2008 – 2nd Annual WIOA NSW Water Industry Engineers & Operators Conference

8 to 10 April, 2008 – Jockey Club Newcastle

Supported by: Hunter Water Corporation & Hunter Water Australia
with assistance from: Rad-Tel Systems, ITT Water and Wastewater, Acromet & NSW Water Directorate

The following papers appear in order of the Conference Program

IN THE DEEP END! BUSHFIRES, FLOODS, MUDSLIDES AND SWIMMING POOLS Mark Samblebe – Gippsland Water

+Abstract

Licola is a small town in the high country of Gippsland. In Summer 2006-07 the community was under siege by bush fires which passed right through the town, burning trees and bushes within meters of buildings and homes. The fires caused extensive damage to the towns water distribution system, melting pipes both above and below ground.  Chemical dosing options were assessed, and the town swimming pool was modified and utilised as an emergency clarifier, with some generous assistance from water industry suppliers the system was a success.

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PETROL & SEWAGE DON’T MIX: THE SOUTH KEMPSEY PETROCHEMICAL INCIDENT Peter Anderson & Barry Young – Macleay Water

+Abstract

High level contamination has always been an operator’s worst nightmare. This paper details what happens when a large volume of petrochemical finds its way into the sewerage network, the treatment basins of a sewage treatment plant and finally into the tertiary ponds.

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UPGRADE AND COMMISSIONING OF THE JOHN GILBERT WATER TREATMENT PLANT – DUBBO Peter Catelotti – Dubbo City Council

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To meet the population growth and the standards for  drinking water supply, Dubbo City Council decided that a major upgrade of the existing water softening plant was necessary. The John Gilbert Water Plant is now the largest water softening plant in NSW.

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STROMLO WATER TREATMENT PLANT LIME SATURATOR OPERATION Siva Preeyadarshanan – ActewAGL

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Stromlo WTP utilises a lime saturator designed to control the final pH (target 7.4) of treated water while meeting plant specification targets for alkalinity (>30 mg/L as CaCO3) and turbidity (<0.3 NTU).

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ELECTRICAL EARTHING – RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR THE WATER INDUSTRY John Werda – Sydney Water

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In 2005 following the electrocution of an employee, Sydney Water with the assistance of Energy Australia andIntegral Energy (the Electricity Network Operators or ENOs in Sydney Water’s area of operations) and the NSW Electrical Regulators, Department of Water and Energy (formerly DEUS) and the Office of Fair Trading began a review of the impact of the use of non-conductive pipe materials on residential electrical earthing systems.

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GUARANTEED DISINFECTION RESIDUALS AT NETWORK EXTREMITIES BY SECONDARY CHLORINATION David Ronald – Environmental & Process Technologies

+Abstract

To reflect the fact that water flows from the Rosewood Reservoir Pumping Station in Orange NSW are highly variable, a new hypochlorite dosing system was installed.

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DESIGN, CONDITION AND OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR SEWAGE PUMPING STATIONS Ken Madden – Self Employed Consultant

+Abstract

Provide a broad understanding of the design principles behind conventional gravity sewage pumping stations, the operating and maintenance requirements and aspects of condition assessment.

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MAINTAINING SEWERAGE SYSTEMS IN NORTH AMERICA Stanley Hope – Hunter Water Corporation

+Abstract

County Sanitation District No.1 (CSD-1) at Sacramento in California. The job involved a review of the maintenance and operations practices of field staff over a two week period. This lead on to a discussion with them about areas they could improve their work practices and save dollars.

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CASE STUDY – LEVEL SENSORS IN PUMPING STATIONS Scott Burgess – Vega Australia

+Abstract

The technologies used to measure the level in pumping stations have been traditionally hydrostatic pressure, ultrasonic, or simply switching (on/off) sensors. You may also add to these radar, which is fast becoming a preferred solution to many water and wastewater authorities. With the availability of these varied options which one is best?

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KARUAH EFFLUENT REUSE ENTERPRISE – IMPROVING FARMING PRACTICES FOR AGRICULTURAL REUSE Clara Laydon – Hunter Water Australia

+Abstract

Karuah Effluent Reuse Enterprise (KERE) was established in 2003 as part of the Hunter Sewerage Project. Treated effluent from the Karuah WWTW is stored in a holding dam before irrigation onto fodder crops. The fodder crops are periodically harvested and sold at commercial rates to local farmers. Originally, the operation of the KERE was outsourced to a third party contractor, however since December 2005, Hunter Water Australia has been operating the scheme in conjunction with Hunter Water Corporation.

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GOSFORD’S EXPERIENCE IN MANAGING IRON AND MANGANESE Michelle Pankhurst & Michael Redrup – Gosford City Council

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The Gosford water supply has been subject to severe restriction since 2002, as a result of a long term drought. The total storage available had dropped to 12.8% in early 2007, with the prospect of a long hot summer ahead. Under this extreme environment, long established operational procedures were necessarily modified to focus on water conservation. The urgent need for the development of alternative sources removed the focus from operation, to capital works. One of the outcomes of the changed environment was the development of widespread discoloured water issues.

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CLEANING OF DIFFUSERS AT EDGEWORTH WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT John Stevens – Hunter Water

+Abstract

The Edgeworth WWTW catchment area is 65,000 E.P. and treats an approx ADWF of 16ML/day. Edgeworth WWTW services the areas of Charlestown, Hillsborough, Cardiff, Boolaroo, Speers Point, Glendale, Edgeworth, Barnsley and Killingworth. Some of these areas, notably Cardiff and Hillsborough, contain industrial areas.

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OPTIMISATION OF THE MORPETH WWTW BNR PLANT Justin Watts & Shaun Clews – Hunter Water

+Abstract

Morpeth Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) was constructed under a Design & Construct contract in 2000. Since the plant was constructed up to 12 months ago, the Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) process has failed to meet the performance requirements incorporated into the D&C contract. Slowly the plant has been optimised to a point where it is now achieving the performance requirements within the D&C specification.

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ENHANCEMENT OF THE MULTIPLE BARRIER APPROACH: STROMLO WTP UV UPGRADE Cameron Patrick – ActewAGL

+Abstract

The introduction of Murrumbidgee River water as a raw water source to Stromlo Water Treatment Plant has resulted in increased risk of pathogenic micro-organisms to Canberra’s water supply. A project to enhance the existing treatment process barriers was recently undertaken, involving the installation of an ultraviolet disinfection system.

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MEASURING COLOUR IN TRADE WASTE Yolanda Sztarr – Hatlar Group

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Colour is emerging as a critical quality parameter of trade waste which needs to be managed by Water Authorities, but is currently not well understood. Colour can present aesthetic or technical barriers to water reuse, interfere with treatment processes, and contribute to the appearance of plumes when outfall effluent discharges mix into receiving water bodies.

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ESTABLISHING WATER QUALITY IN NEW DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS OR AFTER MAINTENANCE Pat Davis – Riverina Water

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This paper arose from attending a WIOA workshop on improving water quality within the distribution system and how as senior distribution staff we could be more effective in what the field staff do to maintain water quality without having to undertake formal education.

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A PRACTICAL VIEW ON THE DESIGN AND REGULATION OF SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS Chris Carlon – Wingecarribbee Shire Council

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The expectations of the community and regulative authorities in regards to waste disposal have increased significantly over the past ten years and will continue to do so into the future. Regulative authorities need to be realistic with their expectations and ensure that the licences they issue and regulate result in high quality environmental protection and sustainability for down stream communities. They should try to be more advisory in their role so everyone can work together to achieve desired goals.

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IMMEDIATE AND LONG TERM IMPACT OF BUSHFIRE ON STORAGE OPERATIONS John Cameron – Southern Rural Water

+Abstract

Climate change hypothesis’, if correct, points towards bushfires becoming increasingly prevalent in Eastern Australia. Consequently it is imperative that rural utilities implement sound bushfire risk management protocols across all aspects of their business operations. Similarly recovery from bush fires is optimised through advanced planning.

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