Quarterly program updates from our team
IWN runs eight programs. Here’s your quarterly update of what’s happening in each one, along with contact details for our program managers.
Photo from a recent Knowledge Sharing Conference.
Asset Management and Optimisation
This program’s recent highlights include:
A Modla trial with Goulburn Valley Water (GVW). This project has been completed. It involved developing a sewage pump station model, which is able to inform advanced asset analytics. The model provides a base that can be customised to suit other water corporations’ needs cost-effectively
A PumpCheckR 2 trial involving Barwon Water, Goulburn Valley Water, Wannon Water and Western Water to assess whether pumps are operating as expected. More details will be available to our member organisations soon
A pump optimisation project with Goulburn Valley Water and RMIT looking at how to optimise performance with minimal data. More details will be available soon
We are collaborating with Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) on a project to classify digital assets in the water industry
Program Manager: Michael Welk
Biosolids and Resource Recovery
One of the main trials this program is working on involves turning biosolids into biochar, as an alternative use for biosolids (which are currently used in farming). IWN is working with RMIT, South East Water and Western Water on this project. Lab, semi-pilot and a full pilot trial have all been completed and we are now working on the next stages of the project. We also recently won the People’s Choice award at the Sydney Water/Northumbrian Water Innovation Festival for this project - you can see our winning video here.
Other projects in this program include:
A biosolids inventory across Victoria
Research into the biosolids market
An alum sludge PhD project with Barwon Water
A biosolids application season update - sharing learnings and experiences among biosolids practitioners in Victoria
Assessing whether IWN will join Transforming Biosolids (pending a business case)
Program Manager: Aravind Surapaneni
Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing
One of the main projects in this program is our popular monthly webinar series, focusing on emerging subjects of interest for the industry within our eight program areas. Recent topics have included hydrogen, digital twins, waste management, AI water quality monitoring and biosolids to biochar.
Our webinars are open to anyone at our member organisations. Please email us if you’d like to join online. Please also let our Program Manager know (below) if you have an idea for a webinar topic - perhaps there is something leading edge that interests you, which we can bring to life with an expert in the field.
This program is also working on a project called Aquifer, which is a cloud-based platform that offers water corporations to access and share trial information. It was developed in collaboration between Melbourne Water and City West Water. After their successful implementation, we are now leading a statewide deployment of the platform as a value-add for our members and a further channel to share our trials.
Program Manager: Blair Smith
Data and Analytics
This program has focused on three trials recently:
Data cleansing software trialling SensorClean from Australian-based FSA Data. We trialled this with member corporations in two ways:
Cleansing data to assess the value in water supply peak flow and non-revenue water analyses
Cleansing data to assess the value in sewerage pump station energy management
The trial reports are available to our member organisations and we have also organised a 5% discount for our members. Please email us for more information.
The Smart Sewer Project with Barwon Water and Deakin University is underway, focusing on a Lorne trial collecting data from the sewer network to predict blockages and spills. We have a PhD student working on this
An automated sewer CCTV footage review trial with Blackbook.ai and AWS, involving 10 of our member water corporations. The report is available to members via our Knowledge Hub
Program Manager: Kevin Hellier
Digital Metering Systems
This program is focusing on two main projects at the moment:
A State of Play report: In 2021, we released this report to provide a snapshot of digital metering in Victoria as a base to inform decisions and future actions. This report is available to our members (email us on enquiries@iwn.org.au to access it). In 2022, we are working on an updated version in partnership with WSAA to provide a snapshot of digital metering not just in Victoria but across Australia as well
Developing a state wide digital metering business case and economic model to support Victorian water corps of all sizes to roll out the technology. Both of these tools are available for our member organisations to use
Program Manager: Jacinta O’Connor
Edge Technology
This program is looking at various leading technologies and how they can support the Victorian water industry:
Augmented reality (AR) headsets - mainly for field work such as sampling, commissioning and auditing. Many of our member water corporations have trialled this technology and found it very useful, especially with site visits restricted during COVID
Using virtual reality (VR) for training - this idea came out of our Hydrovation Challenge and is currently in the planning stage
Trialling drone technology to apply chemicals to wastewater treatment plants to increase accuracy and reduce safety issues. A trial using an agricultural drone to apply chlorine to a treatment plant will begin soon
Potential use cases for autonomous robots for asset inspection
Program Manager: Brock Tunnicliffe
Energy and Carbon
This program is supporting the Victorian water industry’s transition to net zero emissions, with about half the state’s water corporations committing to a net zero target by 2030 and the others by 2035.
One of our current projects is an electricity price forecast project on behalf of the Victorian water industry. We have engaged a consultant to develop this to support the industry in achieving efficient energy use and lower costs.
We are also working on an ammonia based aeration trial at Black Rock wastewater treatment plant. This aims to optimise aeration and reduce energy consumption.
In addition, our Energy and Carbon team is collaborating on:
The State of Knowledge on fugitive emissions from wastewater treatment research project with WaterRA
Carbon offsets - there’s a lot going on in this area. We have a high-level report on carbon sequestration options, including teal carbon sequestration, available to members via our Knowledge Hub or via email on enquiries@iwn.org.au
Hydrogen - we are across a DELWP project that is developing an understanding of what areas will be good for hydrogen production, including the need for recycled water access
Program Manager: Steve Reddington
Pipeline Intelligence
This program is working on several trials:
A smart sewer solutions trial at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus
A pipe penetration robot trial, in which a robot penetrates concrete pipe looking for soft material caused by H2S damage, then compares these results against new concrete pipe to determine the pipeline's remaining life
A solution for water quality monitoring, working with Verge Solutions
FIDO leak detection - 50 sensors in Melbourne’s CBD with Detection Services, monitoring and collecting data
NO-DES trial, a closed circuit flushing system on water mains to minimise water wastage with added benefits such as disinfection
Program Manager: Kristina Machena