Many water meters can be read visually with little difficulty. However, there are situations, both urban and rural, where it is very difficult to access meters, which makes meter reading time consuming and on occasions down right dangerous. For such locations, some form of remote automatic meter reading (AMR) system is both convenient and cost effective.

The paper defines AMR and outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the various communication methods that are currently available. Significant properties of radio waves are considered. A brief explanation of the popular low power wireless systems is also presented. One of the criteria of a successful AMR system is seamless integration into an existing meter reading system. Hence implementation is addressed in the final stage of the presentation.

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For the past several years, Wide Bay Water Corporation has been implementing District Metered Areas (DMAs) with Pressure Reduction Valves (PRVs). The city of Hervey Bay is now split into 25 DMAs (Figure 1) that are monitored on a daily basis with the installation of GSM/SMS logging. By viewing the data received, it is possible to determine when there is an increase in flows to any one of the metered areas. With this technology it is also possible to distinguish when it is feasible to deploy a leak detection crew to carry out a sweep of the suspect metered area.

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This paper is intended as a guide to using water treatment coagulants by answering a series of questions that many Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Operators have probably thought of but were too afraid to ask, or maybe didn’t quite know where to look for the answers!

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The proposed Recycled Water Cartridge Filtration Trial is being held to determine whether or not Cartridge Filtration would be viable to produce High quality A+ Recycled water for use with minimum risk. As part of the emergency measures to reduce the city’s consumption of potable water, recycled water is made available for commercial use from the Logan Water Pollution Control Centre (LWPCC).

The filter cartridge being used in this trial is a ten micron poly prop element which is coated in a thin film of polymer; this is to help aid in the capture of suspended solids in the recycled water as it enters the cartridge filter. The recycled water passes through the filter, solids being caught and the filtered water discharged. The filter housing is a vertical unit comprising of an inlet valve with a pressure gauge to monitor inlet pressure; the filter housing containing the filter where the recycled water passes through and solids are caught, then through to the discharged outlet pipe.  Sample valves on the inlet and on the outlet side allows samples to be taken before and after, so turbidity can be measured for quality assurance, as early results show the NTU was less than 1 for a period of 4 to 5 days and an NTU above 1 but below 2 for the rest of the 14-day trial, as the filter change over is 14 days.

As a result of this trial, the amount of filter recycled water that the Logan Water Pollution Control Centre is aiming to achieve is at 5ML a day, which means that there would be an installation of multiple units to achieve this. This is being considered as well as other filtration systems to help achieve the highest quality A+ grade recycled water. Other trials are to be undertaken as soon as possible. The results of this trial may show that it might be of benefit for a smaller treatment plant, as the costs would be less to operate, depending on the amount of units and the quality of the recycled water being filtered through the filtration system. The need to provide high Grade A+ quality recycled water is a very important factor to help reduce the consumption of potable water and to increase recycled water usage before level 3 restrictions come into force.

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Biosolids is really just a more acceptable name for sludge. There is sludge everywhere in one form or another. During this presentation, we are going to take quick look at the different forms of sludge and explain the basic requirements for sludge handling, processing and disposal. Along the way, we hope to provide some handy hints that will help your understanding of sludge management.

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The Pulgul wastewater treatment plant is located in Hervey Bay. The plant was commissioned in 1985 with a design capacity of 8000 persons and consisted of an oxidation ditch with two clarifiers and chlorine disinfection. The capacity was doubled in 1991 when a fill and decant intermittent aeration lagoon (I.D.E.A.L.) was constructed. In addition, a “Bathurst Box” batch activated sludge treatment tank was installed to accept septic and grease trap waste. Waste activated sludge was pumped to a sludge lagoon. Since that time, a number of plant upgrades have taken place which are discussed from an operator’s perspective.

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David’s story is an amazing demonstration of what can be achieved with a bit of guts, determination and commitment. It may seem to many that David’s rise through the PNG and then NZ water industries can’t happen in Australia or Queensland for that matter. We would dispute this point strongly and know of many examples right across Australia where people have already achieved similar career outcomes.

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Cyclone Larry, and in fact any natural disaster will more than likely result in reticulated power loss, resource problems both human and physical.

The basis of this presentation is to learn from deficiencies in disaster planning for water and sewerage as a result of a severe cyclonic disaster and to make other Councils and Governing Bodies aware of issues that arose with Cyclone Larry in the Johnstone Shire and steps that may be of benefit for future disaster preparation.

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The design of a new 20 ML/d augmentation to Wide Bay Water’s Burgowan water treatment plant resulted in several innovative features incorporated into the design. Along with conventional design for turbidity and colour removal, the plant incorporated treatment units for the treatment of taste and odour and iron and manganese and with lime/carbon dioxide stabilisation of the treated water.

It was a requirement that the plant utilised existing raw and treated water storage lagoons and eliminated any intra-process pumping.

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Virotec Global Solutions’ first commercial project, applying its chemical treatment technology for the treatment of sewage, operated for over 20 months at the Evans Head Sewage Treatment Plant. This Paper presents the process objectives, scientific methodology, analytical results and the commercial benefits that resulted for the Richmond Valley Council and discussions on the difficulties encountered and the advantages and disadvantages of applying such a technology.

This Paper details the economic comparison between implementing such a technology at existing sewage treatment plants which require either a major upgrade or the implementation of a future developmental plan which includes the construction of a new sewage treatment plant and necessary associated infrastructure. Either approach involves substantial capital expenditure, increased operating expense, re-training of operators to enhance their skills set, etc. The case study will include numerical data to illustrate the comparisons.

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Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (Prevention of Falls) 2003 have highlighted the need for the water industry to alter the way it carries out works at heights, which in this industry predominantly exist in sewer pump stations.

East Gippsland Water (EGW) in conjunction with a private contractor have designed, tested and manufactured a system centred around operator safety to meet the requirements of the regulations, and ease of use. The system consists of a removable grate, which is held in place by multi-functional corner brackets, all aluminium in construction. Within the corner brackets is provision for portable barricading specifically designed for this application to be installed.

The primary function of the grate is to offer fall protection when accessing the wet well, allowing the operator to visually check the well without the risk of falling. The secondary function of the grate is to be completely removable once the barricading is in place, allowing relatively unrestricted access to the pump well and all of its components.

The principle behind the barricading is very similar to an everyday scaffold, the posts are specially designed in aluminium to fit into the corner brackets. The rails are telescopic and have quick action claspers to allow their fitting to a wide range of well sizes and ease of use.

This system has been rated by a structural engineer and is a practical alternative to permanent barricading around wells or the use of fall arrest systems. The grate and brackets are totally hidden below the well lid and the barricading is completely removable, allowing for areas where aesthetics are important.

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Rockhampton City Council own and operate three sewage treatment plants that service the 60,000 residents of Rockhampton as well as a number of minor industrial customers. The three plants utilise varying treatment technologies and as such the operational performance varies significantly between plants especially in regards to the removal of nutrients. Therefore when new discharge conditions were introduced in 1998 to regulate the level of Nitrogen and Phosphorus being released to the environment it appeared some major changes would need to be made.

It is now 2006, discharge conditions are yet to be finalised and no significant plant upgrades or modifications have been carried out despite the best intentions of all parties involved. The evolution of the Fitzroy River Water Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrade strategy is an example of how operators and service providers are often at the mercy of external forces.

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Dalby is a small but vibrant country town with a population around 10,000 people. Water consumption can vary from 3 megalitres per day to 11 megalitres per day. Water supply consists of the following:

• 10 shallow bores (about 25 metres) which produce approximately 3.5 megalitres per day. The yield from these bores is depleting continuously.
• Condamine River, from which we can treat 2 megalitres in an 8 hour shift, but because we depend on rainfall to fill the weir, this is unreliable.
• Desalination plant which produces 1.7 megalitres per day from deeper, but higher yielding, saline bores (about 55 metres).

After basic treatment this water is blended, pH corrected, chlorinated and fluoridated before being sent to storage reservoirs.

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In late 2003, a decision was made by the five Indigenous councils of the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) to fluoridate their common water supply. SunWater, as the contracted operator of the NPA water treatment facility, was asked to construct and commission a suitable fluoride dosing system as an augmentation to the existing treatment plant.

A risk assessment undertaken during the preliminary design phase of the project identified a number of key issues relating to the implementation of a new treatment process in a small and isolated community. Assessment of options to manage these issues culminated in the decision to construct a dosing facility that utilised fluorosilicic acid as its source of fluoride.

This paper examines the criteria used to select the source of fluoride and its associated dosing system, the issues experienced in establishing and commissioning the system, and the management measures taken to resolve the problems encountered.

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This paper describes the operational and monitoring requirements for Rockhampton City Council (Fitzroy River Water) as Resource Operations Licence holder for the Fitzroy Barrage Water Supply Scheme and their subsequent implementation during the 2004/2005 water year.

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A critical aspect of the operation of any wastewater treatment plant is the effective dewatering of biosolids. The V-fold belt is a new technology that is suitable for small dewatering applications. There are approximately 40 V-fold belts throughout New Zealand and the USA. Two V-fold belt units are currently being commissioned for wastewater treatment plants in Australia.

This paper will present an overview of V-fold belt dewatering technology and provide information on its advantages and disadvantages compared to conventional sludge dewatering systems from an operations perspective. Operations staff will need to be aware of this new technology, as it is likely to gain widespread use in wastewater treatment in Australia, particularly for smaller applications. The paper will also present details on a full-scale trial of V-fold dewatering technology conducted in North Queensland in late 2005.

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The Central Queensland University (CQU) and industry partner GBG Project Management Pty Ltd have been developing Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) technology to remotely operate and monitor large scale on-site wastewater treatment and reuse systems. The current trend towards decentralised systems is increasingly of interest in this area. Issues identified with these types of systems in the past have included the use of inappropriate technologies, hydraulic surges, difficulties in monitoring operation and identification of maintenance issues.

The SCADA technology is used in association with KEWT systems, an innovative series of recirculating filter and evapotranspiration beds. It has allowed for the minimisation of hydraulic short-circuits and the calculation of evapotranspiration volumes. The SCADA system has also been designed to identify maintenance issues, especially in regards to pump performance and pump line blockages or ruptures.

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The draft National Guidelines for Water Recycling (NRMMC & EPHC 2005) were released for public consultation in October 2005. The Queensland Water Recycling Guidelines (EPA 2005) were launched in December 2005. Both documents were developed over much the same time period and have a similar scope and purpose. This has given rise to some confusion as to what the status of each document is within Queensland. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the status of each document.

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