Quarterly update from our 10 program teams

Written By Jason Cotton

IWN runs 10 programs. Here’s your quarterly update of what’s happening in each one, along with contact details for our program managers.

Alumni Program

IWN presents the opportunity to develop a powerful alumni network across our industry with our 15 Victorian water corporation members, TasWater, VicWater and DELWP.

As one of our newest programs - established this year - this program is in the early stages. Our focus is on developing a mentoring program within our alumni base. We’re also looking into less formal options, where people within our alumni can access support and advice less frequently, and we’re looking into ways that we can share stories within our network.

We welcome any interest in joining our program working group. If you work for one of our member organisations and would like to find out more, please email us on enquiries@iwn.org.au

Program Manager: Clare Gibson

Asset Management and Optimisation

This program is currently focusing on:

  • 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. The trial report is available for our members

  • A lagoon leak detection trial - the draft reports are in progress after successful trials

  • Creating an Asset Maintenance Community to develop and share best-practice standards of asset management for our members

Program Manager: Callum Tate

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

Data and Analytics

This program is currently working on:

  • The Smart Sewer Project with Barwon Water and Deakin University, focusing on a Lorne trial collecting data from the sewer network to predict blockages and spills. We have a PhD student working on this

  • A State of Play survey and report to inform how we align our projects and provide opportunities to collaborate with our water corporation members. The survey aims to gather information from people across different levels who relate to data and analytics in our member organisations

We are also looking into:

  • A Pump Station Digital Twin project - we are currently assessing the potential of this

  • A review of best-practice for optimisation metrics

Program Manager: Kevin Hellier

Digital Metering Systems

This program is currently focusing on:

  • Producing 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 - these reports are currently being finalised

  • Investigating a trial of the Snapi AI Meter Reading device with TasWater. The device enables you to digitise analogue water meters to save the time, cost and complexity of a smart-meter program

  • Developing a best-practice installation guide for digital metering

  • Assessing the potential of developing a technical database on digital meters for our members

Program Manager: Jacinta O’Connor

Diversity & Inclusion Technology

This program was established in 2022 to look at how we can test and trial diversity and inclusion (D&I) technology on behalf of our industry.

At the moment, we’re focusing on three main projects:

  • Developing a Knowledge Sharing Library (available for our members) of different D&I technology focused on accessibility

  • Creating Accessibility Toolkits - a box of 5-10 accessibility items that our members will be able to have in their central office for staff to try out accessible devices, such as dictation devices, accessible keyboards and more

  • Making a proximity sensor available to our members - designed by one of our team, this is a wearable sensor that alerts a visually impaired person if they are close to a physical object, such as a wall

Program Manager: Heidi Biggin

Edge Technology

This program is looking at various leading technologies and how they can support the Victorian water industry. At the moment, that includes:

  • RealWear remote worker technology - 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. The trial report is available to members and this technology has been adopted as part of normal business at Greater Western Water

  • A tele presence robot - autonomous robots for asset inspection - currently being trialled

  • SharePoint spaces - we are looking into using this extension of SharePoint, which allows you to build out virtual training spaces and other immersive mixed-reality features

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 to help achieve 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

Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration

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 10 program areas. Recent topics have included hydrogen, digital twins, Waternamics and AI water quality monitoring. Our webinars are open to anyone at our member organisations - make sure you’re signed up to our newsletter as that’s where we share webinar details each month. 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.

Another key focus for this program is our annual Knowledge Sharing Conference. As the name suggests, this is about facilitating knowledge sharing between our member organisations and encouraging collaboration on common industry challenges and opportunities. This year the conference was held in October at three regional hubs to enable more people to get involved. It was open to anyone at our member organisations and you can watch the videos from the day via our Knowledge Hub if you missed it.

We are also investigating the use of Knowby, an app that Melbourne Water is currently trialling for instructional documents, such as standard operating procedures (SoPs) in particular.

Program Manager: Blair Smith

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

Jason Cotton
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