YWP Tour of the Orchard Hills Water Filtration Plant - Australian ...

NEWSdropNew South Wales Branch Newsletter April 2011YWP Tour of the Orchard HillsWater Filtration Plantby Matthew RenshawOn 25 March, 25 keen young water professionals travelled to The Chase, Orchard Hills, to view Sydney Water’s Orchard Hills Water Filtration Plant.The visit took about two hours and included a multimedia presentation and site tour.The plant currently treats about 50–80 million litres of water per day from the Warragamba Dam, with a capacity to treat up to 210 million litres of waterper day, if required. The drinking water produced by the plant is transferred to twolarge storage reservoirs for further distribution and reticulation to supply the Sydneyareas of Penrith, St Marys and the lower Blue Mountains.The tour attendees had the opportunity to view and learn about the plant treatmentprocesses and their operation. Some of the tour learnings are captured below:The raw water enters the plant and passes through a rotating screen that removeslarger debris such as leaves, twigs, fish, eels and freshwater shrimp. Lime is added tothe water for pH adjustment in preparation for the removal of small particles.Ferric chloride and small amounts of polyelectrolyte (long chain polymers) areadded to assist in flocculation. These cause small particles to group together(coagulate) into larger masses (floc) and aid in the filtering process.The water passes through dual media filtration consisting of a 1.5 metre layerof anthracite (crushed coal) on a thin layer of sand. Particles are trapped in theanthracite layer, and clear water flows out through the bottom of the filter tothe clear water tank.Once in the clear water tank, the water undergoes disinfection with chlorine(1.5 mg/L) to neutralise any remaining microorganisms and help stop them reformingin the water while it is transferred in the pipes to consumers.The water also undergoes pH correction through the addition of lime toprotect downstream pipe infrastructure from corrosion and fluoridation(1 mg/L) at the direction of NSW Health (Fluoridation of Public Water SuppliesAct 1957) to help prevent tooth decay.The attendees further had the opportunity to view the lime clarifier of pH ~14and were told of the valuable lesson of designers talking with operators duringthe design phase to minimise the opportunity for issues to occur followinga plant’s commissioning. A final demonstration of the site’s operational pilotplant allowed for a closer inspection of the processes of flocculation, filtrationand filter backwash in action.The tour concluded with a delicious barbeque to fill some hungry stomachsand a few drinks to toast the day, while providing a networking opportunityto share the tour highlights. A big thank you goes to all who attended and toCarolyn Haupt (Orchard Hills Water Filtration Plant Manager) for being ourtour guide for the afternoon and ensuring the success of another AWA NSWYWP event.The pilot plant in operation.2 Editorial2 Presidents BitINSIDE3 Water, Communities and Conservation4 NSW Seminar One 2011 - Water Resources in NSW Report5 Careers In Water Evening5 Calendar of Events6 Grab Sample with Angus SeberryAustralian Water Association NSW Branch:Level 6, 655 Pacific HighwayPO Box 222 St Leonards NSW 1590Direct line: 02 9436 0055www.awa.asn.au/branches/nswNewsdrop contributions to:Despina HasapisNSW Branch ManagerTel: (02) 9467 8424Email: dhasapis@awa.asn.auor Assistant Editor - Jo McNarnTel: (02) 8849 4902Email: jo.mcnarn@sydneywater.com.au

Editor’s Noteby Jo McNarnWelcome to the first Newsdrop for 2011.I hope you had a great year in 2010 witha safe and happy time at Christmas –although that already seems so long agoand it’s nearly Easter.Writing this I am looking out at a beautifulsunny day at Warriewood WWTP,although the weekend and week justgone were not so sunny. We had a lot ofJo Mc Narnrain, meaning a lot of stormwater – whichhere at the plant meant the lagoon was full, the screenings were blockedand overflowed (flooding the whole building!) a tree came down, and theplant broke iis flow record, which now stands at 1439 L/s!Kieran Matchett, the lucky Production Officer who was on call lastweekend, knew he was going to be busy. On Monday morning, everyoneincluding Suzie Hatch, the Plant Manager, had gumboots on, and it was allhands on deck to clean up and get things back to normal.In addition to the excitement of all the floods and rain, 2011 promises tobe an exciting year with a deluge of great AWA events planned. Alreadythe AWA has hosted the first of the NSW Water Seminars combined withthe Peter Cullen Award, while the YWP hosted a Careers night and a SiteTour of Orchard Hills Water Filtration Plant. You can read about theseevents in this edition.Later in the year there will be Seminars Two and Three – have a look atthe Calendar of Events and make sure you register to attend. SeminarThree will be a panel debate and promises to be stimulating. We also haveOzWater’11 happening in Adelaide in May. Look out for the news, articles,and photos in our June edition.We hope you enjoy this edition, and as always please feel free to send anyideas, photos, or articles through to us! We appreciate all contributions.President’s BitLike many of the women in ourindustry I enjoyed celebratingthe recent 100th anniversary ofInternational Women’s Day. For arecent speech I began researchingthe origins of the day. I thoughtit came out of the suffragettemovement in the UK, but wassurprised how widespread itwas around the world. It actuallyCheryl Marvellstarted small in the US in 1908on the last Sunday in February.Women held a protest march after lots of unrest about the women’s voteand political and economic rights for women.It wasn’t until 1910 at the Conference of Socialist Women in Copenhagenthat it was proposed and agreed that it would be a day of action forwomen around the world. So it officially kicked off on Feb 8th 1911. Hencethe 100th year in 2011.So how far have we come in 100 years? That’s a long time to be still askingto be equal in all we do!The water industry traditionally is a male dominated field. In my ownbusiness, Sydney Water, I have been observing the small changes in thenumbers of women employed. In the mid-90s the level stood at 23%female – in 2011, it’s 26%. Not much of a change in some 15 plus years!One great thing that has changed in the last five years is that we have hadKerry Schott as our MD. Having a woman in that role was something thatI did not think I would see in my career. I think you will all agree she hasbeen great for Sydney Water and has definitely made her mark – and weare a better business due to her leadership.I recently heard Elizabeth Broderick (the Federal Sex Discriminationcommissioner) speak. She was pretty damming of where we are after 100years – in particular she quoted figures that showed that the pay gap was,in fact, not narrowing but getting wider.Obviously there is still much to do and we can’t be complacent. Both MsBroderick and recently the Governor General Quentin Brice have called forquotas of women – starting with Board positions.So what is the split of women in the AWA Board? We have two women atpresent with a third joining soon, making the numbers three out of 10. Thehistoric change for us is that we will have the first female President of theAWA when Lucia Cade takes up her position at Ozwater’11.The split in membership numbers of women vs. men in the AWA is hardto gather, as people don’t fill out the gender box on the entry form. But Isuspect it would be similar to the numbers that we have at Sydney Water.The representation on the NSW State Branch is three women out of 12,and to my knowledge I am the third female President. At present we havea female Vice President as well. So what can we conclude from that in theAWA? We are still small in numbers, but increasingly are more engagedand willing to take leadership positions than at any time in the past. So wecertainly have good evidence in AWA circles that women are encouragedto participate and lead. There is still some way to go though.Let’s hope that in another 100 years’ time women will look back and viewtheir lives with amazement – as inequality will just be history.Happy 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day.2

http://bob-brown.wikidot.com/the-wilderness-societyWater, Communities andConservationby Andrea Gonzalez(Water, Waste and Wastewater Specialist)Around the world, there are many examples of people joining forces fora cause, where they can make a big difference and have a strong impacton the protection of water bodies. Franklin River (Australia), Salmon River(Canada) and Santurban (Colombia) are some examples of the victory oflocal citizens who banded together to ensure that proposed developmentwithin their community was not accomplished when the developmentwas not sustainable and represented a major threat to the water bodiesand sensitive ecosystems.During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Franklin River, located insouth-west Tasmania, became the largest conservation battle ever foughtin Australia. One of the world’s last great temperate wilderness areaswas doomed. In 1979, the Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC) proposed tobuild an integrated hydro-electric power plant, which would flood almostthe entire length of the river (Brown, 2004). A successful campaign wasorganised by Tasmanian community groups, the Tasmanian WildernessSociety and other conservation groups to mobilise support to protectthe river. It was one of the most effective citizens’ action movementsAustralia has ever known. In February 1983, more than 20,000 peoplemarched in Hobart, which remains the largest environmental peacefulprotest ever held in Australia (Brown, p. 29). The most incredible outcomeof the campaign was that in July 1983, the Australian Federal Governmentrecognised that the natural and cultural values of the the Franklin Riverrepresented a special component of the Tasmanian Wilderness WorldHeritage Area. As a result, the project was cancelled.Franklin River in Tasmania.Another example of howthe community can joinforces for a cause andmake a big differenceis Salmon Arm, a smallcommunity locatedhalfway betweenCalgary and Vancouver,Canada. In early 2008,local citizens joinedto protect sensitiveecosystems by applyingpressure to the local council to reject the proposal of building a shoppingcentre on a flood plain where the Salmon River flows into Shuswap Lake.The main concerns of the citizen group were that the proposal would havea negative effect on important fish, wildlife and recreational values thatthe river represented (Werring, 2011).As a result of thejoint forces of thelocal community andenvironmental groups,the developers scaledback the project andpromised not to disturbsensitive ecosystems.The project has still notreceived final approvaldue to concerns overSalmon River in Canada.gaps in knowledgeabout the river and delta hydrology (Werring). Those considerations arestill being investigated by the local government.Recently, thousands of citizens of all political groups and ethnicities fromacross Colombia voiced their opposition to one of the most controversialmining projects ever proposed in the country. A Canadian company,Greystar, planned to mine Santurban, a collection of the ColombianAndes mountains located in the east of the country. Santurban is knownas a “factory” of water because it is the origin of rivers and 85 ponds.These ponds supply a number of rivers and streams that supply waterto 2.2 million inhabitants in the region (Zarate-Laun, 2011). In addition,Santurban provides shelter to high diversity ecosystems (Zarate-Laun,2011). Colombians made their opposition to this project known to thegovernment through personal letters, peaceful massive protests aroundthe country, action alerts and social networking. As a result of the amazingcampaign from the community and environmental groups, Greystarcancelled the proposal before a government decision was made. Inaddition, this action resulted in the government recognising the need toreview their water conservation and mining policies.These examples show the passion that people around the world havefor their local waterways and the potential that average citizens haveto influence major infrastructure projects. As water professionals, itis valuable that we learn from examples like these and recognise theimportance of engaging and working with local communities to ensurethat development does not threaten local water bodies.If you would like more information on any of those case studies contactAndrea Gonzalez on andrea_gonzal@hotmail.comReferencesBrown B, 2004, Memo for a Saner World, Penguin Books, Camberwell, VIC,281 pp. 17-35Werring J, 2011, ‘Salmon Arm citizens successfully protect sensitiveecosystems from development’, http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/healthy-oceans-blog/2011/03/salmon-arm-citizens-successfully-protectsensitive-ecosystems-from-development/Zarate-Laun C, 2011, ‘Greystar’s Threat to Colombia: Gold v. Water’, http://climate-connections.org/2011/01/26/greystars-threat-to-colombia/Source: http://www.wa-ter.ca/3

NEWSdropNSW Seminar One 2011 –Water Resources in NSWby Jo McNarnThis seminar, the first of the 2011 NSW Seminar Series was combinedwith awarding the Peter Cullen Award. The night was facilitated by PaulFreeman, who ensured the evening ran smoothly, and entertained us withhis impersonation of a flight attendant indicating our nearest exits in caseof an emergency.On a more serious note, we were privileged to hear from Vicki Cullen,Peter’s widow, who told of how Peter, a man of substance, was fascinatedby the topic of the health of rivers and ecosystems. Peter was seen as aman of impeccable integrity, saying that science sometimes gets it right,sometimes gets it wrong, but is concerned with the transfer of knowledge.He founded the Wentworth Group, was a policy expert who built bridgesbetween science and policy, had a healthy sense of humour and was ascuba diving instructor.David Harris, Commissioner of Water, presented the Peter Cullen Award,conveying the Minister’s apology. The Award is supported by the NSWOffice of Water and NSW water agencies including the Sydney CatchmentAuthority, State Water, Sydney Water and Hunter Water. David describedPeter as a great writer who considered all possible sources of water.The grateful recipient of this year’s Peter Cullen award, Daniella Cortez,humbly described Peter as a visionary and passionate about freshwaterresources. Through her research, Daniella aims to develop robust,empirical data to help ensure our rules and regulations support ournatural water resources.Maree Abood, of the Office of the Hawkesbury-Nepean, then spoke aboutthe Hawkesbury-Nepean, which she described as a “great hidden poetry ofthe Australian landscape”. Maree gave an overview of the environmentaland social issues and explained that the responsibility for this dynamicand variable river system doesn’t lie within any one organisation. Thereare many river-dependent and greatly varied industries and communitiesin this area, resulting in the challenge to manage the competing valuesand uses. Maree talked about how important it was to get the communityand stakeholders (including 23 local governments) involved and workingtogether for a healthy river, since diverse interests were often competingfor the same water.The next speaker was Gary Bickford, Principal of Nestis Consulting, whotalked about the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. He talked about communityissues associated with achieving the goals of the Plan and the variedperspectives of community members. Gary noted that restoring the waterbalance could be achieved by a water buyback scheme and/or reducingirrigation. While water buyback is politically easy and effectively voluntary,Gary described the complexities and unintended consequences that sucha scheme can result in. Reducing irrigation is also difficult as the Murray-Darling is a politically sensitive area with different types of irrigation, andno ‘one size fits all’ way of improving irrigation. Gary noted, however, that85% of the Sustainable Diversion target, which aims to recover 282GL byJune 2012 has been completed to date.To conclude the evening, Paul Freeman moderated a panel session withthe evening’s speakers, where the audience had the opportunity to hearmore about the speakers’ thoughts on community engagement, waterusage and visions for the future.Ronnie Harding (Wentworth Group), David Harriss (NSW Office of Water),Amit Chanan (State Water) Vicky Cullen, Daniela Cortez (Peter CullenScholar 2011), Ian Tanner (SCA), Kevin Young (Hunter Water),Paul Freeman (Sydney Water), Celine Steinfield (Peter Cullen Scholar 2009).4

Careers in Water Eveningby Erin CiniOn Wednesday 23 March, the NSW Young Water Professionals held a freeWater Careers Evening at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), withsponsorship from Sydney Water. This event provided the opportunity formore than 70 students interested in learning about career opportunitiesin the water sector, to hear from water professionals. The event wasadvertised to all Sydney universities, and to a range of universitydepartments including Engineering, Science, Law, and Business, in orderto expose a variety of students to the potential for careers in the watersector.Students were given an overview of the Australian Water Association(AWA), the H 2Oz program, and the recently launched AWA studentsubscription, which provides full-time students with free access toAWA information notices and H 2Oz. Students then heard from a panelsession of six professionals with widely ranging backgrounds in thewater sector including: engineering, economics, science, environment,policy, construction, management, research, operations, government,consulting, utilities and recruitment. The panel then answered questionsfrom students. This continued in the networking session that followed,providing students and water professionals with the opportunity tointeract.This is the second year this event has been held. Again it was a successfulevening that provided university students with an understandingof potential career opportunities in the water sector, with the aim ofattracting fresh new talent from a range of academic backgrounds to thewater industry. The Young Water Professionals appreciate the time givenby the presenters on the night: John Eames (Sydney Water), Liz Floyd(Bayside Personnel), Rita Henderson (UNSW), Kate Miles (AECOM), JohnSaleh (John Holland), and Lisa Welsh (State Water).NSW 2011 Events CalendarDates to NoteWed 8 June NSW Seminar Series – Seminar 2‘Developing Communities andDisaster Relief’Wed 20 July NSW Seminar Series – Seminar 3‘Stormwater Harvesting, Perceptionversus Reality’Fri 5 AugustHeads of Water Gala DinnerParkside Ballroom, SydneyConvention CentreMon 24to Wed 26 OctThu 1 DecNSW Regional/Engineers &Operators ConferenceByron BayLegends of Water Seminar &Christmas Party5

Getting to know...Grab SampleName: Angus SeberryTitle: Manager Environment & Sustainability,Hunter Water Corporation.Bio: I have spent my entire career in the waterindustry working with both Sydney Waterand Hunter Water. As Manager Environment &Sustainability at Hunter Water I am responsiblefor managing a small team of people working onwater efficiency, energy efficiency, sustainabilityand environmental management support. I live in Newcastle and I’mmarried with two young daughtersMost vivid childhood memory involving water?Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef for the first time. Seeing big, colourfulfish up close blew my mind.What was your first job and how did you get it?There was a sign up out the front of the local chicken hatchery. My jobwas collecting eggs, mowing lawns and fishing out dead chooks from thecages.How did you end up involved in the water industry?As part of my last year thesis at university I investigated the benefits ofusing sewage sludge in mine rehabilitation. That led to a job with SydneyWater and I have been in the water industry ever since.Favourite part of your job?Great diversity. I get involved in construction, operational issues andstrategic planning in the normal course of a day. I get to be involved intraditional environmental management issues as well as new challengingissues.Worst part of your job?I don’t get out in the field as much as I would like.Most boring job you’ve ever had?Stuffing envelopes.Most bizarre job you’ve ever had?Sampling sludge lagoons in a boat.Pastimes / hobbies?I love water sports.What’s the riskiest thing you’ve ever done?Possibly taking an ultra-light flight over Victoria Falls.What is the water supply situation in your local area?Water storage levels in the Lower Hunter are at about 80% however ourwater storages can drop very quickly and hence we would be highlyvulnerable if our region experienced a major drought. The Tillegra Damproposal was recently rejected and hence over the next few years HunterWater will be working alongside the NSW Office of Water, governmentstakeholders and the community to develop a sustainable long term waterplan for the Lower Hunter.How do water restrictions impact on your community’s lives?The last time Hunter Water went into water restrictions was for a fewweeks in the early 1990’s and before that was in the early 1980’s and henceit is a very long time since our customers have been subject to restrictions.We have been very fortunate to avoid the drought that hit most otherparts of the country. It is therefore difficult to convince our communitythat we really need greater water security.Your ideal weekend consists of …?I love camping weekends up the coast with family and friends.What are you currently reading?Kids story-time books, usually about fairies and princesses.Favourite food?A home cooked roast is hard to beatFavourite book?The Power of One by Bryce CourtneyWhat’s your vision for the water industry in 10 years time?I think the next decade will see lots of changes. I believe that we will usewater and energy much more efficiently. Energy and resource recovery willbecome prominent issues and the Australian water industry will developrobust and sophisticated plans that improve our resilience to increasedclimate variability and extreme weather events.How much value does community participation add to our industry?Community participation in water utility planning will invariably led tobetter outcomes. Water planners have learnt (sometimes the hard way)that projects with inadequate community consultation carry high levels ofrisk. Like most things it is about finding the right balance.What are your views on indirect potable reuse?It is only a matter of time. Getting the first scheme up in Australia willbe a challenge but eventually it will be accepted as a safe, viable andsustainable way of managing our water into the future.What’s your greatest asset?PerseveranceWhat’s your greatest liability?Can often over commit myselfBest advice you’ve ever been given?Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, they make great learning opportunities.Who inspires you and why?Having watched my wife Cathy give birth last week I would definitely sayher.If there were one thing you could achieve in your lifetime, what would itbe?Finding a cure for cancer but I’m probably in the wrong vocation for that.Name 3 people you’d like to be stranded with on a desert island?The bush-tucker man for food, Billy Connelly for entertainment andAngelina Jolie to help us escape.If you had a time machine and could choose a date to go back to/forwardto, what year would you pick and why?It would have been cool to be standing on the Berlin Wall the night it camedown.6