Inside Water November 2025 by Prime Group

We’re Creating the Future of Water for people, communities and the environment

Shaping a resilient future

THERE’S A REAL sense of energy in the water sector right now. New leaders are stepping forward, new technologies are ﬁnding their place in daily operations, and fresh ideas are being tested to meet challenges that once felt overwhelming. At Inside Water, we’ve seen again and again that this industry thrives on collaboration and innovation, and this issue brings that to life.

In Melbourne, three new managing directors have taken the helm at Yarra Valley Water, Greater Western Water and South East Water. Each comes with a di erent background, but all share a focus on customer trust, community resilience and long-term planning.

Whether it’s creating new habitats alongside treatment plants, rolling out digital tools to help households manage water use, or ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with rapid growth, their leadership signals a future built on both conﬁdence and adaptability.

That theme of adaptability is echoed in our review of 2025 with the Australian Water Association.

CEO Corinne Cheeseman reﬂects on a year that tested the sector, marked by climate extremes on both coasts, a ordability pressures, and workforce gaps. Yet she highlights the optimism that comes from collective action, from forums that drove honest debate about investment, to First Nations-led events that reshaped conversations about cultural safety.

As 2026 approaches, the message is clear: resilience comes not from one-o projects, but from deliberate planning, shared skills and purpose.

Technology also plays a starring role in this issue. In Western Australia, SUEZ and Water Corporation are showing how digital twins and artiﬁcial intelligence can transform control rooms from reactive spaces

into predictive hubs. The result is fewer manual interventions, smarter energy use and more time for sta to solve complex challenges. These advances also help ensure that scarce resources are managed more e ciently, turning innovation into a practical beneﬁt for communities. Meanwhile, Alex Beveridge of Itron makes the case for smart water networks as the foundation of future resilience. By turning everyday data into insights, utilities can detect leaks earlier, forecast demand more accurately and stretch the value of every drop.

And when it comes to PFAS remediation, innovation is also opening up cleaner pathways. Adelaide-based start-up Bygen has developed biomass activated carbon that reduces the environmental footprint of coal-based alternatives. As Cameron Gri ths explains, utilities no longer have to compromise between sustainability and performance, demonstrating that environmental responsibility and operational excellence can be mutually beneﬁcial.

Across all these stories runs a hopeful thread: that Australia’s water sector is not standing still. It is experimenting, investing, collaborating and ﬁnding ways to balance resilience with a ordability, sustainability with performance.

Chris Edwards, Inside Water Editor

Chairman John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au

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New leaders, shared challenges

Three new voices, one water story: Melbourne’s utilities step forward with clear visions for customers, culture and community trust.

MELBOURNE’S WATER SECTOR

stands at a turning point. A growing population, the pressing reality of climate change, and heightened community expectations are reshaping how services are delivered across the city’s east, west and south. The challenges are complex, but so are the opportunities: advances in technology, stronger collaboration between utilities, and a renewed focus on culture and community trust.

Leadership matters most in moments like these. The three metropolitan water corporations, Yarra Valley Water, Greater Western Water and South East Water, together serve more than four million people. Their inﬂuence reaches beyond service delivery, shaping the resilience of entire communities and contributing to Victoria’s wider economic and environmental outlook.

Against this backdrop, the sector has welcomed three new managing directors. Natalie Foeng leads Yarra Valley Water, Craig Dixon is Acting Managing Director of Greater Western Water, and Carla Purcell is Managing Director of South East Water.

Each brings a di erent background and perspective, yet all share a commitment to strengthening customer trust, preparing their organisations for the decades ahead, and working with peers through The Managing Director’s Accord (MD Accord), VicWater and the Intelligent Water Networks. Their voices o er a rare chance to see where Melbourne water utilities are heading, and how the leaders

guiding them intend to navigate the challenges of today while preparing for the needs of tomorrow.

Putting people ﬁrst

Customers have always been at the heart of Melbourne water utilities, but expectations are shifting rapidly. Rising costs of living, more diverse communities, and growing demand for transparency are prompting utilities to reassess how they engage and deliver value beyond the tap.

At Yarra Valley Water, this focus has long been part of its identity.

“I think our success will always come from how well we listen to our customers,” Foeng said. “That means being proactive, not reactive, and making sure every interaction, whether it’s a bill, a phone call or a new service, shows that we care and understand their lives.”

Her view reﬂects Yarra Valley Water’s established reputation for putting customer experience at the centre of decisionmaking. “Customers expect more than reliable water,” Foeng said. “They want us to operate in a way that is social and environmentally responsible.”

Greater Western Water has felt these pressures recently. Billing system upgrades tested community conﬁdence, reminding the organisation of the fragility of trust. Dixon put it this way: “Honesty builds trust.”

His focus is on rebuilding customer conﬁdence by demonstrating to customers that the utility is listening and acting.

Digital engagement has become another frontier for customer

Natalie Foeng has been a valued member of the Yarra Valley Water community for some time.

Image: Yarra Valley Water

experience, particularly at South East Water. Digital meters, sensors and online tools are helping households understand and manage their own water use.

“Our role is to empower people with information, not just provide a service,” Purcell said.

Foeng emphasised that customer expectations are not static.

“What customers value today may not be what they expect in ﬁve years and beyond,” she said.

“Our challenge is to stay close enough to understand those shifts and be adaptable. To do this, we need to ensure our workforce is a reﬂection of the diverse community we serve, and that it has the skills and capabilities to match the future landscape.”

Facing tomorrow’s tests

Behind every customer interaction lies a set of systemic pressures. For Melbourne water utilities, the next decade promises more complexity than the last. Growth corridors are stretching infrastructure, climate variability is tightening supply, and cyber and ﬁnancial risks demand constant vigilance.

These issues converge most sharply in Melbourne’s west and Greater Western Water. Dixon describes the

scale of change as unprecedented.

“The population growth in our service area is outpacing infrastructure in some places, and that means we need to think di erently about how we plan, invest and deliver,” he said. “Growth can’t come at the cost of reliability.”

His comments capture the pressure to balance housing expansion with the need for reliable services, especially in outer suburban developments. This challenge requires more than laying new pipes.

“We have to design networks that can keep pace with rapid development while still being e cient,” Dixon said. “That includes building ﬂexibility into the system so water can be moved where it’s needed most, and making sure new suburbs don’t outstrip the infrastructure that supports them.”

Such ﬂexibility is essential in a region where demand can shift quickly and where the e ects of climate variability add another layer of uncertainty. Foeng also recognises the weight of long-term pressures.

“The biggest challenge is balancing the short-term expectations of customers with the long-term realities of climate and population change,” she said.

Her words reﬂect a broader sector view: choices made now will determine Melbourne’s resilience for decades to come. South East Water is facing its own vulnerabilities in an increasingly digital environment.

“Whether it’s climate events, cyber threats or supply chain shocks, our challenge is to prepare for disruption and still deliver conﬁdence to the community,” Purcell said.

Smarter ways forward

Innovation has become more than a catchphrase in Melbourne water utilities; it is now a necessity.

As assets age and customer expectations rise, new ideas and technologies are being tested to extend the value of investments and unlock new forms of value.

South East Water has been at the forefront of this work through its commercial subsidiary Iota, which continues to reﬁne and commercialise technologies across Australia and internationally.

“Innovation has to be practical and customer-centred,” Purcell said. “If it doesn’t help people, it’s not the right solution.”

Digital technologies, such as leak detection devices and smart billing platforms, are not only improving service delivery but also giving customers greater control.

“We want to provide households and businesses with the information they need to use water wisely and to feel conﬁdent that their utility is anticipating problems before they become visible,” she said.

That focus on practical outcomes is shaping South East Water’s broader approach. “Innovation isn’t just about gadgets,” Purcell said.

“It’s about building systems that are resilient, ﬂexible and ready for the future. Whether that’s digital sensors in the ﬁeld, new treatment methods or community-facing apps, it must make life better for the people we serve.”

Innovation is also about reimagining the way land and infrastructure are used at Yarra Valley Water.

“At our Upper Yarra Sewage

The greater Melbourne metropolitan area is home to three water retailers. Image: Michael Evans/stock.adobe. com

Treatment Plant site, we’re transforming an otherwise unused piece of bu er land into a new habitat for the critically endangered Helmeted Honeyeater and Lowland Leadbeater’s Possum,” Foeng said.

The 35-hectare habitat will feature a mixture of woodland and wetland environments, utilising recycled water from the treatment plant.

“We’re partnering with various organisations to maximise the beneﬁts of this project. It highlights how collaboration and innovation can have profound environmental beneﬁts.”

Foeng said that innovation must also be embedded in an organisation’s culture.

“It’s about creating an environment where sta feel empowered to question how things are done,” she said.

For Dixon, the most immediate value lies in operational e ciency.

“We recently brought our ﬁeld maintenance services inhouse. This is a market-leading approach, which is creating 91 new roles, and provided our teams with more control over training, career development and our service delivery,” he said.

“We know technology will keep changing,” Purcell said. “The challenge is making sure we apply it in ways that genuinely improve people’s lives.”

Preparing for extremes

Climate change is no longer a distant scenario for Melbourne water utilities. The city has already experienced its driest autumn on record, with declining inﬂows into major reservoirs. Resilience is not

COVER STORY New Managing Directors

an abstract concept but a pressing operational reality for the three metropolitan water authorities.

Foeng stressed that the challenge cannot be solved by supply alone, and the water sector is taking lessons from the previous Millennium drought.

“Rainfall alone will not sustain Melbourne in the decades ahead,” she said. “That means we need to continue to secure and diversify our water sources through longterm planning, drive greater water e ciency, expand the use of recycled water, and work with communities so conservation becomes second nature.”

Resilience at Yarra Valley Water is as much about behaviour as it is about infrastructure.

“We’ve learned that conservation has to be embedded into daily life. It’s not about asking customers to make sacriﬁces in a crisis but about building habits that protect resources over time.”

Purcell highlighted how climate pressures can manifest suddenly and have a dramatic impact.

“Climate change a ects every aspect of what we do,” she said.

“Extreme weather or natural hazard events have shown us how quickly critical infrastructure

can be disrupted. Our role is to integrate resilience into everyday operations so that when shocks occur, our systems can adapt and recover without customers losing conﬁdence.”

Dixon reinforced the importance of long-term planning.

“Resilience means ensuring that when the next dry spell comes, and it will, our customers continue to have safe, dependable water,” he said. “We know that storage levels can shift from healthy to under pressure in just a year when rainfall is below average and demand is high. We can’t wait until we’re in a drought to start building resilience.

In our region, we’re also planning for a community that’s doubling

Carla Purcell is the new Managing Director of South East Water Image: South East Water

in size. We need infrastructure that can handle both challenges at once, serving more people while conserving our water supplies.”

Culture at the core

Behind every strategy and asset lies the workforce that must deliver it. Building capability and culture is just as important as investment in pipes, plants and technology.

The sector faces an ageing workforce, growing demand for digital skills, and the need to ensure that its people reﬂect the diversity of the communities they serve.

Dixon acknowledged that Greater Western Water has faced challenging periods before.

“We’ve been through testing times, and that can a ect conﬁdence,” he said. “What matters now is building pride in what we do and supporting our teams to feel ownership of the future. Culture isn’t built overnight. It’s built by being consistent, transparent and celebrating successes together.”

His view highlights the link between internal resilience and external trust: when sta feel conﬁdent and supported, customers are more likely to see their utility as dependable.

Foeng sees culture as the cornerstone of resilience at Yarra Valley Water.

The bu erland surrounding the Upper Yarra Sewerage Plant that will be transformed into a new habitat for critically endangered species. Image: Yarra Valley Water

“We want to create a workplace where sta feel safe to challenge, innovate and collaborate,” she said.

Foeng believes the way people interact inside the organisation directly shapes the quality of service customers receive. A positive culture also makes it easier to retain talent in a sector where technical skills are in high demand.

Purcell connected culture to capability development.

“We need to attract people who are curious, adaptable and willing to learn,” she said. “That means investing in training, giving sta the chance to work on new projects, and making sure leadership pathways are clear.”

By positioning professional growth alongside organisational goals, South East Water is ensuring that its people remain engaged and future-ready.

Strength in unity

No single utility can solve Melbourne’s water challenges alone. The three metropolitan corporations work closely with each other, but collaboration increasingly extends beyond city boundaries into regional Victoria. Working together allows ideas to be tested at scale, risks to be shared, and innovation to be spread more quickly.

Purcell emphasised that South East Water sees collaboration as part of its core responsibility, not just an optional activity.

“The Victorian water sector is stronger when we treat innovation as a collective asset,” she said. “We’re proud to contribute tools and knowledge that can beneﬁt others. Working together isn’t just good governance; it’s essential for e ective leadership. It’s how we build resilience for the whole state.”

Her comments reﬂect the reach of Iota, which has commercialised

South East Water technologies now used by other utilities across Australia and overseas. Foeng echoed the importance of shared initiatives.

“When we act as one sector, we can achieve outcomes that no single organisation could manage alone,” she said. “That means building on projects like the carbon o sets partnership or joint workforce training, and making sure our people feel connected across corporate boundaries. Customers don’t care which logo is on the pipe; they care that the system works for them.”

Her remarks underline how collaboration extends beyond technical gains to a ect customer trust.

Dixon noted that growth and climate pressures often blur the boundaries of service areas.

“The challenges we face don’t stop at our service area,” he said.

“Our Training Academy provides employees across the water sector hands-on training that closely mirror their day-to-day jobs. This program is building the skills pipeline the entire water industry needs.”

Respecting Country

Partnership with Traditional Owners is increasingly recognised as central to the future of Victoria’s water sector. The state is moving toward Treaty and self-determination, creating both an obligation and an opportunity for utilities to listen, learn and act di erently.

Greater Western Water feels these responsibilities keenly across a

The customer dashboard is just part of the digital transformation that South East Water is leading. Image: South East Water

service area that includes some of Victoria’s most signiﬁcant First Nations communities and cultural landscapes.

“Our communities in the west are home to deep and diverse First Nations histories,” Dixon said.

“We want to make sure those histories are recognised in how we manage water today. That means building genuine relationships with Traditional Owners and supporting self-determination. The Cultural Heritage Onground program at our Training Academy was created in collaboration with cultural knowledge leaders and operational specialists. The program supports our operational teams to make sure cultural heritage is fully considered in all we do.”

His view reﬂects a shift from consultation toward shared decision-making, where First Nations voices help shape the longterm planning of assets and services.

Craig Dixon is the Acting Managing Director of Greater Western Water Image: Greater Western Water

COVER STORY New Managing Directors

Foeng stressed that respect must be embedded, not added after the fact.

“We know we have a responsibility to work alongside Traditional Owners in caring for Country,” she said. “That means creating space for voices that haven’t always been heard and ensuring that cultural values are considered alongside technical ones.”

At Yarra Valley Water, this principle extends to everyday decisions, from land management to the design of community projects.

Purcell added that practical collaboration is key.

“We are learning from Traditional Owners about how to care for Country,” she said.

“That might be through projects that reﬂect cultural ﬂows, or by working together on land management.”

Shaping what comes next

These leadership transitions mark a new chapter. Each managing director inherits organisations with proud histories, but also

ones deﬁned by years ahead that are uncertain and in ﬂux. The task now is to steer these utilities through rapid growth, climate pressure and rising expectations, while ensuring that customers continue to feel supported and connected.

Dixon said the test is not about rhetoric, but about outcomes.

“Growth in Melbourne’s west is happening faster than anywhere else in the state, and we have to keep pace. Every decision we make now has to account for what the community will need for the next 50 years.”

The Greater Western Water Training Academy is supporting young people in the water industry.

Image: Greater Western Water

Purcell pointed to innovation as both a challenge and an opportunity.

“Technology is changing so quickly that utilities can’t a ord to stand still,” she said. “Customers don’t just want new tools; they want to see that those tools make life easier.”

She also emphasised leadership responsibility.

“Our role is to make sure innovation doesn’t just exist in pilot projects but becomes part of everyday service.”

Foeng framed the long view for the sector.

“Our job is to leave the sector stronger than we found it,” she said. “That means building organisations that are adaptable, trusted and capable of serving generations to come.

“The community expects us to be reliable stewards of water, but they also expect us to innovate, prepare for climate change, and genuinely partner with Traditional Owners.

Sta across the Victorian water industry are learning from Greater Western Water’s teachers.

Image: Greater Western Water

“If in ﬁve or 10 years people can look back and say their water services were dependable, their voices were heard, and their future was made more secure because of the work we did, then we will have fulﬁlled our responsibility.”

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Shaping the future of water

Australia’s water sector is balancing climate extremes, investment needs and skills pressures while preparing for long-term resilience.

AUSTRALIA’S WATER SECTOR is used to managing volatility, but 2025 brought sharper contrasts than many expected. On one hand, record rainfall tested infrastructure across the east coast of Australia. On the other hand, dry conditions re-emerged on the west coast.

Combined with ageing assets, population growth, and a ordability pressures, these extremes reminded decision-makers that creating a sustainable water future will not be decided by a single event or project, but by how well planning, investment, and skills are sequenced over the next decade.

AWA members entered 2025 seeking more than just dialogue. The year’s events and forums became a testing ground for hard questions about capital expenditure, skills shortages and cultural change.

As Corinne Cheeseman, Chief Executive O cer of the Australian Water Association (AWA), explained, the sector’s ability to respond to climate extremes will depend on practical collaboration.

Future of water investment

Capital investment has dominated this year’s agenda. As governments advanced housing and productivity programs, utilities were under pressure to demonstrate their infrastructure plans could meet community expectations on both price and resilience.

“I would say, the challenge is around whether we have the investment required to build the infrastructure that is needed for the future,” Cheeseman said.

“That balance between a ordability,

government funding constraints, and community needs has really come to the surface this year. We need water for housing, the economy, the environment, and the well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We need a mix of grey and green solutions – the traditional and the nature-based. And in our cities, that means investing in blue-green approaches that integrate water and nature for livability and resilience.”

At Ozwater’25 in Adelaide, infrastructure conversations quickly moved beyond project pipelines to the sequencing of entire portfolios.

Utilities compared notes on how to plan when one region is inundated while another faces drought.

The Water Leaders Forum sharpened this focus by drawing executives into discussions about long-horizon resilience, customer a ordability and the governance needed to back di cult investment decisions.

Feedback through a survey on our next strategy conﬁrmed that members and stakeholders sought clear pathways from conference discussions to actionable programs and submissions to policymakers.

The sector’s planning is now less about single assets and more about how infrastructure portfolios can be timed to support community conﬁdence and government a ordability thresholds.

Cheeseman also stressed that underinvestment remains a longterm risk.

“This year’s biggest challenge was reconciling a ordability with the investment needed to maintain and renew ageing infrastructure after decades of underinvestment,” she

Corinne Cheeseman, CEO

of the Australian Water Association, presented at the IWA Water E ciency Conference in Melbourne.

Images: Australian Water Association

said. “Climate change impacts and skills shortages only add to that strain, so collaboration on pricing frameworks and clear regulation is vital.”

Future of water skills and collaboration

The challenge of investment is inseparable from the challenge of people. Workforce gaps were raised in nearly every state and territory meeting, particularly around operator training and diversity pipelines.

As capital programs expand, utilities and contractors alike need clarity on timing so they can match the supply of skills with delivery.

“We are working with our members around the careers and skills that are needed, and the di erent types of people who must be part of that,” Cheeseman said. “We are seeing governments and regulators looking closely at operator capability”.

“At the same time, communities expect us to engage on drought readiness and demand management. That makes skills central to the sector’s resilience.”

Collaboration remains a deﬁning feature of 2025. Beyond events, AWA has helped to convene initiatives, such as the Circular Water Taskforce in collaboration with Circular Australia and fostered long-standing partnerships focussing on biosolids.

The aim is not just to facilitate networking but to actively carry ideas into programs where they could inﬂuence policy and regulation.

That shift was evident in the 2024 Voices from the Bush conference in Alice Springs, where Aboriginal leadership reshaped

FOCUS Year in Review

how agendas were designed and conversations were held. Rather than hosting two parallel groups (water industry representatives and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander speakers), the event was structured to foster trust, vulnerability and constructive challenge.

“We invited participants into a space where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices were not alongside the program, but integral to it,” Cheeseman said.

“The dynamic was very di erent, and it changed how people thought about cultural safety and collaboration.

“That constructive challenge is something we need to lean into more often as a sector.”

AWA’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) has played a central role in embedding this approach across 2025. It reinforces collaboration by elevating Indigenous Knowledge in planning and decision-making.

Cheeseman described the RAP as a tool that goes beyond symbolic recognition. It actively changes how utilities, researchers, and governments view water security and resilience by including perspectives that have been absent from traditional governance frameworks.

Future of water events and outlook

Events played a pivotal role in driving the industry’s progress throughout 2025.

Ozwater’25 in Adelaide achieved attendance numbers comparable to those of east coast conferences, signalling strong engagement from across the country.

The Water Leaders Forum allowed decision-makers to interrogate assumptions about capital programs

and long-term resilience.

Later in the year, the Water E ciency Conference in Melbourne sharpened the lens on leakage, smart metering, analytics and community engagement.

Each gathering created what Cheeseman described as “a tail,” with conversations continuing into boardrooms, ministerial submissions and project collaborations. Members increasingly sought digital access alongside face-to-face sessions, with AWA investing in platforms to extend the impact of events beyond the conference centre.

Looking ahead, Ozwater’26 in Brisbane will be the ﬂagship event, running from May 26 to 28. Themes are expected to include recycled water, stormwater reuse, desalination readiness and the role of culture in sustaining sector resilience.

With Queensland’s growth trajectory and climate outlook, Brisbane provides an apt stage for debating how utilities, regulators and suppliers can plan for the long term.

Cheeseman stressed that the sector’s work is not measured in single years.

“I think it’s hard to frame transformation within a single year,” she said. “What we are going through will probably last for a decade. The opportunities now are about positioning ourselves as trusted players in building resilient communities. That takes planning, it takes skills, and it takes time to get right.”

Future of water in focus

The Australian water sector of 2026 will inherit both unﬁnished business and fresh opportunities. Productivity reviews, capital submissions and

Cheeseman with immediate past President of the International Water Association, Tom Mollenkopf AO.

operator training programs are already setting the agenda. Climate extremes will continue to create discomfort for governments and communities, testing the sector’s ability to argue for infrastructure even when dams are spilling.

For Cheeseman, the message is simple: purpose must stay at the centre of every decision.

“Water is life,” she said. “We are purpose-driven in this sector, and that purpose holds when conditions are di cult. The work ahead will be complex, but it is achievable if we plan e ectively and remain open to feedback. We will be there every step of the way.”

As 2026 approaches, AWA’s Strategy 2030 will launch, setting a bold course for transformational change. It will build on the achievements of Strategy’25, including digital initiatives that connected members and elevated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, while deepening member value and capabilities for the future. Priorities will include climate resilience, major infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, and workforce capability and diversity.

Cheeseman also sees the sector’s international role strengthening. Australia’s hard-won expertise in drought resilience, reuse, and integrated planning is increasingly relevant for regions facing scarcity.

“Australia has a responsibility to share what we know,” she said.

“Strengthening partnerships abroad, while learning from others, is key to building collective global resilience.”

Digital transformation shaping resilience

Alongside investment and skills, digital innovation has become a deﬁning feature of the sector’s progress. From advanced metering infrastructure to artiﬁcial intelligence for asset management, utilities are

Ka ora te wai healthy water future

Water reform is reshaping New Zealand. Indigenous knowledge, climate pressure, and a ordability shape a national conversation on community, culture, and resilience.

WATER RUNS DEEPER than pipes and treatment plants in Aotearoa New Zealand. It carries memory, culture, and the weight of political choice. In recent years, water reform has become one of the country’s most contested public issues, binding together questions of a ordability, community trust, Māori rights, and climate resilience. From Havelock North’s Campylobacter outbreak to the rising seas of South Dunedin, the stakes are clear. When water fails, people’s health, livelihoods, and conﬁdence in institutions are shaken. Reform has begun, but as Gillian Blythe, Chief Executive of Water New Zealand, stresses, the journey is far from straightforward.

Reform, trust, and contention

Few issues stir as much debate across councils, communities, and government as the future of water. A central reason for contention in New Zealand is the proposed shift from 67 council-delivered services toward a model that consolidates functions into 42 water service providers. While the aim is ﬁnancial sustainability and regulatory compliance, the process has sparked resistance.

“The reform has been contentious for several reasons,” Blythe said. “The previous government had proposed a mandatory amalgamation down to four entities. That included talk of economies of scale needing 600,000 to 800,000 people per organisation. For some communities, that was seen as forced change.”

Governance arrangements have also fuelled division. Early proposals for co-governance models unsettled parts of the public. Councils

questioned what would remain if assets, sta , and debt shifted into new organisations.

“For some councils, what was left was something they weren’t comfortable with, and that’s why you’ve seen so much debate,” Blythe said.

The new policy, branded Local Water Done Well, allows councils to choose their path if they demonstrate compliance, su cient investment, and ﬁnancial sustainability.

Yet even with greater ﬂexibility, local government elections continue to see local candidates campaign ﬁercely on water.

Trust remains fragile, and Blythe argued that strengthening it will depend on open communication and clear safeguards.

“There is a need for no surprises,”

Gillian Blythe is the Chief Executive of Water New Zealand. Image: Water New Zealand

she said. “If something is happening, elected o cials cannot ﬁnd out by reading it in the newspaper. Engagement and transparency are essential for rebuilding trust.”

Climate, a ordability, and the infrastructure deﬁcit Behind the politics is an infrastructure deﬁcit that has been decades in the making.

Pipes, treatment plants, and stormwater systems require urgent renewal. Climate change intensiﬁes the strain, bringing rising seas, heavier storms, and more frequent ﬂoods.

South Dunedin, once marshland, is now a suburb under threat.

“With climate change, we are seeing groundwater levels rising and the impact of sea level rise,” Blythe said.

“Future scenarios show the ﬂooding risks, and communities need to decide what path they want to take.”

Urban growth adds further complexity. As cities densify, demand for services presses against existing capacity.

Watercare’s recent capacity maps ﬂagged areas where drinking water and wastewater networks are already under pressure, guiding developers toward locations where infrastructure can cope.

A ordability looms as the most signiﬁcant challenge. Compliance with drinking water standards and environmental regulations requires investment running into billions.

“I don’t think we have fully grasped what a ordability means,” Blythe said. “When you start talking about thousands of dollars per household as a percentage of median income, not everyone will be comfortable. We have to keep charges down and deliver services more coste ectively.”

A 2000 report, Ageing pipes and murky waters, warned that New Zealand’s water delivery model was no longer ﬁt for purpose. The warning proved prescient.

For Blythe, whose career has been deﬁned by structural and regulatory change, the question is no longer whether reform is needed but how to sustain it in the face of political headwinds.

Māori perspectives and community engagement

Water reform cannot be separated from Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori relationships with water. Treaty settlements for iwi such as WaikatoTainui and Whanganui enshrine obligations that service providers must honour.

The Whanganui River itself has legal personhood, requiring entities to treat it as a living being with rights and responsibilities.

“All councils have a Treaty obligation,” Blythe said. “Many iwi settlements include speciﬁc requirements around rivers. If you are a council-controlled organisation, you must uphold

Ka ora te wai, ka ora te whenua, ka ora ngā tāngata”

If the water is healthy, the land is healthy, the people are healthy. “ ”

those obligations. Engagement with hapū and iwi is essential, both as Treaty partners and as neighbours.”

Mātauranga Māori, or Indigenous knowledge, is increasingly paired with Western science in water management. Blythe sees this blending of world views as critical to long-term resilience. Water New Zealand has made Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, Māori Language Week, a focal point, producing banners and resources celebrating the connection between language, culture, and water.

International perspectives enrich the journey. This year’s Water New Zealand Conference, combined with IWA-ASPIRE, featured Indigenous speakers from Canada and Australia. Nina Braid from Yarra Valley Water highlighted approaches to governance and resilience that echo challenges in New Zealand.

“We are on a journey,” Blythe said. “Councils and providers will need to continue building capability, respecting mātauranga Māori, and learning from indigenous governance models overseas.”

Lessons across the Tasman Cross-Tasman exchange has already shaped reform. New Zealand utilities have drawn inspiration from Australian approaches to drought resilience, bushﬁre-impacted catchments, and large-scale utility governance.

“We’ve had several Australian chief executives speak at our conferences,” Blythe said. “Maree Lang, Anna Jackson, Nerina di Lorenzo, and David Ryan have shared insights on change management, resilience, and digital innovation. Their experiences managing large utilities are particularly relevant for us.”

At the same time, New Zealand o ers lessons for Australia. Citizen

assemblies and modular treatment plants are examples of innovation with broader relevance.

“Watercare did a citizens’ assembly to ask Auckland residents about the next water source,” Blythe said. “That kind of democratic engagement is something to consider looking at .” Technology also features heavily.

While almost two-thirds of New Zealand’s reticulated households have water meters, others do not. Wellington, for example, is only now debating whether residential properties should be metered.

For Blythe, greater use of metering, sensors, and digital twins will be essential.

“We need more sensors to detect pressure changes, overﬂows, and leaks, and digital tools to plan networks consistently,” she said.

The exchange is not one-directional but iterative, a reminder that both countries confront shared pressures from climate, cost, and community expectation.

The reform process is not shortterm. Progress will be measured in decades, not election cycles.

For Blythe, success will mean safer drinking water, reduced environmental impact, a skilled workforce, and greater water literacy across households.

Yet the ultimate test won’t necessarily be technical: essential ingredients will be building trust between government, councils, iwi, and communities.

“We just have to keep going,” Blythe said. “If at ﬁrst you don’t get all the way, you keep looking for opportunities to deliver safe drinking water, manage wastewater appropriately, and provide a ordable services. Together, we can make a di erence.”

For more information, visit waternz.org.nz

Securing our water future for Greater Melbourne

Dr Nerina Di Lorenzo reﬂects on how Melbourne Water is planning, investing and collaborating to secure Greater Melbourne’s water future in the face of climate pressures and rapid growth.

WATER SUSTAINS GREATER

Melbourne’s health, economy and liveability. At Melbourne Water, our foremost duty is caring for this precious resource as we prepare for a major turning point: a growing population and a changing climate. Melbourne Water has been planning ahead for 130 years; it is in our DNA, and we know the choices we make now will shape our city’s future for years to come.

In the ﬁrst half of 2025, inﬂows to Melbourne’s major reservoirs dropped to their lowest levels since 1913. Combined with rising demand, the driest autumn on record and a winter with catchment rainfall down 11.2 per cent on the 30-year average, it’s clear that rainfall alone can’t sustain our city. Under a highdemand, high-impact scenario, we may need an additional 85 GL of water annually by 2030, over half of our current desalination capacity. We are undertaking the right planning now to secure our water future.

We’ve strengthened our approach to long-term water security through the Accord Partnership; our alliance with South East Water, Yarra Valley Water, Greater Western Water and Barwon Water. Together, we’re diversifying supply by drawing from the Victorian Desalination Plant, improving system operations through the South Central Reform Project, and modernising our supply agreements with water retailers. These e orts, along with a shared focus on e ciency and resilience, are helping to secure a sustainable water future for Greater Melbourne. Our sewerage and treatment

systems are also undergoing a signiﬁcant transition. Upgrades aligned with our Path to Net Zero roadmap will accommodate growth, safeguard public health and deliver technologies that reduce energy use and emissions. These investments target Scope 1 and 2 emissions, helping us deliver on our commitment to net zero by 2030. Our work is guided by the Greater Melbourne Urban Water and System Strategy: Water for Life and the Central Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy, which chart a united course for our sector to 2050.

Our 2026 Price Submission, shaped by two years of engagement with over 6,000 participants, outlines essential investments, from securing new supply sources to bolstering ﬂood resilience and rolling out advanced treatment processes. Every investment has been rigorously tested to meet customer expectations of keeping bills low while strengthening the system. Housing growth presents its own challenges. In support of the Victorian Government’s Housing Statement, we’ve scaled up our referral authority function, cleared application backlogs and set new strict service-level targets. We know that through good planning, we can enable housing development while also avoiding ﬂood risk. Melbourne Water now processes more than 90 per cent of our planning referrals within our service standards, supporting growth while protecting community safety and waterway health.

Nerina Dr Lorenzo is the Managing Director of Melbourne Water.

We’re delivering updated ﬂood information across every catchment by 2026. This nation-leading program, paired with deep community engagement, will help build a ﬂoodresilient Melbourne in an era of climate variability and urban development. We must also learn from First Peoples, the longest custodians of land, water and country. Earlier this year, we launched our fourth Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan, co-designed with Traditional Owners and First Nations stakeholders. It commits us to truth-telling, shared decision-making and embedding self-determined outcomes across procurement, sta ng and partnerships.

Our mission is clear: to deliver secure, sustainable and a ordable water services while strengthening the environmental, social and economic fabric of our city. The road ahead demands innovation, collaboration and commitment. Together, we will build a legacy of resilience for generations to come.

For more information, visit melbournewater.com.au

Image: Melbourne Water

Challenging climate conditions and optimism for the future

Weathering storms and making waves, Seqwater CEO Emma Thomas reﬂects on a year of resilience and investment in South East Queensland’s water future.

WHEN MANY NEW CEOs step into their role, the ﬁrst few months are typically spent listening, learning, and gaining a deep understanding of the business, its people, strategy, and culture.

For me, that settling-in period looked a little di erent.

I started at Seqwater in January, and in March, Tropical Cyclone Alfred made landfall in South East Queensland—the ﬁrst cyclone to do so in 50 years.

We also experienced a very wet summer season, with 14 Flood Operation Centre events, where our team of expert flood engineers made controlled releases from our gated dams, balancing storage needs and flood mitigation benefits.

If that wasn’t memorable enough, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck near the Sunshine Coast in August, the largest onshore quake in QLD in half a century.

These events are a powerful reminder of the unpredictable environment in which we operate, and a real test of our emergency action planning, not to mention the resilience of our people that make our organisation run smoothly. I was inspired by how rapidly our teams mobilised to quickly assess assets, ensure a reliable supply of drinking water and reassure the community that our dams were safe.

While an unconventional start, it has sharpened my focus on the challenges and opportunities ahead, particularly around climate change and water security.

It has also strengthened my resolve to leave a legacy that builds on Seqwater’s important role in South

East Queensland’s water story and prepares us for a more sustainable and resilient future.

These events really bring out the best in people, and I am incredibly proud of our team members who stepped up to keep essential services running during and after Cyclone Alfred. Many stayed on site throughout the cyclone, away from their families, to ensure that 3.8 million people across the region had access to clean, safe drinking water.

Investing in our future

Across our region, we manage one of the most geographically diverse water systems in Australia. We’re managing dams, desalination, recycled water, water treatment plants and a 600km pipeline network, producing up to 1,000 megalitres of water every day.

Emma Thomas is the CEO of Seqwater.

Image: Seqwater

Through our Dam Improvement Program, we’re investing in our region’s dams to ensure ongoing safety and water security for years to come. Three are already in various stages of upgrade.

Construction is underway at Lake Macdonald, along with a package of staged strengthening works at North Pine Dam, and early and enabling works at Somerset Dam. Wivenhoe Dam, the region’s largest water storage dam, will also be upgraded, with an options analysis already underway.

As our population grows, we’re working to ensure that our infrastructure continues to be reliable and resilient. We’re achieving this through our Operations Transformation Program to better support the SEQ Water Grid, so it can continue to deliver to our customers, now and in the long term.

We’re also laying the foundations for building smarter systems, sharing knowledge and increasing network resilience to meet growing demand and shape the future of water.

Looking ahead to 2026

Seqwater will continue at pace next year as we deliver on our largest ever capital works program to secure South East Queensland’s water supply for generations to come.

Queensland is proud to be hosting Ozwater26 in Brisbane in May, and I look forward to sharing our progress, welcoming colleagues from across the industry, and showcasing the critical work we’re delivering here in the south-east.

Brisbane has big rivers and bold ideas to match, and we’re focused on delivering water for life. We look forward to continuing the great ideas and conversations.

For more information, visit seqwater.com.au

Future-ready ﬂows at VicWater 2025

The VicWater Annual Conference 2025 explored treaty, infrastructure, puriﬁed recycled water and international insights, o ering a bold vision of resilience and innovation for Victoria’s water industry.

VICWATER ANNUAL CONFERENCE

2025 arrived at a deﬁning moment for Victoria’s water sector. Across three days in Melbourne, the event drew leaders, regulators, innovators and international voices into one space to confront the challenges shaping the industry’s future.

Anchored by the theme “FutureReady: Innovation, Optimism and Opportunity”, the conference captured the spirit of a sector determined to adapt and thrive. Victoria’s water corporations are navigating rising demand, shifting community expectations, and the realities of a drying climate. The choices made today will inﬂuence

not only how the state manages its resources but also how it supports liveable cities, resilient communities and thriving ecosystems. Against this backdrop, the conference did more than take stock. It asked participants to imagine the future of water services, and to embrace the tools, partnerships and ideas that will turn innovation into enduring opportunity.

Global and local visions

A deﬁning feature of the VicWater Annual Conference has always been its ability to bring global thinkers together with local leaders, and this year’s keynotes delivered that mix with impact.

The team at VicWater remain dedicated to their industry and its members.

Images: VicWater

Will Sarni, internationally recognised for his work on water strategy and innovation, opened with a challenge to think beyond incremental change.

“The next wave of water innovation is not about doing the same things more e ciently,” Sarni said.

“It’s about re-imagining the systems that deliver water and the partnerships that sustain them.”

His call to embrace bold experimentation and new investment models resonated strongly with delegates seeking ways to accelerate transformation in Victoria’s water sector.

Where Sarni cast a global lens, Lucinda Hartley grounded the conversation in the realities of people and place.

Drawing on her background in urban design and technology, Hartley asked participants to consider what kind of future citizen Victoria’s water services must be designed for.

She reminded the room that infrastructure is ultimately about human experience, not just pipes and treatment plants.

“Our cities are human spaces ﬁrst,” Hartley said. “If we design only

for e ciency, we miss the chance to design for connection, equity and resilience.”

Together, the two keynotes set the tone for the conference: optimistic, forward-looking and unapologetically ambitious. They framed water not just as an essential service but as the backbone of liveability, innovation and economic opportunity. Their words also opened the conversation to the practical questions that would follow, beginning with how the sector could translate vision into action through its commitment to the Treaty.

Treaty and self-determination at the heart of water

If the keynote speakers framed water as a foundation for liveability and opportunity, the Treaty session reminded the sector that true resilience must also be cultural and relational.

Embedding Self-Determination and Treaty Readiness in the Victorian Water Sector was one of the most anticipated discussions of the conference, bringing together voices from the Essential Services Commission, Greater Western Water, Barwon Water, South East Water and the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria.

The conversation carried added weight because, only a day earlier, the Victorian Government and the First Peoples’ Assembly had ﬁnalised negotiations on Australia’s ﬁrst statewide Treaty. Premier Jacinta Allan and Assembly CoChairs Ngarra Murray and Rueben Berg announced the agreement

as a milestone in a decade-long process, marking a shift to a new relationship between the state and Traditional Owners. The timing meant delegates walked into the Treaty session not with theory, but with the reality of imminent legislative change.

Rueben Berg reminded the room water is not just a service but a cultural life source, interwoven with stories, rights and obligations stretching back tens of thousands of years.

“Treaty is not a single outcome,” Berg said. “It is an ongoing process of recognising authority, respecting knowledge and sharing responsibility.”

His words underscored the opportunity for water corporations to lead by embedding Traditional Owner voices in planning and governance, rather than treating them as afterthoughts.

Jo Lim, VicWater’s CEO, later reﬂected that delegates felt “a little daunted, but also energised by the chance to be part of transformative change.”

That duality captured the essence of Treaty readiness: the excitement of renewal combined with the hard work of realigning regulatory frameworks, decision-making processes and ﬁnancial models to ensure lasting collaboration.

The announcement of the Treaty Bill reinforced that the pace of change is quickening, sharpening awareness that readiness depends not just on technology or infrastructure but on how inclusively and equitably water is governed.

Building for growth and resilience

If Treaty discussions placed cultural authority at the centre of Victoria’s water future, the Growth and Infrastructure panel turned attention to the practical foundations that will shape how the state manages rapid urban expansion and economic uncertainty.

Facilitated by Margaret Riley from KBR, the panel featured Lisa Kinross of the Civil Contractors Federation, Tim Mileham from the Department of Transport and Planning, and Neville Pearce of East Gippsland Water.

Together, they mapped the pressing need to align infrastructure delivery with population growth, housing targets and climate pressures.

The conversation was sharpened by the earlier economic outlook delivered by Phin Zeibell of the Treasury Corporation of Victoria.

Zeibell highlighted the ﬁscal and demographic pressures inﬂuencing public investment, noting that housing demand is rising at the same time as interest rate conditions and cost-of-living pressures constrain government budgets.

The implication was clear: growth must be met with smarter, more e cient approaches rather than simply larger ones.

This theme connected back to the Regulators Panel, where Rebecca Billings of the Essential Services Commission and Joss Crawford of the EPA discussed how compliance frameworks are evolving.

Delegates heard that regulatory certainty is critical for investment, but ﬂexibility will be equally important as utilities adapt to new environmental realities.

Will Sarni’s keynote speech saw the ballroom at the Park Hyatt full.

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Panellists stressed that the challenges ahead cannot be met by any one organisation in isolation.

Skills shortages in the construction and water industries demand collective action, as does embedding circular economy practices into procurement and delivery.

Kinross spoke candidly about the importance of strengthening training pathways to build the workforce required for long-term growth, echoing concerns raised by VicWater Chair Therese Tierney earlier in the conference.

By sessions end, it was clear that growth and infrastructure are about more than pipes, plants and treatment systems. They depend on aligning forecasts, regulatory signals, industry capacity and community expectations. That understanding set the stage for the focus on future supply, where puriﬁed recycled water was presented as one of the most tangible answers.

Puriﬁed recycled water and the path to acceptance

Conversations about infrastructure inevitably return to the question of supply. How can Victoria ensure water security in a drying climate, while meeting the demands of a growing population and safeguarding environmental ﬂows?

At the VicWater Annual Conference, this challenge came into sharp focus through a session on puriﬁed recycled water led by Steve Capewell, Managing Director of Goulburn Valley Water.

Capewell drew on his prior experience at Water Corporation in Western Australia, where puriﬁed

recycled water was not just a technical exercise but a longterm community conversation. He reminded delegates that even the most advanced treatment plants will not succeed without public conﬁdence.

“Technology is the easy part,” Capewell said. “The hard part is building and sustaining trust over decades. Communities must know that recycled water is safe, and they must feel that they have been part of the journey to get there.”

That perspective resonated strongly with delegates who had just heard from regulators and economists about the scale of future demand. Puriﬁed recycled water was positioned not as an optional supplement but as a central pillar of long-term supply. The challenge now is ensuring that regulatory

The panel on Treaty and SelfDetermination was a highlight for the industry.

frameworks, health guidelines and investment models give utilities the conﬁdence to act decisively.

The discussion underscored the need to learn from jurisdictions where puriﬁed recycled water has already moved from concept to reality.

Western Australia’s Groundwater Replenishment Scheme, Singapore’s NEWater program and projects in the United States all demonstrate that public acceptance is possible when utilities invest in transparency, education and engagement.

Delegates recognised that Victoria has a chance to avoid early missteps by embedding these lessons from the outset.

Lucinda Hartley’s presentation sought to help the audience understand what the future generation of workers might look like.

Optimism found real substance here: puriﬁed recycled water is no longer a distant possibility but a practical solution that can be delivered if the sector works together. And as delegates considered how Victoria might embrace this option, they also looked outward to international examples that revealed both risks and opportunities.

Global lessons for Victoria

If puriﬁed recycled water illustrated the scale of change required at home, the international sessions reminded delegates that Victoria’s challenges are not unique.

Around the world, water utilities are grappling with the same pressures of climate, growth and public trust, and many are experimenting with solutions that can inform Victoria’s path forward.

Hayley Monks, Managing Director of Echo Managed Services in the UK, o ered one of the most candid assessments. She described how the British water industry, still grappling with the legacy of privatisation, faces deep challenges of regulatory complexity, pollution incidents and public scepticism.

“Customer trust is rock bottom,” Monks said, “and rebuilding it will take more than compliance. It will take openness, transparency and data that people can believe.”

For Victorian delegates, the warning was clear: community conﬁdence is fragile, and trust must be treated as an asset as valuable as infrastructure itself.

From the UK, the focus shifted to Singapore, where Howie Sim of NCS unpacked the city-state’s national AI strategy. His presentation highlighted the way digital technologies, particularly artiﬁcial intelligence and digital twins, are reshaping water operations. By integrating data across networks and treatment plants, Singapore has been able to anticipate failures, optimise asset management and free up resources for long-term planning. Delegates were urged to consider how similar approaches could be applied in Victoria, especially as the state seeks to stretch every dollar of investment.

The international lens was further extended through a cybersecurity panel featuring voices from RSM, Maddocks, and Melbourne Water. While not a traditional infrastructure issue, cybersecurity is increasingly seen as an essential part of resilience. Panellists warned that water utilities are attractive targets for state-backed actors and cybercriminals. They warned that trust in digital systems will be critical if technologies like AI are to be embraced.

These insights closed the loop of the conference: global lessons feeding back into local practice, and local ambitions shaping the questions that will deﬁne Victoria’s water leadership in the years ahead.

The Annual Conference demonstrated that Victoria’s water

Phin Ziebell from the Treasury Corporation of Victoria (TCV) provided his insights into the state of the economy.

industry is not shying away from its greatest tests.

Across keynotes, panels and case studies, delegates heard that being future-ready is not about single solutions but about holding innovation, optimism and opportunity in balance. The event underscored that resilience is as much about cultural integrity and community trust as it is about infrastructure and technology.

The Treaty session placed First Peoples’ authority at the centre of governance, a reminder that water is more than a utility, it is a life source intertwined with culture and Country.

The panel on cybersecurity was one of considerable interest to the attendees.

The Growth and Infrastructure panel revealed how economic outlooks, regulatory frameworks and workforce planning must align to deliver liveability. The conversation on puriﬁed recycled water showed that with transparency and engagement, once-controversial technologies can become mainstream solutions.

International perspectives, coupled with warnings on cybersecurity, added urgency while o ering pathways to act with conﬁdence. What linked these threads was a willingness to think boldly and act collaboratively.

Victoria’s water corporations, regulators and communities face profound pressures. The conference showed that by embracing innovation and shared responsibility, they can chart a course that is both ambitious and achievable.

For more information, visit vicwater.org.au

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A new chapter underground

Innovation, resilience, and recognition combined as industry leaders explored how trenchless practices continue to evolve and strengthen their place in Australia’s infrastructure landscape.

IN SEPTEMBER, MELBOURNE became the focal point for Australia’s underground infrastructure and utilities sector. The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) hosted both No-Dig Down Under and Converge, bringing together international experts, local utilities, and technology providers in a shared space for discussion and discovery. Just across the river at Marvel Stadium, the Australasian Society for Trenchless Technology (ASTT) Awards honoured the projects and people advancing trenchless practice. Together, these three gatherings created a rare moment of alignment for the industry, with technical innovation, operational practice, and community outcomes examined in close succession.

The emphasis extended beyond engineering excellence. Trenchless methods, known for minimising

surface disruption, were positioned as part of broader conversations around sustainability, customer expectations, and infrastructure resilience.

The conference ﬂoors showcased cutting-edge equipment and digital tools, while the ASTT Awards recognised leaders shaping the sector’s culture and standards. Converge added another dimension, exploring how utilities can connect with customers and adapt to rapid digital change.

Taken together, these events underscore the central role of trenchless technology that Australia relies on to maintain and expand critical infrastructure. They also emphasised the importance of collaboration among utilities, contractors, regulators, and innovators in ensuring that technical progress translates into lasting public beneﬁt.

Ben Crosby, President of the ASTT, opening No-Dig Down Under 2025.

Images: Prime Creative Media

Driving innovation underground No-Dig Down Under has long been the premier stage for trenchless innovation in the region, and this year’s program reﬂected both the pace of technical progress and the industry’s growing conﬁdence.

Across the exhibition ﬂoor, contractors, suppliers, and utilities explored the latest in drilling rigs, microtunnelling systems, and rehabilitation technologies.

Digital monitoring tools and datadriven planning platforms also drew attention, signalling a shift toward integration of ﬁeld expertise with real-time decision support.

For many delegates, the opportunity to see live demonstrations and speak directly with international suppliers reinforced the importance of faceto-face exchange in advancing underground infrastructure practice.

The driving force behind this technical platform is the ASTT.

Established to promote trenchless methods across Australia and New Zealand, ASTT provides the professional backbone for the sector through training programs, knowledge sharing, and advocacy.

It also serves as the key regional link to the International Society for Trenchless Technology, ensuring that local practitioners are connected to global best practice. By convening engineers, asset managers, and suppliers under one roof, ASTT has positioned No-Dig Down Under not only as a showcase for equipment but as a proving ground for the ideas and standards that shape day-to-

From large-scale tunnelling projects in dense urban centres to targeted pipe rehabilitation in regional towns, the innovations displayed at MCEC reﬂected the versatility of methods that

Dannielle James celebrated her win as ASTT Trenchless Woman of the Year with her colleagues from Pipe Pro Drilling

Operational gains in focus

Beyond the showcase of equipment and techniques, No-Dig Down Under and Converge highlighted how trenchless methods are being applied across Australia’s networks.

For utilities and councils, the focus is increasingly on practical deployment and how these technologies can be embedded into capital works, maintenance programs, and emergency responses.

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Case studies shared at MCEC demonstrated how trenchless approaches are helping water corporations replace ageing pipelines under busy urban corridors, upgrade stormwater assets in constrained sites, and extend sewerage networks with minimal surface disturbance. For local governments, the operational value lies in the ability to complete projects faster and with fewer impacts on residents and businesses.

Delegates heard from contractors who described how improved site investigation and digital modelling are changing the way projects are planned. By combining geotechnical data with trenchless methods, teams can mitigate project risks, anticipate ground conditions, and prevent costly delays.

On-the-ground e ciencies are also being realised through the automation of tasks that once relied heavily on manual labour, such as robotic cutters and CCTV-equipped inspection crawlers, which enable faster condition assessments. These advances not only reduce downtime but also mitigate safety risks for crews working in conﬁned environments.

The operational conversations also underlined the importance of collaboration.

Contractors emphasised the need for clear communication with asset owners to align expectations, while utilities highlighted the beneﬁts of early engagement in identifying the right trenchless method for the task.

Across both No-Dig Down Under and Converge, a consistent theme emerged: trenchless technology is no longer a specialised alternative but an integral part of the operational toolkit for maintaining reliable, resilient networks.

Sustainability as standard

Sustainability was a key theme that framed much of the discussion across all three events.

At No-Dig Down Under, environmental beneﬁts were not treated as secondary outcomes but as core measures of project success.

Presentations highlighted how trenchless construction reduces carbon footprints by minimising excavation, transportation, and reinstatement. Utilities reported measurable reductions in

The Interﬂow stand was regularly full of current and prospective clients.

greenhouse gas emissions from projects that avoided traditional open-cut trenching. At the same time, contractors shared data on how reduced surface disruption translates into lower fuel use and less waste sent to landﬁlls.

The ASTT Awards reinforced this narrative, celebrating projects that strike a balance between engineering excellence and environmental responsibility.

HDI Lucas and Spiecapag’s Jansz IO HDD Project, winner of New Installation Project of the Year, showcased innovation under sensitive environmental conditions on Barrow Island, deploying biodegradable drilling ﬂuid and automated polymer mixing to minimise impact. Meanwhile, Tunnel Vision’s O shore Overboard Pipe Reline, recognised as Rehabilitation/ Renewal Project of the Year, delivered a world-ﬁrst o shore vertical CIPP liner installation, extending the life of a DN600 steel water pipe under extreme conditions without replacement.

Both projects demonstrated that innovation and sustainability are inseparable in trenchless practice. Converge added another layer by exploring how circular economy thinking is reshaping utility strategies.

Panels examined opportunities to design waste out of the system, reuse resources, and embed sustainability into procurement.

Customer-facing conversations also revealed growing community expectations that utilities will demonstrate environmental responsibility in addition to reliable service delivery.

A range of insightful panels and presentations took place at both events.

For many attendees, the clear takeaway was that sustainability is not a future obligation but an operational reality.

Together, these perspectives highlighted how trenchless

technology in Australia is enabling a more sustainable model of infrastructure delivery. By reducing disruption, extending the life of assets, and embedding circular practices, the sector is aligning technical progress with environmental outcomes in ways that are increasingly visible to regulators, customers, and the wider community.

Trust through trenchless Technical innovation and sustainability will only achieve their full impact if communities trust the organisations delivering them.

That theme ran strongly through Converge, where panels on customer experience unpacked the complexity of meeting rising expectations while managing essential services.

Discussions emphasised that customers want more than a reliable supply; they expect transparency, fair pricing, and proactive communication about projects that a ect their neighbourhoods.

Digital tools were showcased as ways to strengthen engagement, providing households with greater visibility into their usage, billing, and the work happening in their streets.

Recognition through the ASTT Awards also played a part in reinforcing community conﬁdence. By celebrating projects that combined technical excellence with minimal disruption to businesses, schools, and transport networks, the Awards sent a clear signal that social outcomes matter as much as engineering performance.

The Trenchless Woman of the Year, Dannielle James, exempliﬁed this principle. As the only woman believed to own and lead two trenchless businesses in Australia, she was recognised for championing equity and fostering stronger links

between industry and community. Similarly, Jarred Wray, named Young Person of the Year, was applauded not only for technical skill but also for mentoring peers and embedding sustainability practices in day-today work.

Speakers at No-Dig Down Under also reﬂected on the role of trenchless technology in safeguarding liveability. Fewer road closures, reduced noise, and faster project delivery translate into tangible beneﬁts for the community.

For local governments and utilities alike, these advantages help demonstrate that public funds are being invested responsibly. As one delegate noted, the industry’s longterm licence to operate depends not only on technical and ﬁnancial performance but also on the trust it earns from the people it serves.

In this sense, trenchless technology in Australia embraces more than a technical solution; it is part of a broader social contract. By aligning operational e ciency with community expectations, the sector continues to strengthen its credibility and legitimacy.

Looking ahead together

Taken together, No-Dig Down Under, the ASTT Awards, and Converge o ered more than a series of technical presentations and networking opportunities. They created a comprehensive snapshot of the sector’s current state and its future direction.

At MCEC, delegates explored the tools and methods driving e ciency; at Marvel Stadium, industry leaders were recognised for their contributions; and through Converge, utilities and technology providers examined how digital transformation can bring customers closer to the services they rely upon. What united these moments was a

The opportunity to upskill was of key focus for the industry.

shared recognition that trenchless technology is not an isolated discipline but a cornerstone of how modern infrastructure is delivered.

From drilling rigs to billing systems, from carbon savings to community engagement, the conversations across Melbourne highlighted the interconnectedness of technical progress, operational practice, sustainability, and trust.

The industry’s ability to bring these strands together will determine how successfully it navigates the demands of climate change, urban growth, and shifting public expectations.

The ASTT Awards also reminded delegates of the power of individual leadership.

Stuart Harrison, named Menno Henneveld Person of the Year, was recognised for nearly three decades of innovation, including the development of the Vermeer AXIS and AdaptX guided boring systems. His contribution reﬂects the spirit of the trenchless community, combining technical creativity with global collaboration and a commitment to raising standards.

The inﬂatable Rob Carr TBM hung high above the conference ﬂoor.

When PFAS ﬁlters face the truth

Households want answers on forever chemicals, but only

rigorous testing shows if whole home systems really deliver.

PFAS HAS MOVED from the back page of technical reports to dinnertable questions.

Councils and utilities are fielding calls, retailers are advertising quick fixes, and engineers are being asked to recommend solutions with confidence.

For many families, the point of need is the kitchen tap, yet the risk sits across every outlet in the house. The promise of whole-of-home protection sounds simple. Proving it at a realistic ﬂow and capacity is not. That gap between a brochure claim and a certiﬁed, repeatable result is where Australian decision-makers now live.

For Suzanne Dodds, the issue became personal through her work as founder of Complete Home Filtration. She established the business to improve everyday water quality for Australian households, starting with systems that removed chlorine so people could shower and bathe in better water.

In the early years, she sold units directly, speaking with customers about their concerns and experimenting with prototypes that tackled ﬂuoride.

That close connection with households meant she was among the ﬁrst to hear growing questions about so-called forever chemicals.

When Erin Brockovich visited Australia in 2018 to highlight the risks of per- and polyﬂuoroalkyl substances (PFAS), Dodds began testing her ﬂuoride prototypes against these emerging contaminants. The results proved she was on the right path, and PFAS removal soon became a central focus of her company’s innovation program.

Why PFAS awareness is rising, and why that matters for ﬁlters

Public awareness in Australia has surged since 2018. Court cases, investigative reporting and documentaries have all contributed to PFAS shifting from a scientiﬁc

Images: Complete Home Filtration Testing the water for PFAS and other contaminants. Image: Sergey Mironov/stock. adobe.com

acronym to a household worry. Utilities have strengthened monitoring programs while regulators are updating guideline values for perﬂuorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perﬂuorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in drinking water. These shifts highlight that claims about removal must be backed by more than a test in ideal conditions.

Dodds has seen the conversation transform.

Suzanne Dodds, founder of Complete Home Filtration, with one of the units.

“It’s massively changed since 2018 when I ﬁrst started,” she said. “Back then, almost no one had heard about it.”

That demand for certainty should shape procurement. It is not enough to point to a lab test at a trickle and extrapolate to a family home. It is not enough to say a cartridge worked in spiked water when real households deal with variable pressure, mixed contaminants and daily peaks as appliances compete for ﬂow.

PFAS water filter certification is the hard yard Certification is where claims meet reality. In Australia, buyers look for WaterMark certification, the mandatory plumbing compliance mark administered by the Australian Building Codes Board. It confirms that a product is fit for purpose, safe, and authorised for installation by a licensed plumber.

From there, true assurance comes from performance certiﬁcations that conﬁrm contaminant reduction. The challenge is that the market is uneven.

“You see systems tested at one litre per minute, then certiﬁed for huge capacities,” Dodds said. “There’s no whole-home system in the world that runs at one litre per minute.”

Flow rate and capacity all inﬂuence outcomes.

Conservative test protocols reduce the risk of over-promising, while independent auditing across a product’s life cycle ensures that standards are met even when suppliers change media or manufacturing processes.

“Independent auditing is crucial,” Dodds said. “It is not just the one test. You want eyes on the factory, the build and the paperwork.”

As regulatory limits continue to tighten, Australian utilities and

suppliers are being pushed to demand better. Draft reviews of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines suggest more stringent limits, bringing local values closer to international standards. That puts further pressure on suppliers to demonstrate robust removal at a household scale.

Designing a whole-of-home PFAS water ﬁlter that stands up to use Whole of home systems must be designed around realistic household demand.

Families typically consume several hundred litres a day, with peak use far above the trickle ﬂow from a kitchen bench. A credible system must deliver consistent performance under these conditions while maintaining pressure for showers, washing machines and dishwashers. Dodds emphasised the importance of replicating household routines in testing.

“We wanted a system that works in the real world,” she said. “Twelve months of challenge water tells you more than a weekend in the lab.”

The technical heart lies in media selection and conﬁguration.

Catalytic and high-iodine carbons are often used to capture a basket of PFAS compounds. Bed depth, contact time and pre-ﬁltration all inﬂuence removal e ciency and system longevity.

Engineers are familiar with these design principles at the plant scale, but they are often missing from retail discussions. A veriﬁed maintenance interval, backed by testing, ensures that ﬁlters do not lose e ectiveness months before the sticker says replacement is due.

Aesthetics also matter. Households

A

Complete Home Filtration unit at a residential property

want assurance without clutter.

“We tried to make the unit look like something people are proud to have on the wall,” Dodds said. “Good engineering and good design do not have to be a trade-o .”

Procurement signals: from speciﬁcation to service

Utilities and regulators can shape the market by setting clear expectations. Specifications should link certified flow, certified capacity and household conditions. They should require proof that certifications cover more than the two most common PFAS compounds, and that testing has been carried out at realistic flow rates and capacities.

“Independent certiﬁcation is expensive,” Dodds said. “It is worth it because families are relying on the result, not the headline.”

Third-party audits and certiﬁcations through bodies such as NSF International (NSF) or the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical O cials (IAPMO) remain the strongest market signals. These processes validate not just the initial lab test but also the manufacturing consistency and quality assurance over time. Without that, suppliers risk selling a promise rather than a performance.

Dodds believes that certiﬁcation sends a message beyond compliance.

“PFAS is not the end of the story,” she said. “We should build systems that stand up to the next question, too. Build for real homes, prove it properly, and let the data hold up the promise.”

For more information, visit completehomeﬁltration.com.au

Resilience through PFAS challenges

John Cumming reﬂects on the lessons of 2025 and how resilience, innovation and collaboration will shape James Cumming’s role in water treatment in 2026.

AS 2025 CLOSES, the water sector is confronting some of the most pressing regulatory and environmental challenges in decades. Stricter PFAS guidelines, shifting supply chains, and rising public expectations have placed utilities, regulators and suppliers under pressure. For John Cumming, Managing Director of James Cumming, the past year has been about building resilience through investment, innovation and collaboration.

Achievements that deﬁned 2025

One of the company’s most signiﬁcant milestones was a $500,000

upgrade to its Australian Filter Coal processing plant. The project, which spanned 18 months of planning and installation, was delivered without disrupting customer commitments. It was a moment that highlighted the importance of backing Australian manufacturing capacity, even as global trade tensions and freight costs created volatility for the sector. Cumming is clear that challenges remain. Finding skilled production labour continues to test the industry, while the international supply of quality raw materials is always subject to the uncertainty of currency ﬂuctuations and geopolitical friction. Yet demand for ﬁltration media

is growing. In 2025, the company recorded a 25 per cent revenue increase from the previous year, driven by strong water and wastewater project activity. This growth underscores both the necessity of reliable products and the momentum created by urban expansion and tightening water treatment regulations.

Building on sustainability and innovation

The year also marked an important sustainability milestone. Having long been accredited under ISO9001 for quality, James Cumming achieved its ﬁrst environmental and safety ISO certiﬁcations in 2025.

For Cumming, these achievements are more than compliance exercises. They demonstrate to utilities and regulators that Australian suppliers can meet the same rigorous standards as international competitors while providing the certainty of local production.

Process innovation has remained central to the business.

Beyond the plant upgrade, improvements to sales order systems, customer relationship management tools and internal warehousing have made operations more e cient. These changes, Cumming noted, are not about chasing short-term margins but ensuring that customers receive on-time delivery of products tailored to speciﬁcation. The philosophy of continuous improvement, embedded over more than 115 years of

The Australian Filter Coal processing plant got a halfmillion-dollar upgrade this year.

Images: James Cumming

James Cumming prides itself on being e cient and supporting its clients.

manufacturing, is what sustains the company’s competitive edge.

A new chapter with a familiar name In 2025, the company also embarked on a signiﬁcant rebrand. After more than 115 years trading as James Cumming & Sons, the business registered a new trading name: James Cumming. Alongside the name change came a refreshed visual identity, including a new logo inspired by carbon, the very element at the heart of so many of its products.

Cumming said the decision was about clarity and connection.

“The streamlined name and modern identity are designed to communicate more clearly what the company stands for, while strengthening ties with customers in Australia and in the 25 countries we currently export to,” he said. “Importantly, the change has not altered the things customers value most.”

Family values remain central, with honesty, humility and courage guiding decision-making. Contracts, contacts and services are unchanged, and the same dedicated team continues to deliver the right products for councils, utilities and distributors. The rebrand is not a departure but the next step in a long journey: a way to ensure the name James Cumming continues to stand for trust, innovation and genuine relationships well into the future.

Partnerships that shape the market Relationships across the industry have been critical. Long-standing ties with water authorities such as Sydney Water provide an essential reference point, ensuring product development keeps pace with operational needs.

At the same time, James Cumming has signed six new supplier agreements in areas from packaging to raw materials, broadening the resilience of its supply chain.

Engagement with industry bodies, including the Australian Water Association and the Water Industry Operators Association, has opened export opportunities and supported grant funding through Austrade.

Reﬂecting on the past year, Cumming said the biggest lesson has been the value of adaptability and collaboration.

“2025 has taught me that you can never be too nimble in your strategy, and that good working relationships across customers and suppliers are key to long-term success,” Cumming said.

“Adaptability, resilience and encouraging lateral thinking within the team here at James Cumming are core to delivering better outcomes and products to our customers.”

Priorities for PFAS water treatment in 2026

Looking forward, the company’s priorities for 2026 reﬂect both continuity and ambition. Further upgrades to plant e ciency are planned, alongside an expansion of warehousing capacity.

Additional distributors are being sought in Southeast Asian markets, while internal systems improvements will continue with new sta in key roles.

Activated carbon remains the main growth area, with rising demand linked to PFAS concerns across Australian water authorities. Cumming sees opportunities in both powdered and granular activated carbon, particularly as water treatment plants adapt to tighter guidelines. Larger water treatment and desalination pretreatment projects are also expected to drive activity, with export growth in Southeast Asia and the Middle East o ering further potential. Cumming also points to the broader role of Australian manufacturing in

Building better partnerships across the industry has supported the ongoing growth of the company.

safeguarding national infrastructure. He believes the erosion of domestic capacity over recent decades has made the country more vulnerable, and that water projects in particular rely on the reliability of local supply.

“Our national sovereignty depends on Australian manufacturing,” Cumming said.

“If you look at 20 years ago, manufacturing made up more than 25 per cent of GDP. In 2025, it makes up about ﬁve per cent. That’s a lot of jobs and capability that has gone o shore.

“Our value proposition has always been that we deliver products to speciﬁcation, suitable for the application, and on time. National infrastructure is critically important, particularly in the water industry, so being able to deliver to speciﬁcation and on time is always essential.”

For 2026, Cumming sees no alternative but continued engagement.

PFAS guidelines are likely to tighten again, placing new pressures on utilities, regulators and suppliers alike.

Procurement processes may remain complex, and international trade conditions unpredictable. Yet the pathway forward lies in collaboration, innovation and a focus on outcomes.

“We’ve all got a role to play with our own teams and leadership styles to ensure we’re engaging to get the best and most sensible outcomes,” Cumming said.

“It’s always important to start with the end in mind, focus on what you’re trying to achieve and reverse engineer the best course. Too often, we see cookie-cutter approaches to complex problems, and those miss the mark.

“The key is to stay engaged, keep communicating and work through problems holistically with the industry.”

For more information, visit jamescumming.com.au

Carbon without compromise

Water utilities face rising pressure to address PFAS.

Biomass-based activated carbon o ers a cleaner way forward without sacriﬁcing performance.

PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL substances (PFAS) have become the water industry’s most persistent headache. Once hailed for their durability, these “forever chemicals” now pose regulatory, ecological and health challenges across Australia and worldwide. Utilities and regulators are searching for treatment technologies that not only remove PFAS from water but do so in ways that reduce secondary impacts, avoid waste stockpiles and meet tightening sustainability targets.

One of the most promising approaches is emerging from an Australian company that started life at the University of Adelaide. Bygen has developed a process for producing activated carbon from biomass rather than coal, delivering both environmental and operational advantages for PFAS remediation. For Cameron Gri ths, Chief Commercial O cer at Bygen, the company’s philosophy is simple: utilities should not have to compromise between sustainability and performance.

Rethinking activated carbon

Conventional activated carbon is typically derived from coal and produced using fossil fuels to create steam. Both steps add signiﬁcantly to the environmental footprint. Bygen takes a di erent path, using waste biomass as a feedstock and a process that avoids steam generation.

“Bygen was spun out at the University of Adelaide around six or seven years ago,” Gri ths said.

“From the outset, our focus was on improving the sustainability of activated carbon production.

“We don’t use coal as a raw

material, unlike about 70 per cent of the world’s activated carbons.

“Instead, we use biomass and avoid using steam to activate it. That removes fossil fuels from the equation and reduces the carbon footprint of production.”

The result is an activated carbon that can be tailored to generate di erent pore sizes, a critical factor in capturing contaminants. PFAS molecules vary widely, with shortchain and long-chain compounds binding di erently. Bygen’s ability to tune its pore distribution allows its carbon to target a broad range of PFAS while maintaining performance comparable to conventional products.

Understanding the challenges PFAS remediation is not simply a matter of pulling the compounds out of water. Utilities also face the problem of disposal. Technologies such as ion exchange resins, foam fractionation and advanced oxidation all have strengths but can create downstream issues.

“Depending on your appetite for capital cost versus operating cost, you may ﬁnd one technology more attractive than another,” Gri ths said.

“The challenge is that you can take PFAS out of a water stream, but then what do you do with it? With resins, for example, you may be left with hazardous waste that can’t be regenerated. That just pushes the problem downstream.”

Activated carbon does not solve every challenge, but it o ers a balance of performance, familiarity and ease of integration. Utilities can add it as a polishing stage to

existing treatment trains or use it in standalone ﬁlters ranging from household units to large municipal systems.

For Bygen, the critical di erence lies in the way its carbon is made. Its life cycle assessment shows a signiﬁcantly smaller carbon footprint than conventional products, adding weight to sustainability claims.

From pilots to partnerships

Although still a relatively young business, Bygen has already tested its approach in wetlands, ceramic membrane pilots and soil remediation projects.

The company has recently launched a PFAS pilot program to test its biomass carbon in real-world conditions, inviting utilities and councils to participate.

“In the past few years, we’ve been focused on generating strong pilot data,” Gri ths said. “We’ve worked with groups such as AquaVoda, looking at powdered activated carbon in combination with ceramic membranes.

“We’ve also done soil remediation projects where our product was

Cameron Gri ths is the Chief Commercial O cer at Bygen. Images: Bygen

benchmarked against coal-based carbons. Now, with our PFAS pilot program, we want to work alongside utilities and councils to run trials at their sites and demonstrate performance in real time.”

Bygen’s collaborative approach reﬂects both the complexity of PFAS remediation and the need for sector conﬁdence. Utilities are understandably cautious, particularly when drinking water is involved.

Building trust through ISO certiﬁcation, NSF accreditation, and transparent case studies has become central to Bygen’s commercial strategy.

Aligning with circular economy goals

For Australian utilities under pressure to decarbonise supply chains and adopt circular economy practices, the sustainability of treatment technologies is a growing concern. Bygen’s biomass-based process o ers direct alignment with these objectives.

“People working in the water industry need to know that if they change a process, the new product will perform as well as the incumbent,” Gri ths said.

“Our goal is to match that performance while bringing the sustainability beneﬁt. If we can replace coal-based or unsustainably produced coconut carbons and still deliver, then we provide a clear pathway forward.”

The biomass feedstocks themselves are drawn from a wide range of agricultural by-products, from almond shells to acacia wood. Bygen is building supply partnerships that turn these wastes into longterm value streams, while locating production closer to customers to reduce transport emissions and costs.

For utilities, this localisation adds resilience as well as sustainability.

Regulations driving adoption

Globally, regulations are tightening around PFAS in water and soil. Australia is no exception, with state agencies and utilities now expected to assess, monitor and manage PFAS in their systems.

“Regulation is a huge driver,” Gri ths said. “When I was earlier in my career, I didn’t fully understand how dynamic regulation shapes opportunities for innovation. Now it’s clear.

“As standards become more stringent, only a handful of technologies will prove both e ective and sustainable. Activated carbon is already easy to adopt, so we expect demand to grow signiﬁcantly as the bar rises.”

In the near term, that growth will be concentrated in developed nations with established monitoring and regulatory frameworks. Long-term, developing countries are expected to follow, multiplying the market size.

Building

conﬁdence,

not compromise

For utilities considering PFAS remediation, barriers often centre on trust and risk rather than cost. Bygen

The biomass activated carbon has been designed with sustainability in mind.

Starting from woodchips, Bygen’s range of biomass activated carbon provides enormous potential for PFAS and water treatment.

aims to overcome these by o ering pilot trials, parallel vessel testing and transparent results. The company’s commercial model is strengthened by lower operating costs and the potential to build plants closer to demand centres, particularly on Australia’s east coast.

Gri ths is candid about the need for credibility:

“We know people don’t like change, especially in the water sector. That’s why our focus is on building trust through case studies, partnerships and certiﬁcations. Our production costs are competitive, but what really matters is showing utilities that they can achieve the same performance without compromising on sustainability.”

Asked what message he would leave with decision-makers, Gri ths was clear.

“Bygen really represents carbon without compromise. For utilities and large activated carbon users, I would ask: ‘What are you compromising on when you buy your current product?’ We can o er the most sustainable and cleanest production while still meeting performance and commercial requirements. There’s no need to compromise anymore.”

For more information, visit bygen.com.au

FOCUS Water Treatment Greywater recycling in action

Collaboration among utilities, government, technology companies, and TAFE is transforming greywater innovation into a practical response to drought, climate change, and community water needs.

WATER SECURITY HAS long deﬁned life in Australia. Droughts, shifting rainfall and rapid population growth have combined to put mounting pressure on the systems that deliver safe water to communities.

Traditional conservation measures, such as backyard tanks or short-term restrictions, are no longer su cient to meet the scale of the challenge.

The Victorian Advanced Greywater Recycling System trial, launched recently in Geelong, highlights a new approach: technology and collaboration working together to secure every drop.

Announced as a $220,000 innovation project by the Victorian Government, the pilot demonstrates more than a technical upgrade. It is an example of how utilities, governments, TAFEs, and technology providers can reimagine

the way water is valued, reused, and integrated into community life.

The launch also brought together community leaders, including Jo Plummer, former Chair of Barwon Water, whose organisation has long been recognised for championing forward-thinking approaches to water security in the region.

A new generation of greywater At the heart of the trial is Hydraloop, a technology developed in the Netherlands and now installed in Victoria for the ﬁrst time. Hydraloop captures greywater from showers, baths and bathroom sinks, then treats it entirely within the unit.

Unlike traditional systems that rely on underground tanks and bulky infrastructure, the unit is compact, approximately the size of a

From left to right, Joe Ormeno (Gordon TAFE CEO), Jo Plummer (Chair of Barwon Water), Christine Couzens (Member for Geelong), Gayle Tierney (Minister for Water), Shaun Cumming (Managing Director of Barwon Water), Jason Cotton (Program Director at Intelligent Water Networks), and Jo Lim (CEO of VicWater).

refrigerator, and can be retroﬁtted into existing homes provided the plumbing infrastructure is accessible.

Inside the casing, six processes work together: sedimentation, flotation, biological treatment, foam fractionation, dissolved air flotation and UV disinfection. These treatments remove impurities and pathogens, leaving water suitable for non-potable uses such as toilet flushing, clothes washing and garden irrigation. The system is IoT-enabled, allowing performance to be monitored and adjusted remotely.

According to the Victorian Government, this initiative represents the ﬁrst advanced greywater system available in Australia. If performance matches expectations, households and businesses could cut water use by up to 40 per cent.

Jason Cotton, Program Director of Intelligent Water Networks, told the launch audience,

“This technology has the potential to transform water use and contribute to Victoria’s water security,” he said.

“It is unobtrusive, retroﬁttable, and delivers high-quality recycled water for everyday needs.”

Seven mixed-sized units are being trialled across di erent contexts.

At Gordon TAFE in Geelong, a purpose-built bathroom and laundry showcase the system for informative tours hosted by Barwon Water to build knowledge of the technology.

Barwon Water is also overseeing three installations at two caravan parks along the Surf Coast and Great Ocean Road, including Australia’s ﬁrst large-sized unit at the Torquay Foreshore Caravan Park.

Greater Western Water is managing Victoria’s ﬁrst in-home deployment, and South East Water is currently liaising with local government to ﬁnd suitable trial sites in its service area.

Together, these sites will generate data on both commercial and domestic viability.

Skills for the future

Water innovation is not just about machines but about people. The Geelong launch reﬂected this by placing education and workforce skills development at the centre of the program.

Gordon TAFE now hosts one of the trial units, providing apprentices and students with direct access to the inner workings of a live, world-leading greywater recycling technology. This is the ﬁrst future training site of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Joe Ormeno, CEO of Gordon TAFE, explained why this matters.

“Practical water reuse like this eases pressure on drinking water, supports liveability, and lifts sustainability performance across new projects and retroﬁts,” he said.

“Shoulder to shoulder with industry and government, we’re solving real problems.”

For plumbers and technicians, hands-on training with Hydraloop units builds expertise in installation, operation and maintenance.

Cotton noted that sta at Barwon Asset Solutions have become the ﬁrst accredited installers and maintainers of the new system in Australia. By extending these skills through TAFE partnerships, the sector is preparing for a future where advanced water recycling is not a niche project but a mainstream requirement.

Minister for Water and Skills, Gayle Tierney, highlighted the signiﬁcance of linking her two portfolios within the trial.

“This trial shows Victoria’s water sector embracing new ideas and working with our TAFEs to build the technology and skills needed for the future,” she said.

The challenge of water security

The urgency behind the trial is apparent. In Geelong, storage levels have dropped to about 40 per cent, almost a quarter lower than at the same time last year. Without the Melbourne to Geelong pipeline, the city would already be under water restrictions.

Tierney pointed to climate change and population growth as twin pressures reshaping the sector.

“Every litre we recycle is one less taken from rivers and reservoirs,” she said.

“As rainfall continues to decline, projects like this are not optional. They are critical to securing supply for households and businesses.”

Her remarks followed a recent meeting of the State’s drought task force, where utilities and regulators gathered to assess the challenges across Victoria. The picture presented was consistent: declining inﬂows to reservoirs, more variable rainfall, and growing demand in regional centres. For Geelong, where storage is already under strain, the stakes are particularly high.

FOCUS Water Treatment

Water security cannot be separated from broader climate risks. Plummer, who also serves as the Chair of Victoria’s Country Fire Authority (CFA), observed drying conditions not only a ect supply but bring forward the bushﬁre season, creating compound risks for communities. In this sense, saving water is about more than maintaining household taps; it is part of building regional resilience against multiple hazards.

Household action also plays a role. Alongside the trial, the Victorian Government has reminded residents of simple behaviours such as taking shorter showers, ﬁxing leaks, washing with full loads, watering gardens in cooler parts of the day and following Permanent Water Saving Rules. These measures, combined with climate-resilient innovations that incorporate circular economy principles, such as Hydraloop, form a portfolio approach to securing water for the long term.

Member for Geelong, Christine Couzens, linked the trial to broader community values, including Victoria’s progress toward Treaty with First Nations people. She reminded the audience that water carries deep cultural and spiritual signiﬁcance, and new approaches must respect that heritage.

“This is a great initiative for Geelong, giving Victorians more practical ways to save water and household waste”.

Collaboration as DNA

One of the strongest themes of the launch was collaboration.

Cotton called it the “DNA of innovation”. The project brings together Barwon Water, Intelligent

Water Networks, Gordon TAFE, Greater Western Water, South East Water, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, and Hydraloop Australia. Partnership has extended beyond the core organisations.

The Great Ocean Road Parks Authority and Big 4 Apollo Bay have been instrumental in securing the trial sites. Hansgrohe supplied bathroom ﬁttings for the Gordon TAFE demonstration site, while REEFE provided the lift pump, and Barwon Asset Solutions provided the installation expertise. Such contributions underline how multi-layered cooperation enables ambitious trials.

“We have a superpower, and that is working together,” Plummer said.

“From local organisations to international partners, everyone has a role in this value chain. That collaboration is what makes innovation possible.”

The greywater trial is also a window into Intelligent Water Networks’ broader role. As a program of VicWater and a collective of all Victorian urban water corporations, TasWater

Jason Cotton, Program Director at the Intelligent Water Networks, opened the launch.

Images: Barwon Water

and the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, IWN acts as a catalyst for innovation across the sector. More than 50 active projects are currently underway, ranging from digital metering and pressure transient management to leak detection, biochar production from biosolids and the integration of renewable energy at treatment plants. By coordinating expertise from di erent utilities, IWN reduces duplication, shares lessons quickly and ensures new ideas are tested under real operating conditions.

Minister Gayle Tierney speaking at the launch of the Victorian Advanced Greywater Recycling System trial.

This networked model has already accelerated projects beyond greywater. Recent collaborations have explored how smart sensors can improve network resilience, how artificial intelligence can support predictive maintenance and how regional utilities can pool resources to trial emerging treatment processes. Each project adds to a culture where innovation is not siloed but shared, creating a foundation for system-wide improvements in water e ciency, safety and sustainability. Plummer also connected water management to fire preparedness. In her role with the CFA, she noted that drying conditions are increasing bushfire risks, and that smart water savings are crucial to managing both landscapes and taps.

Scaling from pilot to policy

While the greywater units are modest in size, the trial aims to inﬂuence policy and practice across the state. Reliable data from caravan parks, TAFE facilities and households will inform regulators about safety, consistency and cost.

Tierney acknowledged the need to adapt regulatory frameworks and training pathways but described the project as “highly relevant” to the challenges Victoria faces.

“It forces us to think outside the box,” she said. “It challenges regulators, trainers and industry alike. That stretch is where growth happens.”

The pilot sits in a broader policy context. The Premier’s Drought Taskforce is shaping resilience strategies, while the Water Minister’s Climate Innovation Challenge is encouraging new proposals from Victorian water authorities in partnership with industry and community groups.

Now reviewing entries, the Climate Innovation Challenge seeks projects that directly address the realities of climate change, including reduced inﬂows and rising demand, as well as energy use and emissions.

Greywater recycling is the kind of innovation that embodies its intent: practical, collaborative and designed to deliver measurable beneﬁts for households and businesses. By linking this trial with broader initiatives, the sector is signalling that climate adaptation will require not only centralised infrastructure but also distributed solutions that change how water is used at the source.

Building trust through community beneﬁt

Water projects succeed not only through engineering but through public conﬁdence.

By placing Hydraloop units in visible locations, such as Gordon TAFE, caravan parks, and homes with forward-thinking trial partners that are seeking new ways to become more sustainable with their water use, the trial demonstrates to communities what recycled water looks like in practice and why greywater should be valued as a valuable resource. Residents can see its safety and beneﬁts for themselves.

Couzens emphasised the value of this transparency. “It shows how collaborations with educational institutions bring real beneﬁts to communities. People can see the technology in action and know that it supports sustainability where they live.”

The Hydraloop trial does not replace the habits of residents but is designed to complement them, demonstrating how individual responsibility and systemic innovation must work in tandem to achieve e ective results.

Looking ahead

The Victorian Advanced Greywater Recycling System trial is still in its early stages, with performance results to come over the next year. But the atmosphere at its launch suggested a sector ready to act. Engineers, policymakers, trainers, and community leaders all emphasised the same point: water security requires new thinking, collective action, and more options.

The project will be judged not only on the litres saved, but also on how it shifts regulatory frameworks, workforce capabilities,

The lid of the Hydraloop has been removed to show how it works.

Joe Ormeno, CEO of Gordon TAFE, discussed the upskilling opportunities available to apprentices.

and community expectations. If successful, it could redeﬁne greywater recycling in homes and businesses across Australia.

Cotton closed the launch with words that captured both the urgency and the optimism: “These challenges are unprecedented, and they cannot be solved with existing mindsets. We need new ways of thinking and new ways of working together. That is exactly what this project represents.”

Water Treatment

Building trust in trading

Nutrient o setting could change how Australia manages river health. Eco Detection’s Je erson Harcourt explains how trading schemes might create ecological and economic gains.

NUTRIENT POLLUTION RARELY makes front-page news, yet it silently undermines the health of rivers, bays and estuaries.

Rising loads of nitrogen and phosphorus fuel algal blooms, damage aquatic life and cost communities millions in remediation.

For residents, these problems often appear suddenly, whether it is a closed beach, a ﬁsh kill, or a warning sign near a local waterway; however, the causes are often long in the making.

Managing these impacts has traditionally relied on regulation, with limits placed on the amount of discharge that industry, agriculture, or utilities may emit. This approach is practical to a point, but it can also be blunt and costly.

Some sectors ﬁnd it relatively easy to reduce their nutrient use, while others face steep expenses for marginal gains. That imbalance is driving interest in alternative approaches that can reward e ciency and innovation.

One approach is gaining momentum: nutrient o setting. Rather than mandating uniform

reductions, polluters and land managers could trade credits for proven improvements in water quality.

The model has parallels with carbon trading, but the outcomes are measured in cleaner rivers and bays rather than lower emissions.

Eco Detection Executive Director Je erson Harcourt believes the time has come for Australia to consider nutrient o setting not as theory, but as a practical approach.

Trading for cleaner rivers

At its core, nutrient o setting creates a market where pollution reductions become tradable assets.

Harcourt said the principle is straightforward.

“I think of nutrient o setting as creating incentives where one party that can reduce nutrients cheaply does so, then provides credits to another party that ﬁnds reductions more expensive,” he said.

“It does not replace regulation, but it adds ﬂexibility and e ciency to how targets are met.”

The urgency comes from the state of Australian waterways. Population

Managing river health is of ongoing concern for Australia.

Images: Eco Detection

growth, intensive agriculture and urban runo all contribute to rising nutrient loads.

“We cannot continue to rely on rainfall and natural ﬂushing,” Harcourt said.

“The loads entering catchments are too high, and they directly threaten the health of rivers and bays that Australians depend on.”

Australia is not starting from scratch. A number of nutrient trading schemes are already operational, o ering valuable lessons on governance, veriﬁcation, and community trust.

Harcourt believes those experiences demonstrate that o setting can be credible if the measurement is robust.

Internationally, programs in the United States and Europe have yielded similar outcomes, with trades reducing compliance costs while maintaining protection of water quality.

Collaboration builds conﬁdence Creating a credible scheme requires more than theory. Harcourt pointed to the Swimmable Birrarung 2050 project in Melbourne and restoration e orts in Queensland as fertile ground for pilots.

“The Reef Credit program in Queensland has shown tangible outcomes. Initiatives like this demonstrate that ecological

restoration can generate quantifiable benefits. If we can measure those benefits consistently, we can translate them into credits that have real market value,” he said.

Trading depends on transparency, which is why blockchain and digital platforms are being considered for managing transactions.

Harcourt said these tools are not about hype but about building conﬁdence.

“If a council, utility or business buys a nutrient credit, they need absolute assurance that the o set is real, permanent and veriﬁable. Measurement is generally better than methodology, as it’s direct, repeatable, and easier to audit,” he said.

Potential beneﬁciaries span various industries, including utilities seeking to expand their treatment plants, farmers enhancing land management, and developers balancing growth with environmental constraints, who could all participate.

“This is not a scheme that can sit within one utility. Banks, councils, regulators and landholders must all have conﬁdence in the system for it to scale,” Harcourt said.

Data drives accountability

Monitoring remains the foundation of any credible scheme, and in this space, Eco Detection has developed the IonQ+ platform, which integrates real-time and calibrated nutrient measurement into digital systems.

“I think measurement is the foundation of credibility,” Harcourt said. “Without highfrequency, independent data, there is no trust. Our technology captures nutrient ﬂows at the scale required to underpin trading, so that every credit rests on actual improvements in water quality.”

The question remains whether nutrient o setting is simply a

compliance tool or something more substantial. Harcourt sees potential for both.

“In some cases, o setting will help organisations meet licence conditions at lower cost. In others, it will unlock innovation in land management, restoration and even ﬁnance. The key is that it makes ecological beneﬁts tradable and therefore valuable,” he said.

Safeguards are crucial, and critics fear o setting could allow polluters to buy their way out of responsibility.

With the right rules, Harcourt said credits can be added to existing obligations rather than replacing them.

Frameworks developed by groups such as Arup and Water Ledger are shaping how credits can be standardised, veriﬁed and trusted by regulators and investors alike.

Pilots shape the future

The path from proof of concept to widespread adoption will take time.

“I do not think we will see a fullyfledged national market overnight. What we will see are pilot schemes that prove the concept, refine the safeguards and build confidence,” he said.

He estimated that the ﬁrst robust pilots could emerge within the next three to ﬁve years, with broader adoption possible later in the decade.

“Regulators will want evidence, and communities will want assurance.

ongoing nutrient testing without the need for hard-wired electronics.

Nutrient trading schemes are not dissimilar from emissions trading schemes.

That is why the early projects are so important, because they establish the playbook,” Harcourt said.

“I think nutrient o setting is about recognising that water quality is not just a cost, it is an asset.

“If we treat it that way, we can create markets that reward good behaviour, reduce compliance burdens and most importantly, deliver healthier rivers and bays for everyone.”

For more information, visit ecodetection.com

Solar panels allow for

Smarter sensing for septic systems

Real-time monitoring is reshaping how septic systems are managed, reducing truck rolls and improving wastewater outcomes across South Australia.

FOR MANY YEARS, septic tanks across South Australia’s wastewater network relied on manual inspection. Technicians would drive to the site, lift heavy lids, and make visual checks to decide if a tank needed emptying. The approach was safe enough in the early days when ﬂows were low, but as development grew, the margin for error shrank. Missed timings risked overﬂows, while unnecessary truck rolls cost money and time.

To address this, SA Water partnered with Australian IoT provider Kallipr on a project designed to automate septic tank monitoring across its network. The trial involves

equipping tanks with Kallipr’s Captis Recharge telemetry device paired with radar sensors. Instead of sending technicians to lift lids, the system now measures tank levels automatically and transmits data every 15 minutes. The live feed gives SA Water and its haulage contractors real-time visibility, replacing guesswork with actionable intelligence.

“Visual indicators worked when there were only a few tankering transactions each day,” Shannon Uern, SA Water’s Manager of Wastewater Planning, said. “But as volumes increased, we needed far

SA Water Kallipr Kloud dashboard showing RAG status for tanks needing emptying.

more accurate intelligence to avoid running right up to the spill point.”

SA Water explored a range of alternatives before settling on this approach.

Uern explained that his team had long experience with di erent depth and velocity measurement technologies, but these were not the right ﬁt for septic applications.

“We don’t need ﬂow measurement in this case, just depth measurement,” he said.

“What we wanted was a device that could give us reliable millimetre-level readings at a cost we could justify.”

Earlier attempts with other instruments had either lacked reliability in harsh environments or carried higher overheads. By contrast, the Captis Recharge o ered a practical balance of accuracy, durability, and a ordability.

Why septic tank level monitoring matters

Captis Recharge installed on a septic tank for SA Water monitoring when levels reach critical threshold.

Images: SA Water, Kallipr

Across the network, SA Water manages around 50 septic tanks. Each one once relied on guesswork and regular truck deployments. Today, the numbers are already substantial.

“We are doing approximately 130 loads per week at this stage, and that ﬁgure is forecast to increase

signiﬁcantly as more developments connect,” Uern said.

“Without accurate monitoring, each of those trips has the potential to be mistimed, either arriving too early when the tank doesn’t yet need emptying, or too late when it risks spilling.”

Those 130 weekly trips translate into hundreds of hours of driver time, fuel, and vehicle wear.

As volumes grow, the costs compound quickly. Septic tank level monitoring gives SA Water a way to match ﬂeet e ort to genuine demand, rather than running trucks on best guesses.

Technology delivering real-time beneﬁts

At the core of the project is a simple pairing: a radar sensor measuring tank depth, and Kallipr’s Captis Recharge telemetry unit transmitting that data back to a cloud interface. The sensor sits inside the tank, while a small solar panel above ground powers frequent transmissions. Data is captured every ﬁve minutes and aggregated into a 15-minute update cycle, o ering reliability in a portable, remote setting without the overhead of SCADA.

“The radar sensor collects the level measurement, while the Captis device transmits the data every 15 minutes over a cellular network,” Stelios Trikoulis, Chief Commercial O cer at Kallipr, said.

“Because the data refresh is so frequent, we used a small solar panel to power the unit. The form factor makes it easy to install without major infrastructure.”

For SA Water, the real breakthrough lies in how this technology reshapes operations. The utility developed a secure portal that gives haulage contractors direct access to live tank data.

“We’ve set up a simple tra c-light

system. Green is ﬁne, orange is alert, red is critical,” Uern said. “The haulers can schedule their trucks based on real intelligence. That means sending the right size truck at the right time, instead of making educated guesses.”

The beneﬁts extend well beyond scheduling. Contractors report greater e ciency and fewer wasted trips. The monitoring has also exposed hidden issues: stuck pumps, customer leaks, and stormwater intrusion, all revealed through abnormal tank behaviour. These insights allow SA Water to intervene earlier, preventing minor problems from escalating by the time wastewater reaches a treatment plant.

From trial to broader network value

What began as a targeted ﬁx for septic tanks is already part of a larger strategy. SA Water has rolled out smart sensing programs across its sewer and water networks for overﬂow prevention, asset planning, and stormwater management. Integrating septic tank level monitoring was a natural step.

“This is why it was so straightforward for us,” Uern said. “We already had the design platforms and reporting systems in place. Adding another use case was an extension of technology we knew and trusted.”

For Kallipr, the lesson is equally valuable.

“If utilities are starting from scratch, low-hanging fruit like this is a great ﬁrst step,” Trikoulis said. “You’re automating a manual task, which makes the business case easy to

Captis Recharge with solar panel and antenna installed on a septic tank for SA Water.

stand up. Once the systems are in place, adding new use cases becomes much simpler.”

Looking ahead for utilities

The success of septic tank level monitoring points to a wider trend in wastewater management. Portable, cellular IoT devices are ﬁlling the gaps that SCADA cannot reach — particularly in remote, temporary, or portable assets.

“I think we’ll continue to see new use cases emerge,” Trikoulis said. “Every few months, teams look at the technology and ﬁnd another way to apply it. These devices help digitise processes that were previously manual, giving utilities the smarts to make informed decisions.”

For SA Water, the focus is clear.

“Tankering has been quite reactive,” Uern said. “Now, with portable sensing, we can manage interim solutions more intelligently. Within months, we expect to more than double the number of sites using these devices.”

The project demonstrates how incremental innovation can deliver real-world savings and operational certainty. By combining reliable sensors with a practical data platform, SA Water has transformed a longstanding operational challenge into an opportunity for smarter planning.

“This approach has worked extremely well for us,” Uern said. “It gives our haulers the intelligence they need, reduces wasted e ort, and provides us with valuable insights we never had before.”

For more information, visit kallipr.com and sawater.com.au

FOCUS Digital Water

From scarcity to smart utility

Alex Beveridge, Area Vice President for Australia, New Zealand, Paciﬁc Islands and Strategic Markets at Itron, explores how smart water networks can help utilities respond to climate extremes, ageing assets, and digital-era demand.

AUSTRALIA HAS ALWAYS lived with the reality of water scarcity. Climate change is intensifying this pressure, bringing more frequent droughts, unpredictable rainfall and extreme weather events.

In August 2025, New South Wales experienced unprecedented rainfall with over 20 locations surpassing historical records, while neighbouring Victoria remained unusually dry, facing early bushﬁre risks. These extremes are now the norm, not the exception. But it’s not just nature reshaping

the water landscape. The rise of artiﬁcial intelligence (AI) and the digital economy is creating a new type of water demand.

Sydney Water estimates that within a decade, cooling AI-powered data centres could consume up to a quarter of the city’s annual drinking water supply.

Amid these growing pressures from households, industry and emerging technologies, how can Australia do better to future-proof its most essential resource?

Smart water networks use data and analytics to improve system visibility, detect leaks, and optimise infrastructure planning.

Images: Itron

Bridging the gap: Evolving a 20th-century network for the 21st century

Water is still largely managed as a static, supply-driven system. Utilities are expected to keep water ﬂowing while facing ageing pipes, historically limited infrastructure investment, and rising operational costs. Recognising this, capital expenditure on water infrastructure is now expected to double to over $10 billion annually by 2027 to accelerate the replacement of

ageing systems and keep pace with growing needs.

Given the dual pressures of rising demand and ageing infrastructure, water e ciency plays a critical role in the future, making it a more prudent expenditure than replacing or adding water infrastructure alone. Every drop saved, every leak prevented, and every informed operational decision matters. The question is: How can we shift from preventative water management to predictive, intelligent operations?

It’s time to treat water as a dynamic, demand-responsive network powered by more frequent data.

Smarter water starts with smarter data

The foundation for smarter water systems already exists – within the data water utilities collect every day. Operational, environmental, and customer data holds untapped potential to improve performance, extend asset life, and optimise decision-making.

Solutions like Itron’s Temetra platform, in partnership with advanced analytics tools such as VODA.ai, are enabling utilities to detect leaks, forecast demand, and prioritise pipe renewals. They’re not just delivering e ciency today; they’re laying the foundation for the intelligent water networks of tomorrow.

Real-world e ciency

Across Australia, water utilities are under growing pressure to meet regulatory, environmental and economic targets. For example:

• Over a ﬁve-year period, utilities reported 1,251 gigalitres of nonrevenue water loss – about nine per cent of system input.

• The Victorian Government aims to return nearly 100 gigalitres of water to major rivers in the Central and Gippsland regions by 2035.

• In Western Australia, urban water demand is projected to rise from ~614 gigalitres in 2022–23 to as much as 1,000 gigalitres by 2050, despite e ciency gains. Meeting these targets requires solutions that give utilities more granular visibility and control over their water networks, for the beneﬁt of their customers. Advanced metering, real-time analytics, and

AI-driven forecasting help utilities:

• Break down data silos and improve system visibility

• Detect and address leaks before they escalate

• Prioritise infrastructure investments where they’ll have the greatest impact

In Cairns, Itron’s collaboration with the Regional Council has already helped modernise water distribution, improving leak detection and optimising water use across the region – proof that data-led e ciency is not a future concept, but a present reality.

Building Australia’s water future, today

Climate extremes, ageing infrastructure, and a data-hungry digital economy are not future challenges – they are today’s reality. But they also represent a moment of opportunity.

By harnessing data and digital innovation now, utilities can transform water from a vulnerable resource into a resilient, intelligent utility – capable of adapting in real-time, meeting rising demand, and supporting both communities and technologies of the future.

Australia doesn’t just need more water – it needs smarter water. And the future starts with the data we already have.

For more information, visit aunz.itron.com

Alex Beveridge, Area Vice President for Australia, New Zealand, Paciﬁc Islands and Strategic Markets at Itron.

FOCUS Digital Water

AI and digital twins in action

Digital twins and AI are reshaping how water networks operate, driving resilience, e ciency, and sustainable service delivery.

IN AUSTRALIA’S WATER sector, the pressure to balance ageing assets, rising energy costs, and increasing customer expectations continues to intensify. Utilities and regulators alike are searching for ways to build resilience without overburdening their workforces or budgets. Among the most promising approaches is the deployment of digital twins and artiﬁcial intelligence (AI), which are moving beyond pilot projects into operational reality.

Rather than being abstract concepts, these tools are already improving performance in real-world settings.

In Western Australia, Water Corporation and SUEZ partnered to demonstrate how digital solutions can change the way entire networks are managed. The results suggest that smarter, data-driven operations may soon become the norm rather than the exception.

As utilities test these technologies, the most striking change is the move from hindsight to foresight. Instead of reacting after alarms are triggered or systems reach critical thresholds, operators are beginning to anticipate problems before they surface. This

shift not only reduces operational risk but also reshapes expectations of what good network management looks like. It is this transition from reactive control rooms to predictive operations centres that highlights the practical value of digital twins.

From reactive to predictive operations

Water utilities have long relied on manual interventions to respond to issues in their networks. Whether it was adjusting pump schedules or reacting to sudden changes in demand, the focus was often on ﬁreﬁghting rather than foresight. Digital twins shift this paradigm.

Ben Lister, Senior Technical Advisor for Water Corporation, said the concept is both simple and powerful.

“A digital twin, for us, is a datadriven representation of our water infrastructure and operations,” Lister said.

“It allows us to simulate, monitor, and optimise our systems in real time. Practically, it means predictive visibility for water balancing, contingency readiness, and more informed decision-making across our scheme.”

The volume of water storages are a key factor in determining how the digital twins operate. Images: SUEZ Australia and New Zealand, Water Corporation

By moving from reactive control to predictive insights, Water Corporation has been able to manage the challenges of Western Australia’s reactive energy market. The shift has freed up control room sta to focus on complex problem-solving rather than repetitive adjustments.

Co-designing solutions with utilities

Evan Atkinson, Head of Digital Australia and New Zealand, SUEZ, emphasised that the success of these projects depends on close collaboration.

Ben Lister is the Senior Technology Advisor of Water Operations at Water Corporation. Image: Water Corporation

“For SUEZ, digital transformation means moving from manual, reactive processes to data-driven, forwardlooking insights,” Atkinson said.

“Every utility’s ambitions in this area are di erent, and it’s about ﬁnding the right next step for that organisation and working together to make it happen.”

Atkinson explained that a one-team approach is essential. By co-designing with utilities, the solutions reﬂect operational realities rather than generic templates.

This method was applied on the Goldﬁelds pipeline, a 560-kilometre lifeline stretching from Perth to Kalgoorlie. With 90 pumps across the system, traditional operations demanded around 1,000 manual interventions per day. Automation and analytics have since cut that burden in half, enabling sta to redirect their e orts toward improving performance elsewhere in the network.

The approach is not limited to large-scale assets. SUEZ also delivered projects with SA Water that consolidate fragmented plant data into actionable dashboards. These tools demonstrate that digital twins can be scaled from pipelines stretching across states to the water treatment plants serving metropolitan areas.

Real savings, real impact

The ﬁnancial implications of digital twins are already clear. Lister said a trial across two pump stations delivered about $300,000 in savings over one year and have made a further $500,000 within ﬁve months since expanding to the whole system, with projected annual savings of $1.2 million. Those savings came from aligning pump schedules with live energy market data, avoiding costly peak tari s, and negotiating new tari structures with the local utility.

“This initiative has fundamentally

changed how we use energy, making our operations more sustainable and cost-e ective,” Lister said.

“It’s enabled us to optimise assets in ways that simply weren’t possible before.”

Beyond cost, the technology also supports workforce capability. Rather than replacing expertise, AI tools provide operators and engineers with richer information, helping them apply their knowledge more e ectively. Sta are increasingly able to dedicate time to proactive analysis, planning, and control room initiatives, creating a more engaging and rewarding workplace.

Data, trust, and adoption

Every digital twin relies on highquality, integrated data.

Water Corporation invested heavily in telemetry upgrades and data governance before rolling out the project. That foundation ensured reliable inputs and built sta conﬁdence in the system’s recommendations.

Even with robust data, change management was critical.

“Some sta were initially cautious about relying on AI-driven recommendations,” Lister said. “We addressed this through training and

The tyranny of distance means that truly understanding your network is critical.

involving teams early in the process.

A year-long trial gave controllers the chance to see the system in action before we scaled it up.”

Atkinson echoed that sentiment.

“The challenge in these projects is often not the technology,” he said.

“It’s about implementing it well, ensuring acceptance, and managing the cultural shift in how networks are run.”

Importantly, water projects that implement digital twins require ongoing investment in data stewardship.

Utilities must ensure that systems remain reliable, with clear processes for validating telemetry and integrating new data streams. Without this backbone, predictive insights can quickly lose accuracy, undermining trust in the tools and slowing adoption.

Looking ahead

For both organisations, the beneﬁts extend beyond cost savings. The use of digital twins in the water industry promises faster responses to incidents, improved asset e ciency, and greater resilience in the face of uncertainty.

The Goldﬁelds and Agricultural Region are the ﬁrst proving ground, but lessons from the project are informing future opportunities across Australia.

As utilities embrace digital tools, the question is no longer whether such approaches work, but how they can be scaled. Atkinson is optimistic about what lies ahead.

“I’m really interested in how AI will change our approach,” Atkinson said.

Evan Atkinson is the Head of Digital Australia and New Zealand, SUEZ.

“The expectation is rising, and that’s a good thing. People are asking what we can do with these tools, and that opens a lot of doors for the future.”

For more information, visit suez.com and watercorporation.com.au

How the numbers stack up

Taggle Systems explores how digital water meters are stacking up the savings, improving sustainability and transforming customer service for utilities.

ACROSS AUSTRALIA AND around the world, water utilities face pressure to use resources more e ciently, cut operating costs, and deliver better customer outcomes.

Digital water meters, often called “smart meters,” have become a vital tool in achieving these goals. They o er real-time or near-real-time data on water use, helping utilities detect leaks, minimise water loss, and engage customers more actively.

But before adopting this technology, the ﬁrst step is to build a strong business case for rolling out our digital water meters. Utilities and councils are always concerned about whether the ﬁnancials add up.

The answer is usually a rmative, but with caveats. A robust business case hinges on quantifying both the hard economic beneﬁts and the softer social, customer, and environmental beneﬁts.

Building

the business case

A compelling business case for digital water meters typically considers two types of benefits. Firstly, it must show measurable savings and revenue gains that directly a ect the utility’s financial outcomes. These include avoided costs (such as manual meter reading), revenue protection (by reducing underregistration), and capital e ciency (postponing investments in water network infrastructure). There are also softer or strategic benefits that are harder to quantify in dollar terms but o er long-term value. These include customer goodwill, enhanced regulatory compliance, sustainability outcomes, and better decision-making enabled by data.

The economic model typically compares upfront costs (such as meters, communications, systems,

Digital water meters can track real water use, ensuring that every drop is accounted for.

Image: Taggle

and installation) with the ongoing benefits. If utilities have reliable baseline data on leaks, meter reading costs, and network capacity, they can confidently quantify benefits and implement at scale.

Non-revenue

water reduction

Non-revenue water (NRW) refers to water that is produced but not billed due to leaks, theft, or metering inaccuracies. Globally, NRW averages about 25 to 30 per cent, and in some Australian utilities, it is even higher.

Digital meters help reduce NRW by providing high-resolution data that detects leaks at both network and household levels. Continuous monitoring enables utilities to identify bursts early, respond more swiftly, and reduce the duration of leaks. Even a modest reduction in NRW of two to three per cent can lead to signiﬁcant savings in production costs and better sustainability.

In the business case, the extent of NRW reduction is often a key factor. Utilities with high existing NRW stand to beneﬁt the most ﬁnancially.

Customer leak rebates

Many utilities o er rebates or bill adjustments to customers who unknowingly lose water due to concealed leaks. While these programs are designed to protect customers, they pose a ﬁnancial burden to the utility.

Digital meters enable the near real-time detection of continuous ﬂows, allowing utilities to alert customers before leaks result in large bills and rebate claims. Preventing just a fraction of rebate payouts can save hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

Manual meter reads

Traditional meter reading is labourintensive, requiring sta to drive or walk routes, access yards, and manage

occupational health and safety risks. Costs include wages, vehicles, fuel, and related administration.

Digital meters remove or greatly reduce the need for manual readings by automatically transmitting consumption data. Utilities can redeploy meter readers into highervalue roles, lower vehicle expenses, and improve billing accuracy.

For many councils, this alone justiﬁes a signiﬁcant share of the investment. If a utility spends $10 per meter annually on manual reading, removing that cost across tens of thousands of meters presents a compelling business case.

Incorrect measurements

Mechanical meters tend to lose accuracy over time, often underestimating water usage as they age. Studies show that by year 10, some meters may under-record by between 5 and 10 per cent. For utilities, this represents a hidden revenue leak, as water is consumed but not billed.

Ultrasonic digital meters maintain accuracy for longer, and their data can also highlight abnormal consumption patterns that may indicate tampering or bypassing. By addressing under-registration, utilities protect revenue streams without raising tari s.

This driver is especially important for utilities with older meter ﬂeets, as replacing failing meters with digital ones can yield an immediate uplift in billed consumption.

Deferring capital expenditure

Water utilities face large capital costs to expand treatment plants, reservoirs, and pipelines as populations grow. However, not all growth needs immediate new infrastructure.

By using digital meters to reduce leaks, optimise pressure

management, and smooth demand peaks through consumer awareness, utilities can get more value from their existing networks. This delays or skips costly capital works, e ectively “sweating the assets” longer.

Mackay Regional Council, an early adopter of digital metering, used technology from Taggle, which cut peak demand by 14 per cent. This decrease allowed them to defer building a $100 million water treatment plant by 10 years and counting. The plant still isn’t needed. While that capital expenditure (CAPEX) may be spent someday, the council is currently saving 10 years of operational costs, which provides a signiﬁcant beneﬁt.

Rollout strategy:

Data-driven decisions

The key lesson in building the business case is that numbers are important. Utilities with solid baseline data can conﬁdently model beneﬁts and justify a full rollout.

For instance, if NRW is known to be 25 per cent and leak rebate costs are well documented, the ﬁnancial upside of digital meters becomes evident.

Trials conﬁrm assumptions, test technology, and boost conﬁdence,

Network meters and district metered areas help quantify and locate nonrevenue water.

Image: Taggle

Water leaks like this can be hidden underground, costing you money and water.

Image: eakstocker/ stock.adobe.com

both internally and externally. These pilot programs don’t need to be large; even a few hundred or a thousand meters can provide statistically meaningful insights.

Trials should be carried out in one or more District Metered Areas to create a “microcosm” of future digital utility operations. Once the data backs the business case and lessons are learned from a small trial, the utility can then scale up with conﬁdence.

Soft beneﬁts beyond the economics

While hard financial metrics influence boardroom decisions, soft benefits should not be overlooked. These include customer engagement, sustainability, operational e ciency, regulatory compliance, and reputation. These advantages often enhance the case in intangible yet convincing ways, particularly with community stakeholders.

The business case for digital water meters is compelling, but it depends on quantifying benefits through data. The five key drivers form the economic backbone. When utilities have data to model these benefits, deciding to roll out the initiative is straightforward.

Ultimately, digital water meters are more than just a technology upgrade; they are a strategic investment in e ciency, sustainability, and customer service.

For utilities willing to embrace data, the figures add up, and the long-term benefits flow to both the organisation and the communities it serves.

For more information, visit taggle.com

The global stage for trenchless innovation

New Zealand International Convention Centre, Auckland 28 – 29 October 2026

EXHIBIT NOW

Tasmania’s water future

Making every drop count, Minister Gavin Pearce highlights how irrigation projects and smart planning are shaping Tasmania’s water future.

RIGHT ACROSS TASMANIA, we know that water security is a game changer for our farmers, producers and local economies – and we need more of it.

That’s why the Tasmanian Government is delivering a range of intergenerational water infrastructure projects that provide safe and reliable water for our regions.

Through these investments, we’re seeing jobs created, security provided, and productivity boosted.

At the end of September, water began ﬂowing through our new $7 million Ellendale water supply pipeline.

In recent years, the town of Ellendale regularly had to rely on water carting in summer. This new pipeline will ensure high-quality water is available year-round, providing a signiﬁcant boost in resilience and conﬁdence for the community, both on the farm and at home.

We have another three National Water Grid Water Infrastructure for Sustainable and E cient Regions projects, similar to this one, in the works around Tasmania, ensuring our regions have access to secure and reliable water for all 365 days of the year.

Importantly, we are also progressing from milestone to milestone as we continue to deliver the Northern

Midlands Irrigation Scheme project. When Tasmanian Irrigation delivers the ﬁrst water in the summer of 2026-27, this project will transform the entire region, underpin job growth, drive new on-farm investment, and support economic growth, as we have seen throughout Tasmania as schemes come online.

In early 2021, the Tasmanian Government developed a blueprint for the proper management of its water resources, known as the Rural Water Use Strategy.

The Strategy was developed to address emerging and future challenges, including increasing demand and competition for water as some catchments approach full allocation, the growing needs of water-dependent industries and population growth, the protection of environmental values, and the impacts of climate change on water reliability.

The Rural Water Use Strategy provides a comprehensive framework for the future of water management in Tasmania, aiming to ensure integrated, fair, and e cient regulation of water resources, deliver sustainable outcomes for rural water users, communities, and the environment, and maintain Tasmania’s competitive edge in the face of climate change.

In late 2024, we released our Rural

CBD and Waterfront in Tasmania

Image: FiledIMAGE/ stock.adobe.com

Gavin Pearce is the Minister for Primary Industries and Water.

Image: Department of Premier and Cabinet, Tasmania

Water Use Strategy progress report, highlighting the key work being done to implement the Strategy in collaboration with our water management agencies.

The Report highlighted key advancements, including the completion of a review of Tasmania’s water accountability framework, the development of water security strategies for King and Flinders Islands, and the enactment of the Water Miscellaneous Amendments (Delegation and Industrial Water Supply) Act 2023.

Our Government is steadfast in its approach to water delivery, and we remain committed to advancing our irrigation agenda by providing water where it is needed, so our farmers can focus on their work.

Hobart

Values opening the door to all

By focusing on values and transferable skills rather than rigid technical requirements, Interﬂow is opening up new pathways for women to build lasting careers in the water sector.

GENDER EQUITY IS widely recognised as a meaningful way to foster better outcomes for workers, customers, and the community. While targets and quotas play an essential role in keeping diversity on the agenda, many organisations are left wondering what they can do to attract and retain more women.

Leading pipeline infrastructure company, Interﬂow, may have a solution. By building a team based not solely on technical prowess but on shared values and behaviours, they have been able to welcome a diversity of perspectives into the business.

Inclusion begins with the hiring process

The key to attracting a diverse workforce to any industry is breaking down the barriers to entry.

One such barrier in the water sector is the idea that an engineering degree is indispensable for project management roles.

Interﬂow is challenging this by shifting the conversation from ‘who is most qualiﬁed for the job?’ to ‘who is best for the team, who will add to the culture and bring new ideas?’

Chris Godsil, Operations Manager

The team at Interﬂow thrives on the values that drive the business forward.

Images: Interﬂow

Chris Godsil (left) is the Operations Manager for Interﬂow.

at Interﬂow, said the company had previously achieved success in bringing people from the ﬁeld into traditional engineering and project management roles.

“We took that idea and cast the net wider, outside of the engineering industry,” he said.

“We were looking for people from any industry with strong value and behaviour alignment with Interﬂow, people who could communicate and build trust.”

“Technical skills can be developed through training and on-the-job experience. What’s important to us is that behaviour alignment and transferable skills.”

These skills and behaviours were evident in Sam Woods, who made the move from retail to become a project coordinator at Interﬂow.

“In my previous role, I was a project manager in a very di erent sector,” she said.

“I have key skills like communication, stakeholder engagement and managing timelines and budgets. These have really helped me in my new role.”

Before taking the leap and switching industries, Woods was given the opportunity to visit a site and get a ﬁrsthand feel for what she was signing on to.

“It was actually Chris that recommended I go out on site and see what we do,” she said.

“Usually, when you change roles, you make that decision based on what you think you know about it. So, seeing a construction site and seeing, realistically, what I’d be managing, meeting the people I’d be working with – that sealed the deal for me.”

Interﬂow’s shift in focus from technical to transferable skills has been proven to encourage more women through the door. Just as important is providing clear career pathways that enable women to stay and thrive once they reach their goals.

“One of the factors that made me interested in the role was that I could see the progression here,” Woods said.

“That came from conversations I’d had and from looking at who was already at Interﬂow and where they had come from.

“It made the risk of changing industries so much easier, knowing there was so much room to grow.”

Supporting careers, supporting lives

“About 10 years ago, I was a chef,” said Interﬂow Contracts Administrator Teia Comelli. “I had no work-life balance. I wanted to change my career.”

Comelli’s search for a more balanced life led her to a new career in the water industry.

“Eventually I found myself at Interﬂow and went straight into the ﬁeld, straight into the ground and got my hands dirty.”

Over time, Comelli’s changing life circumstances necessitated a role that could adapt to her needs.

“My partner and I wanted to extend the family by one,” she said.

When Comelli fell pregnant, she transitioned from the ﬁeld into an administrative role. The transition set her up for an easy return to work after being on parental leave.

“I got a phone call asking if I’d like to jump into a similar role to what I was doing before I went on leave, which was organising training for the crews.”

Like Woods, Comelli had a core set of skills that could be applied to other roles.

“She had a unique insight from working in the ﬁeld,” Godsil said. “But

By having a culture that focuses on values rather than rigid technical requirements, Interﬂow is positioned as a leader in the ﬁeld.

perhaps more importantly, Comelli was aligned to the behaviours and values we look for at Interﬂow. It was really important to us that we support her to stay in the business.”

Comelli was o ered a position that leveraged her skills while providing the ﬂexibility she needed at this stage of her life.

“It was perfect for me because I understood the training that was needed, the crew dynamics, and how to structure the training to reduce the impact of it on their work.

“The role had the ﬂexibility of being able to work from home, the ﬂexibility to take my little one to doctors’ appointments. Taking it was a no-brainer.”

Beneﬁts beyond the talent pipeline Interﬂow’s simple change of approach has solved two problems: it has opened the talent pool in a competitive market and created a pathway for women to enter the water industry.

In practice, Godsil said, the beneﬁts extend even further.

“Exposure to di erent leadership styles gained from other industries will unlock potential in our teams and enable them to be their best,” he said.

“At a time when our industry faces complex issues like water a ordability, water security, and climate change, the more diverse our thinking, the better position we’re in to tackle them.”

Also apparent is the impact that value and behaviour-led recruiting has had on the culture at Interﬂow.

“We have seen a real uplift in culture and retention,” Godsil said.

“You walk around the o ce, and there’s this really nice buzz because people feel they are working towards something they truly believe in. That’s pretty special.”

For more information, visit interﬂow.com

Sam Woods is a project coordinator.

FOCUS Water Conservation Partnering for global water security

Australian knowhow is driving global collaboration, with utilities, researchers and communities contributing insights that help partners adapt to climate extremes and secure reliable water for the future.

THE STORMS ARRIVE harder, the dry spells last longer, and cities grow faster than pipes and policies can keep up. This is the context in which global water security will rise or fall. For utilities, regulators and engineers, the question has shifted from whether climate change matters to how to design systems that can live with it. The opportunity is sobering but real.

If science is linked with community knowledge, and ﬁnance with fair governance, fragile supply lines can be turned into resilient ones. Australia has something distinctive to o er, drawn from decades of hard lessons in scarcity and variability.

Water is often described as the great connector, shaping agriculture, health, energy, trade and ecosystems in equal measure. When supply falters, the ripple e ects spread beyond a single utility or community.

Partnerships provide the glue that holds these interdependent systems together. Australia’s experience in dealing with scarcity shows that long-term collaboration between governments, industries and researchers can stabilise fragile systems and guide reform. This experience is not a template to be copied, but a set of lessons that can be shared, adapted and reﬁned with

partners across the Indo-Paciﬁc. For many communities, that exchange means the di erence between resilience and decline.

Why global water security needs partnerships

“Partnerships do not happen just because people want to work together,” Sarah Ransom said. “There is a whole lot of science and practice around how you broker them so they succeed.”

Ransom’s career explains why she values this skill. She began as a lawyer and diplomat, trained as a mediator, and worked on

Sarah Ransom is the General Manager of the Australian Water Partnership. Image: eWater

peace processes before turning to development partnerships. That background gave her a practical appreciation for justice, power dynamics and co-design, lessons she now applies in the water sector.

Ransom leads the Australian Water Partnership, a DFAT-funded program implemented by eWater Group that mobilises Australian expertise for the Indo-Paciﬁc.

“Climate change is now everywhere in the work,” she said.

“Too much water, too little water or water of the wrong quality is the familiar story, but we are also seeing water’s role in mitigation

Sarah Ransom chairing a panel at the Mekong River Commission Summit, Vientiane, Laos, March 2023.

Image: Mekong River Commission

FOCUS Water Conservation

From World Water Week to action

At World Water Week in Stockholm, the theme “water for climate action” placed global water security at the centre of both adaptation and mitigation. Ransom and her team supported the Indigenous peoples focus and joined a sunrise swim celebrating the ﬁrst United Nations World Lake Day, a reminder of why clean, swimmable waters matter to people as well as policy.

“The urgency stepped up this year,” she said. “Funding is tight, but the energy to work across sectors is growing. Young leaders are bringing ideas and momentum that the sector needs.”

Looking ahead, Australia and Paciﬁc partners have bid to co-host COP31 in 2026. If successful, that gathering will put water for climate action on a practical stage for the region. For organisations tracking global water security, it is a chance to translate session rooms into project pipelines.

Australian partners in the ﬁeld Global water security is not abstract for Australian ﬁrms and agencies already working with AWP.

WaterAid brings WASH delivery experience and sector strengthening in low-income settings.

CSIRO contributes basin-scale science, including integrated studies in Bangladesh.

GHD provides design and advisory capacity across utilities and infrastructure.

The Bureau of Meteorology supports forecasting and water assessments that underpin decisions. Universities, such as Melbourne, add policy and management research.

The Australian Water Association connects this community through programs from Vietnam to the Paciﬁc.

Ransom also points overseas partners to Australia’s lived experience. Drought management, operating under extreme variability, and two decades of Murray–Darling Basin reform resonate with peers.

“We try to be humble. There is still work to do, including with First Nations engagement,” she said.

“But the integration of science, economics, politics and community engagement in basin-scale reform is of real interest internationally.”

Utilities are noticed too, from circular economy projects to credible net zero pathways.

Skills, ﬁnance and the road ahead for global water security

Practical partnering skills are now strategic. Ransom and her team are renewing AWP’s 250-plus partner network, opening regular calls for proposals, and investing in long-term country relationships so activities

Sheryl Hedges, Assistant Secretary First Nations Water Branch, DCCEEW (Australia), Inger Axio Albinsson, President of Stockholm Sami Association (Sweden) and Helena Thybell, Executive Director, Stockholm International Water Institute (Sweden) speaking at the First Nations High Level Panel at World Water Week 2025 Image: Stockholm International Water Institute

are co-designed and measured for impact. The program is entering Phase 3 under eWater’s management after an open re-tender, with a brief to deepen climate integration and pursue a more sustainable funding footing.

“Global water security is also a literacy issue,” Ransom argued.

“Australians do not always see the skill, planning and care that keeps their taps running. If water links to the climate agenda in a way people feel, we can build the mandate for investment.”

She added that inclusive practice is not an add-on. Designing with gender equality, disability and social inclusion in mind improves project quality and legitimacy.

For those asking how to help, the pathway is clear: join the partner network, watch for AWP calls, and bring core skills. That applies to engineers and planners, and also to economists, communicators and facilitators. As Ransom put it, Australia’s contribution to global water security begins with real people doing real work together.

“Follow your passion, learn your trade, and stay open to opportunities. There is a lot of work to do and your skills are needed.”

For more information, visit australianwaterpartnership.org.au

FOCUS Products

Global technology, local service

Ecient water operations depend on reliable air and power. CAPS delivers solutions designed for Australia’s needs, backed by global expertise.

FOR WATER UTILITIES and industrial operators, downtime is expensive.

From aeration tanks to pumping stations, reliable compressed air and power systems keep plants running safely. That reliability depends on technology suited to the task and backed by strong local support.

CAPS has worked with Australian industries for more than 45 years, providing compressors, blowers and power generation systems that are matched to operational needs. Since joining the global Ingersoll Rand family in 2024, the company has combined international expertise with a nationwide footprint.

“Australian water and wastewater plants demand equipment that can handle harsh conditions,” said Glenn McIntyre, Managing Director at CAPS.

“Our compressors and generators are engineered for long service life, and our service teams ensure that performance is sustained over decades.”

Choosing the right compressor

Selecting a compressor is not just about output. Safety standards, energy e ciency and integration with treatment processes all matter. Water managers face a wide choice of technologies, each with di erent beneﬁts.

CAPS provides reciprocating, rotary screw, oil-free rotary screw, portable diesel and centrifugal compressors, helping clients identify the best ﬁt. By drawing on international brands including Ingersoll Rand, AIRMAN, Sauer, Pedro Gil and Next Turbo Technologies, the company ensures that solutions are not limited to a single manufacturer.

“Every treatment plant has its own requirements,” McIntyre said.

“We take the time to understand those needs and conﬁgure systems that will meet them reliably and cost-e ectively.”

CAPS engineered air solutions installed to maintain continuous operation at a treatment facility. Images: CAPS Australia

Air

solutions for treatment processes

Compressed air is essential across wastewater operations.

From aeration basins to backwashing ﬁlters, blowers drive critical processes. CAPS supplies positive displacement, multistage centrifugal and single-stage centrifugal turbo blowers suited to di erent plant designs and ﬂow rates.

Aeration alone accounts for a signiﬁcant share of a wastewater plant’s energy use, so e cient blowers are central to controlling operating costs. Selecting the right unit can reduce electricity consumption while maintaining dissolved oxygen levels that support biological treatment.

The company also delivers engineered nitrogen and oxygen generation systems, enabling utilities to produce gases on site rather than rely on deliveries. This can reduce costs and improve resilience for operators in regional locations.

Filtration technology for water

CAPS has partnered with German manufacturer Bollfilter to supply a range of automatic, manual, duplex and simplex filters, as well as membranes and fine filter units. These solutions extend beyond water to applications in chemicals and petroleum, but in the water sector they play a key role in keeping systems free of contaminants and operating e ciently.

“Filtration is a vital part of any treatment process,” said McIntyre.

“By working with a global partner like Bollﬁlter, we can provide operators with proven options that integrate seamlessly into their plants.”

Reliable power supply

Uninterrupted power is essential for water treatment, pumping and monitoring facilities. CAPS supplies generators that support manufacturing, healthcare, data centres, utilities and independent power stations.

As Australia’s number one supplier of Airman products and the o cial distributor of Mitsubishi Generator Series (MGS), CAPS provides a wide range of outputs.

The Mitsubishi “MGS-R” series, manufactured in Japan, is designed for rapid startup within 10 seconds and can handle a full load in a single step.

CAPS also delivers solutions suited to Australian conditions, including Airman box-type compressors and generators designed for heavy-duty outdoor work. They have options for truck or trailer mounting allow for mobile deployment, while automatic operation ensures rapid power restoration during outages. For remote communities or utilities managing long distribution networks, these features can mean the di erence between a short disruption and a prolonged outage.

Custom engineering solutions

Beyond o -the-shelf units, CAPS designs custom systems through its in-house engineering team and ISO9001-accredited manufacturing facility in Australia.

Packages can integrate compressors, generators and blowers in conﬁgurations tailored to client speciﬁcations.

The engineering team manages design, development and testing, reducing installation times with plugand-play capability. Where possible, new technology can be integrated into existing facilities to extend the life of infrastructure and enhance performance. This is particularly valuable for utilities balancing modernisation with the need to maximise return on long-term assets.

Local support and rental options

Founded in Western Australia in 1980, CAPS now operates 10 branches across the country. Its service programs include 24/7 maintenance and breakdown response, backed by nationwide parts availability. The CAPS Care program provides diagnostic and preventive maintenance tailored to client operations.

“Technology alone is not enough,” McIntyre said. “What gives our clients conﬁdence is knowing that trained technicians are available at any hour to keep plants operating.”

For organisations without the capital to invest upfront, CAPS also o ers rental options for compressors and generators. These ﬂexible packages help cover seasonal peaks, special projects or emergency

CAPS rental power solutions featuring Mitsubishi generator technology for critical infrastructure.

breakdowns. In the water sector, rentals are often used during plant upgrades, where temporary systems maintain operations while permanent infrastructure is installed.

Global technology, suited to local conditions

With a presence in every major state, CAPS delivers global solutions that are proven in water and wastewater applications. Its integration into the Ingersoll Rand group adds ﬁnancial strength and international backing, while its local branches ensure customers receive immediate support.

“Our role is to keep Australia’s water and wastewater systems operating with conﬁdence,” McIntyre said.

“That commitment drives every solution we deliver.”

For more information, visit www.caps.com.au

An example of an engineered skid solution, developed and delivered by CAPS.

The lighter side of water

To ﬁnish each issue, we aim to look at the lighter side of water and water-related issues. If you’ve seen an amusing story, let us know so we can consider it for the next issue.

The thirsty truth behind booze and its sober cousins

They say alcohol dehydrates you. That may be true for your body, but when it comes to making the stu , breweries and wineries are among the most hydrated workplaces around. And now, with the rise of zero-proof beer and alcohol-free wine, you might imagine the water savings are bubbling over. Sorry to break it to you, but the H₂O bill is still hefty.

Let’s start with beer. Behind every frothy pint lies more water than you’d think. Modern breweries typically use between 3 and 7 litres of water to make one litre of beer in the plant itself. It’s mostly for cleaning, cooling, and keeping those shiny tanks spotless.

Giants like Asahi have reported averages as low as 2.82 litres of water per litre of beer. In comparison, Carlsberg’s Fredericia brewery in Denmark has halved its input to about 1.4 litres per litre thanks to recycling wizardry. Not bad, considering older breweries might have sloshed through ﬁve litres or more for that same pint.

Now here’s the twist: non-alcoholic beer isn’t really a shortcut. To

make most “zeros,” brewers still brew a full batch of beer (grains, hops, fermentation and all), then remove the alcohol with processes like reverse osmosis or vacuum distillation. Those extra steps don’t guzzle oceans, but they do need more energy and a splash of water. So, while your body thanks you the next morning, the planet doesn’t get a dramatic rebate. In water terms, a zero-proof lager looks an awful lot like its regular cousin. Wine, meanwhile, plays by its own vineyard rules. Studies in Italy and elsewhere suggest a water footprint of roughly 600 to 800 litres per litre of wine once you tally up rainfall, irrigation, and winery use. That means your innocent 125-millilitre glass of red might be carrying an invisible price tag of 100 litres of water. Most of that is “green water,” rainfall absorbed by the soil, but in drier regions, irrigation can be a signiﬁcant drain. Inside the winery itself, the operational water use is relatively small, around 10 to 15 litres per litre of wine, primarily for cleaning barrels and rinsing equipment. And what about alcohol-free

Do you know how much water is needed to make zeroalcohol beer? Image: wilker/stock. adobe.com

wine? Sadly for the eco-conscious teetotaller, it doesn’t start life as a magical grape juice that somehow skips fermentation. It’s real wine, fully fermented, then sent through spinning cones or ﬁltration to strip out the alcohol. In other words, the full water bill comes due before the alcohol even thinks about leaving. The only savings are in your liver. So, do zero-proof drinks quench the world’s thirst? Not really. The true water guzzlers in beer and wine are the crops in the ﬁeld, not the tinkering in the cellar or brewery. Whether you drink a full-bodied shiraz or its sober sibling, most of the water footprint has already been racked up by sun, soil, and irrigation pipes.

That said, there’s still reason to raise a glass responsibly. Breweries are pushing toward ever leaner water ratios, wineries are recycling and using drip irrigation, and drinkers are enjoying more choice than ever. If you really want the most water-e cient beverage? Stick with tap water and a slice of lemon: it’s the one drink that consistently delivers on both hydration and sustainability.