sheets, both in terms of money and in water savings.”
If you require further information please telephone (07) 4120 1500 or email wbw@herveybay.qld.gov.au
