| |
|
NSW irrigation business tracks nicely |
CENTRAL western NSW water company Watertrack Pty Limited is celebrating its recent win in the Product Innovation category as part of the national 2008 savewater! awards®.
A judging panel of 45 water experts from throughout Australia selected WaterTrack at the August 29 event in Melbourne as the winner from more than 800 entries submitted by 37 finalists.
The judges said: "WaterTrack was awarded the honour because of the critical nature of water savings and management in agriculture. In a drying climate, targeting water management for farmers is a winning strategy."
The savewater! awards® recognise the outstanding water conservation achievements of businesses, government, schools, local communities and individuals across Australia.
The savewater! awards® seek to acknowledge and facilitate the promotion of excellence in sustainable water practices, encourage innovation and action by organisations, and further the cause of sustainability through water practices.
Watertrack Pty Limited, a joint venture between Aquatech Consulting (Narrabri), Sustainable Soils Management (Warren) and Scolari Software (Dubbo), is specifically designed for irrigators (or their consultants) to assist them in calculating a daily water balance over their farm which, until now, has been extremely difficult to accurately measure.
WaterTrack Optimiser and Rapid are currently distributed through a network of agricultural and irrigation consultants, or directly to the farmer. WaterTrack Rapid is also available online.
"WaterTrack enables farmers to identify where their precious water is being used, through losses due to evaporation or seepage from canals and drains," say directors Jim Purcell and Anthony Fairfull.
"Our products target water use efficiency and have formed integral components of federally funded projects through involvement with the CRC for Cotton, the National Water Commission and the Murray Darling Basin Commission. These projects have been critical in exposing our products to the market and thoroughly proving their scientific rigour."
Co-directors Peter Scolari and Phil Comerford paid tribute to the company's chief software designer, Luke Poga. "The programming skills of fellow director Luke Poga in customising and then simplifying such a complex database and website application have really come to the fore with this recognition" they said.
"To win the product innovation category is testament to all of the hard work we have put in over the years."
|
 WaterTrack directors Jim Purcell and Anthony Fairfull
|
|
This article originally appeared October 2008 in Irrigation and Water Resources
Region: National
Circulation: 14,500
|
 |
Former local resident Andrew Forster-Knight has been recognised for his outstanding water saving achievements.
Andrew, who is employed by South East Water in Melbourne, invented the Hydroshare technology that measures commercial companies' water usage for South East Water.
This invention secured Andrew with the Young Leader Award at the National 2008 savewater! awards®.
He has been employed at South East Water for the past six years, and since July 2005 has been seconded into the Utility Services alliance which handles the operation and maintenance of South East Water's infrastructure assets.
Hydroshare is an innovative system which helps commercial customers track their water consumption and identify any leaks and empowers large water users across Australia to better manage and save our precious resource.
It is a real-time data collection and reporting system used extensively around Australia by companies and other organisations.
It has become one of today's most sophisticated tools that organisations can use to better understand water use at their sites.
His mother Jenny Forster-Knight, who lives in Cobram, couldn't speak much higher of her son's achievements. "I'm very proud," Jenny said.
"Andrew's outstanding work in the water saving field has seen him recognised with one of the most prestigious national achievement awards and his steps in the direction of saving water will most certainly ensure others follow."
|
This article originally appeared on Wednesday 24/9/2008 in the Cobram Courier
Page: 16
Section: General News
Region: Cobram VIC
Circulation: 3,218
|
|
National award to Narrabri business |
Narrabri-based Watertrack Pty Limited has won first prize in an Australia wide competition for innovative and sustainable water practices.
The annual competition is the National 2008 savewater! awards® and Watertrack won in the in the Product Innovation Category.
Watertrack Pty Limited, a joint venture between Aquatech Consulting, Narrabri, Sustainable Soils Management, Warren, and Scolari Software, Dubbo, is specifically designed for irrigators or their consultants to assist in calculating a daily water balance over their farms which, until now, has been extremely difficult to accurately measure.
"WaterTrack enables farmers to identify where their precious water is being used, or lost due to evaporation or seepage from dams and channels" said Narrabri directors Jim Purcell and Anthony Fairfull from Aquatech Consulting.
"We are delighted to have received the award and with recognition for the product."
Watertrack is a product which will continue to grow in importance as the need to monitor every drop of water becomes ever more vital.
"WaterTrack was awarded the prize because of the critical nature of water savings and management in agriculture" the judges said at the gala awards ceremony in Melbourne.
" In a drying climate, targeting water management for farmers is a winning strategy".
The savewater! awards® recognises the outstanding water conservation achievements of businesses, government, schools, local communities and individuals across Australia. |
 The winning Aquatech team, from left, office manager Anne Bowen, Technician Charlie Dwyer, Director Anthony Fairfull, Project Engineer Bernie Martin and Director Jim Purcell with the award plaque
|
|
This article originally appeared on Thursday 11/9/2008 in the Narrabri Courier
Page: 1
Section: General News
Region: Narrabri NSW
Circulation: 2,737
|
|
And this article also appeared on Monday 15/9/2008 in the Border News - insert
Page: 3
Section: General News
Region: Moree NSW
Circulation: 17,000
|
|
STRATHMERTON'S John Padman is an ideas' man - the type of guy who, once he identifies a problem, will roll up his sleeves, nut out a plan and get to work creating a solution.
It's this ingenuity and perseverance that won John and his company Padman Stops the regional and rural category of the national savewater! awards®, which were presented at Melbourne's Grand Hyatt on Friday, August 29.
Padman Stops, a manufacturer of automatic irrigation controllers for the flood irrigation industry, has for the past 20 years worked towards improving the on-farm efficiency of flood irrigation, first with the invention of the company's namesake, the "Padman Stop", and more recently through a trial known as the "Fast Watering Project".
"It was the Fast Watering Project that really won us the Savewater! award, although we've been in the flood irrigation game for years," John explained.
John himself hails from an irrigation background, growing up in a farming family in Mulwala, and working his own farm before he purchased land in Strathmerton in 1990.
He designed the Padman Stop - a 100% watertight rubber flap set in a concrete structure making for the easy automation of gravity-flow water for irrigation - about 20 years ago, making a name for himself amongst local irrigators.
"It was in 2004 that I got started on the Fast Watering Project. At that time, I saw problems with the efficiency of flood irrigation, and was really passionate about trying to improve on the traditional flood irrigation system," he said.
"The traditional system really is highly inefficient - in this area we're seeing less than 50% efficiency. With the on-going drought too, irrigators are facing a tough future if they continue using the current system. "The way I see it, we have to change the way we irrigate if we're to survive."
Despite requesting assistance from industry research organisations to investigate the best methods of addressing this inefficiency, John found little help forthcoming, and thus initiated the Fast Watering Project himself, researching all facets of irrigation efficiency, both nationally and internationally, before building a pump and meter to carry out on-farm trials.
"This project is based on the theory that irrigating faster than the water can soak below the root zone would result in high efficiency," John said.
"Basically, our trials have shown that the faster the water is applied to a bay, the less water is used."
This has been demonstrated in on-farm trials in - Katamatite, where the Fast Watering system was used on a maize crop.
"That crop required only 2.8ML per hectare using the Fast Watering system, rather than the 8ML per hectare that was required using a traditional irrigation system," he said. In Nathalia we've seen irrigators use the Fast Watering system to take one hour to water bays that used to take eight hours."
Over the past two years, the trials have demonstrated that Fast Watering can yield water savings of up to 50%, a figure which has astounded industry representatives, and even John himself.
"When we started, I thought we'd be saving 10 or 20%, so when I saw we were saving up to 50%, I was absolutely amazed," he said.
"Considering that 80% of water used for irrigation is used through flood irrigation, we're looking at enormous savings, which could have a significant impact upon the future of this region."
The judges of the savewater! awards® gave a glowing report to Padman Stops' work, finding that "Padman Stops has been able to increase the efficiency of flood irrigation without increased energy use".
"The company has shown potential to make significant future improvements in the industry by means of on-farm efficiency, as well as environmental improvements as a flow-on effect." the judges continued.
Whilst John admits the award is an honour, he said he was less concerned with the award itself, and more intent upon using it to help him drive future irrigation improvements in the region.
"The award is great, but for me, this is less about winning prizes and more about improving an inefficient system," John said.
"This is a serious and disturbing issue to me, and one that affects agriculture in the whole region, so I just hope the fact that this award will help Padman Stops to push for further research to be carried out on flood irrigation, and for industry organisations to sit up and take notice of the gravity of the situation here.
"Even though I've done a lot of the work in getting the project to this stage, there's only so far I, as an individual, can take it.
"The real reward for me will be if industry bodies are willing to get on board with this research and carry it through to a point where all farms and all irrigators can be in a position to implement Fast Watering technology and improve their efficiency." |
 Water saver ... Strathmerton's John Padman and his irrigation manufacturing company, Padman Stops
|
|
This article originally appeared on Wednesday 10/9/2008 in the Numurkah Leader
Page: 1
Section: General News
Region: Numurkah VIC
Circulation: 2,399
|
|
HAVING been shortlisted from more than 800 entries, it took no less than the Melbourne Zoo to stop Iona College from taking out a prestigious national water saving award on August 29.
College foundation manager Anna Roberts said the school was the only Queensland finalist of three - including the zoo - in the 2008 savewater! awards® Built Environment and Gardens category.
"They're the leading water sustainability awards in Australia and Iona's inclusion as a finalist is strong recognition of its water management plan," Mrs Roberts said.
"The judges commented that we were a leader in our sector and, in addition to showcasing great water savings, we illustrated highly sustainable initiatives," she said.
College operations manager Wayne Plant said the school had undertaken an extensive water saving program recently and reduced its town water usage significantly.
"We've installed tanks for toilet flushing and pool top up as well as two bores for oval irrigation," Mr Plant said.
"We also introduced waterless urinals and replaced old toilet cisterns with smaller capacity ones and all drinking troughs have spring loaded taps," he said.
Mr Plant said the college soon would reap a return on its financial investment.
"Now the price of water has gone up so, by next year, we'll have saved what we've spent," he said.
Teachers and students also are developing a wetlands area and establishing environmental studies in the junior school. |
 Greenthumbs ... lona College students about to plant shrubs in the wetlands area
|
|
This article originally appeared on Wednesday 10/9/2008 in the Wynnum Herald
Page: 21
Section: General News
Region: Brisbane
Circulation: 32,612
|
|
On-farm modernisation needed |
Former Mulwala farmer wins savewater! award® and and looks to the future for better irrigation efficiency.
On-farm modernisation for more efficient irrigation is the key to the future according to former Mulwala farmer and award winner John Padman.
Mr Padman, who owned and operated a property at Mt Gwynne for more than 20 years, made the statement after winning a national savewater! award®.
Owner of Padman Stops, Mr Padman accepted the award in the regional and rural category at a ceremony in Melbourne on August 29.
Of more than 800 entries from around Australia, 14 winners were chosen in recognition of their commitment and innovation in the field of water conservation.
Mr Padman entered the awards with a fast-watering project using the products he developed more than 20 years ago for the flood irrigation industry.
"Called the Padman Stop, it is a 100% water tight rubber flap set in a concrete structure that makes it easier to automate gravity-flow water," Mr Padman said.
"This reduces the loss of water from leaking bay outlets."
In 2006, Padman Stops began work on their first "fast-watering" project with the aim of creating a high efficiency irrigation system.
The theory was based on the belief that by watering faster and reducing loss, water efficiency could be dramatically increased. "With this in mind I built a pump with a flow meter that could be used in trials to measure the effect of fast watering," Mr Padman said.
"Basically the trials found that the faster you water the less water you use." In one irrigation season from August 2007 to August 2008, Mr Padman found the use of the fastwatering method saved 180 megalitres of water on just three farms. "If we can save 180 megalitres on just three farms how much can we save when 70% of our available water is used on irrigation?" Mr Padman said. "Our greatest opportunity for saving water can be achieved by researching and changing on-farm irrigation practice. "We still practice old irrigation techniques designed in the last century.
"Some of our irrigation is less than 50% efficient but with a few simple changes we can achieve over 95% efficiency." Mr Padman said in a climate of water shortage he was challenging the government to investigate and evaluate the current irrigation system and research alternatives. "We are well on the way with our modernised channel system so it's about time we had a modernised on-farm system," Mr Padman said. "If that happens, at the end of the day the real irrigation award winners will be the farmers."
|
 Steve Bird - Chief Executive Officer of Victoria's Regional Water Corporations presents John Padman with his award
 John Padman, left and Nathalia farmer Dudley Bryant on a farm benefiting from the Padman stops
|
|
This article originally appeared on Wednesday 10/9/2008 in the Yarrawonga Chronicle
Page: 32
Section: General News
Region: Yarrawonga VIC
Circulation: 3,605
|
|
Warrawee Seniors don't waste water |
INVERLOCH Warrawee Seniors Club is still celebrating this week following a night at the Grand Hyatt to attend the National 2008 savewater! awards®.
Short-listed for the community section, the seniors club was one of 37 finalists from 800 entries Australia wide in the prestigious annual awards.
Warrawee was runner-up to a community program with the aim of reducing mains water flow to households, through turning down the property stop tap by one or two turns.
Warrawee entered the awards to highlight their water conservation program in and around the Inverloch club rooms.
Over recent years the Warrawee Seniors Club recognised the need to take action in regard to water conservation and implement more sustainable practises. The club installed two rain water tanks and retrofitted the clubrooms to be more water efficient.
Works were completed with the assistance of a Commonwealth Water Grant.
The completed retrofit includes the fitting of duel flush cisterns, new tap work and an upgrade of the guttering and pipe work, ensuring not a drop of water is wasted.
The plumbing work allows the club rooms to use the alternate water supply for bathroom and garden use as opposed to the potable town water.
The CFA also has access to the tanks for emergency situations.
"The experience of entering the savewater! awards® was well worthwhile," retiring club president, Bill Rees said.
The awards have given recognition to the water conservation works undertaken by the Warrawee Seniors club over the past year.
The club estimates savings of 90 per cent of water usage per year or approximately 153,000 litres.
"Congratulations to Warrawee Seniors Club. for reaching the savewater! awards® finals, the recognition is deserved after the hard work required to complete a project such as this," Steve Evans, managing director of South Gippsland Water said.
"Both the seniors club and the community will benefit through the implementation of these water saving practices."
Article postered courtesy of the South Gippsland Sentinel Times. |
 From left: Ros Griggs from South Gippsland Water with Warrawee committee members, Kathleen Edmonds, Patricia Parsons, Bill and Leaslie Rees at the savewater! awards®
|
|
This article originally appeared on Tuesday 9/9/2008 in the South Gippsland Sentinel Times
Page: 14
Section: General News
Region: South Gippsland VIC
Circulation: 9,306
|
|
Cessiah has a picture perfect career in mind |
A YOUNG photographer has won a second national award for her work.
Cessiah Henderson, 17, from Wandana Heights, took first place in the savewater!® Alliance national competition Secondary Schools category for a photo of her sister jumping out of the water, at right.
"I'm really pleased," said Cessiah, who is year 12 at Kardinia International College.
"I would love to make a career of my photography, but I know that it's not easy to get into the artistic side of it. And yet all the signs, and all my friends, are telling me that photography is my calling."
In June, Cessiah also won first place in the schools category at the 2008 Academy Photographic Portrait Competition.
More than 800 people entered the three categories at the savewater!® Alliance competition. Awards were presented by television weatherman Rob Gell in a ceremony in Melbourne.
Judges praised Cessiah's photograph, saying: "This image looks at water in a very positive light, as it shows the innocent pleasure that water can bring. It is artistically and technically excellent."
|
 Cessiah Henderson's winning photo
|
|
This article originally appeared on Tuesday 9/9/2008 in the Geelong Advertiser
Page: 19
Section: General News
Region: Geelong VIC
Circulation: 26,573
|
TOORADIN Primary School triumphed at last week's national savewater! awards® in Melbourne. The school was among more than 800 entries narrowed down to 37 finalists across nine categories. The school took out the award for the Education Program category.
South East Water managing director Shaun Cox said the awards recognised the outstanding lengths the school had taken to preserve water during one of the worst droughts on record.
As reported in the Journal the school has a strong water-conservation policy and has implemented a range of water-saving initiatives in its washrooms and gardens.
|
This article originally appeared on Monday 8/9/2008 in the Cranbourne Journal
Page: 3
Section: General News
Region: Melbourne
Circulation: 27,439
|
TORQUAY Primary School has won a prize at Australia's premier awards for conservation.
The school won the savewater! awards® photography category for primary schools at a presentation night in Melbourne last Friday.
|
This article originally appeared on Friday 5/9/2008 in the Geelong Independent
Page: 3
Section: General News
Region: Geelong VIC
Circulation: 85,086
|
|
Wide Bay Water pips `big boys' in national awards |
The Olympics is over but Hervey Bay is winning gold for its innovative water recycling initiatives.
Wide Bay Water was honoured with the National savewater! awards® in Melbourne last weekend and Acting CEO David Wiskar said it was good to be showing the "big boys" of the Australian water industry the way.
"For the water industry, this award is like winning a gold medal in the Olympics," Mr Wiskar said.
"To receive this award ahead of some of the biggest water business in Australia shows the work that our scientists, engineers and water managers are doing for Hervey Bay is world class."
The Wide Bay Water Corporation water recycling scheme sees an excess of 85% of Hervey Bay's wastewater being reused.
"This work makes economic and environmental sense," Mr Wiskar said.
The Corporation takes wastewater and turns it into wealth for the community and the region by providing water to local rural industries and through its plan to plant one million hardwood trees by 2010, 300,000 have already been planted.
"In the future these trees will gain income for the ratepayers of the city through the sale of timber and via carbon trading."
The Corporation is also providing wastewater to the new airport industrial estate thereby eliminating the need to use potable water for this new industrial development.
Mr Wiskar said that the Hervey Bay Airport Industrial Estate third pipe system reduced demand for water from Lenthall's Dam and assisted in the delay of the development of costly new water infrastructure. |
 Wide Bay Water Corporation acting CEO David Wiskar said winning the National savewater! awards® last weekend was the water industry's equivalent of a gold medal
|
|
This article originally appeared on Friday 5/9/2008 in the Hervey Bay City Independent
Page: 5
Section: General News
Region: Hervey Bay QLD
Circulation: 17,000
|
TORQUAY Primary School has won a prize at Australia's premier awards for conservation.
The school won the Savewater Awards' photography category for primary schools at a presentation nieht in Melbourne last Friday.
|
This article originally appeared on Friday 5/9/2008 in the Torquay Independent
Page: 3
Section: General News
Region: Melbourne
Circulation: 16,745
|
CHARLES Sturt Council has been awarded a commendation for its water-saving initiatives at the National 2008 Savewater! Awards.
The council was one of 39 finalists from more than 800 entries in the "Government - Other Utilities" category. The council has reduced water consumption from 900 megalitres in 2001-02 to 600ML in 2006-07 and introduced a central irrigation system on its sports grounds.
|
This article originally appeared on Thursday 4/9/2008 in the Adelaide Advertiser
Page: 27
Section: General News
Region: Adelaide
Circulation: 191,325
|
|
Tooradin is top water school |
TOORADIN Primary School has emerged as Australia's top water saving school.
South-East Water announced the winners of its national savewater awards at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne last Friday night, and Tooradin Primary School took the honours in the education program category.
More than 800 entries were narrowed down to 37 finalists competing in nine categories.
A panel of 45 water industry experts judged the awards.
The school's environment club coordinator Rachel Davis said the school was a stringent water saver.
"Our plastic tanks capture every drop of rain that falls on the roof, and buckets collect wasted drinking water for
reuse on the gardens," Ms Davis said.
"We've been working towards this award for a number of years and have put in place practices and equipment to ensure every drop is used," she said.
"Last year we saved 570,000 litres of water," Ms Davis said.
The school has appointed `water monitors' in every class to ensure taps are not dripping and buckets are placed under water fountains.
"The students are very involved and keep finding ways to save water," Ms Davis said.
"We were thrilled to win the award." |
 Taine, Kaden, environment coordinator Kristie Young, Madison and Breeana celebrate the school's water saving award. (Picture: Stewart Chambers.)
|
|
This article originally appeared on Thursday 4/9/2008 in the Cranbourne News
Page: 14
Section: General News
Region: Melbourne
Circulation: 26,329
|
|
Water tracker inventor honoured |
A 28-YEAR-OLD water employee who designed an innovative system to track commercial water usage has been acknowledged with a national achievement award.
South East Water employee Andrew Forster-Knight invented the Hydroshare technology that measures commercial companies' water usage for South East Water.
The invention won him the Young Leader award at the National 2008 savewater! awards® presented last week in Melbourne.
Hydroshare is an innovative system which helps commercial customers track their water consumption and identify any leaks.
Hydroshare is a realtime data collection and reporting system used extensively around Australia by companies and other organisations.
South East Water managing director Shaun Cox congratulated Mr Forster-Knight on his achievement.
"The savewater! awards® recognise the truly outstanding lengths some Australians have taken to preserve water during one of the worst droughts on record," Mr Cox said.
Mr Cox said more than 25 schools in the South East water area have used Hydroshare to not only understand water use at their school but as an educational aid to assist students in their studies about water.
"Hydroshare has become one of today's more sophisticated tools that organisations can use to better understand water use at their sites." |
 South East Water's managing director Shaun Cox with employee Andrew Forster-Knight who won an award for creating a water saving technology.
|
|
This article originally appeared on Thursday 4/9/2008 in the Star (Greater Dandenong)
Page: 8
Section: General News
Region: Dandenong
|
MELBOURNE Zoo walked away with the top prize at last Friday's annual gala dinner of the savewater!® Alliance.
The Zoo won the overall award for excellence after its earlier victory in the built environment and gardens section.
The presentation dinner, held at Melbourne's Grand Hyatt, was the culmination of a process that saw more than 800 entries from all over Australia whittled down to 37 finalists.
Judging was by a panel consisting of 45 of the nation's water experts.
The savewater! awards® recognise the outstanding water conservation achievements of businesses, government, schools, local communities and individuals.
Now in its sixth year, the awards have emerged as the nation's leading water sustainability honours. |
 Blowing its own trumpet: Melbourne Zoo has been recognised for its outstanding water saving efforts.
|
|
This article originally appeared on Wednesday 3/9/2008 in the Weekly Times
Page: 45
Section: General News
Region: VIC
Circulation: 73,000
|
|
MELBOURNE Zoo won the built environment and gardens section of this year's savewater! awards® before later being named victor in the overall award for excellence.
Since 1995, Melbourne Zoo has worked diligently to implement an integrated water management plan that has halved its annual water use.
The measures taken include infrastructure upgrades, changes to work practices and using new products and technologies.
Exhibits have been modified, water-wise work practices introduced and data-loggers installed to allow constant monitoring of water use around the 20ha site.
In 2006, Melbourne Zoo's water treatment plant was commissioned to treat and reuse storm and greywater to use for irrigation, exhibit cleaning and pool filling.
The zoo's irrigation management now has a greater emphasis on optimising water use, with a new central irrigation control system about to further enhance the site's water efficiency.
The new system will provide a greater opportunity to monitor use, will have fault alarms and will operate in conjunction with an onsite weather station. Maintaining high levels of cleanliness in animal exhibits requires large amounts of water.
To manage this, high-pressure cleaners have replaced many hoses and this alone has considerably reduced water use. For example. the use of high pressure cleaners in the baboons' exhibit saves about 1800 litres a day. or 650.000 litres over a year.
In 1995, potable water usage at the Zoo was 373.4 megalitres. In 2006 that figure was 197.1 megalitres and, last year about 142.3 megalitres.
Other finalists in the top award were Mansfield Propagation Nursery and Brisbane's Iona College.
The Mansfield Nursery is one of Australia's leading propagators, growing and supplying close to three million plants annually. The nursery has designed a purpose-built propagation facility with water reclamation and re-use in mind.
Iona College is saving 44.5 megalitres a year. the equivalent of 18 Olympic-size pools. The school has installed 450,000 litres of tank storage with another 248,000-litre tank about to go in, two bores for oval maintenance and water restrictors and springloaded taps. |
 Bringing pressure to bear: high pressure cleaners now in use in the Zoo's enclosures (right) have considerably reduced water use.
|
|
This article originally appeared on Wednesday 3/9/2008, in the Weekly Times
Page: 46
Section: General News
Region: VIC
Circulation: 73,000
|
|
Wetland work pays dividends |
MT GRAVATT High School, in Brisbane, has won the secondary education section of the savewater! awards®.
One of the school's major environmental efforts has centred on conservation of catchment and wetland areas and the use of renewable energy sources.
The school's Tingalpa Project sees students visiting the Tingalpa Wetlands several times a year to plant natives and remove an introduced weed, the water hyacinth.
In addition, over the past nine years, groups of Year 11 students, in association with a local catchment group, have been repairing the riparian corridor of the Bulimba Creek catchment.
The school's efforts in preserving these areas has resulted in the protection of the water ribbon plant, which was found recently for the first time in 100 years.
As well. Mt Gravatt is one of only two state high schools invited to take part in the Twinning Project, which focuses on local and world catchment area issues.
Along with its catchment and wetland conservation programs, the school has implemented several other schemes to save water.
The other finalist was Caroline Chisholm College, of Glenmore Park in NSW. The college has a dedicated environmental team which has created a school sustainability plan to set goals.
The school's water saving efforts have involved installing rainwater tanks, auditing water use and explicit teaching of sustainable use of natural resources. |
|
|
This article originally appeared on Wednesday 3/9/2008 in the Weekly Times
Page: 48
Section: General News
Region: VIC
Circulation: 73,000
|
|
THE Mansfield Propagation Nursery has won the business section of the savewater! awards® for its achievements.
Mansfield's Propagation Nursery grows and supplies nearly three million plants a year.
The nursery's propagation facility was built with water reclamation in mind. It employs a range of watersaving measures, including thousands of metres of drains beneath the 9000 square metre growing area and the entire nursery being fitted with low-volume sprinkler heads.
The eight toilet cubicles are also connected to a reuse water supply system. In 2007-08, the nursery recorded a saving of 16.6 megalitres of potable water, compared with 2005-06.
It is anticipated this saving will increase over the coming years, with a minimum saving of 29.1 megalitres expected in 2008-09.
Other finalists were Cadbury Schweppes and Visy Beverage Can.
Cadbury Schweppes has undertaken a range of initiatives at its Ringwood site to save water.
In addition to installing more than 300,000 litres of tank capacity, the company has converted all urinals to waterless systems and has installed more than 35 water meters in the factory.
An upgrade of its chilling equipment has seen the company cut its water consumption at the site by about eight megalitres.
Cadbury Schweppes Ringwood also participated in a free water-efficient showerhead exchange program for its employees. The company has also been proactive elsewhere: for example, the waterless lubrication on its production lines at Huntingwood earned a Sydney Water Innovation Award.
This process has now been introduced across 12 production lines in Australia and New Zealand, saving tens of millions of litres of water a year.
Visy Beverage Can moved in 2006, under the umbrella of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, to launch a new and improved internal management program designed to minimise waste, reduce the amount of water used in its can making process and explore possibilities of treating and reusing water.
This has resulted in many benefits, including reduced leaks, improved cooling tower efficiency and improved vacuum pumps. The program has also helped to develop staff awareness of water costs. Annual savings of 47 megalitres have already been recorded for 2007-08. |
 Making cents: Mansfield Propagation Nursery has shown what business can do to reduce its water use.
|
|
This article originally appeared on Wednesday 3/9/2008 in the Weekly Times
Page: 50
Section: General News
Region: VIC
Circulation: 73,000
|
PHOTOGRAPHERS weren't forgotten when savewater!® planned its annual awards and the judging panel had plenty to consider.
The winners were announced last Friday night at the gala ceremony held at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne.
The ceremony saw 400 guests assembled from around Australia.
The winning entrants were
- Primary: Torquay Primary School (top right)
- Secondary: Cessiah Henderson, of Wandana Heights (middle right)
- General: Annette Blattman, of St Marys in NSW (lower right) |
|
|
This article originally appeared on Wednesday 3/9/2008 in the Weekly Times
Page: 50
Section: General News
Region: VIC
Circulation: 73,000
|
|
Smart software the key to savings |
WATERTRACK Pty Ltd has won the product innovation section of the savewater! awards®.
WaterTrack has developed an innovative software package that assists irrigators in obtaining the best use of their water.
This software consists of two products - WaterTrack Optimiser and WaterTrack Rapid Optimiser is the world's first daily, whole-faun water balance software package.
It enables a farmer to track where all water is being used on the farm, including crop growth and evaporation and seepage through the soil, farm dams and drains. which determines water losses in each element of a farm and allows future prediction of farm water use based on historical weather data.
WaterTrack Rapid is a web-based tool that provides a simple approach to calculating irrigation performance indicators for any farm.
By providing basic levels of input, users are provided with accurate and essential information to help prevent water loss. Unlike the Optimiser, Rapid is a seasonal model and determines a single lost volume of water, as opposed to losses in each element.
Other finalists were The Skycore Group and Kodak.
A consortium of specialist companies, The Skycore Group provides a range of solutions in safety and environment areas. Its latest innovations. The Odour Zorbe and Zorbe Indoor, are granular absorbent products, which significantly reduce and even eliminate the need to use water in cleaning operations. Supermarkets, shopping centres, factories and homes are all potential markets.
Kodak has developed a new method of processing commercial printing plates where no water or chemicals are used. Thermal Direct delivers the resolution accuracy of normal, It is a daily water balance model digital plates, without processing. |
 On-site: the WaterTrack team in testing mode
|
|
This article originally appeared on Wednesday 3/9/2008 in the Weekly Times
Page: 50
Section: General News
Region: VIC
Circulation: 73,000
|
|
Local project wins national award |
Software to help farms save water
In a prolonged, nationwide drought a product developed in Dubbo that claims to save gigalitres of water has turned heads on the national stage.
Four years of "blood, sweat and tears" has led to local software business Scolari Software being honoured at the National 2008 savewater! awards® in Melbourne on Friday.
Scolari Software's associate company WaterTrack won the award in the product innovation category for their product directors say will save gigalitres of water.
A judging panel of 45 water experts from across Australia selected the 37 finalists from more than 800 entries.
WaterTrack beat multinationals Kodak, and its printing process that did not require water, and the Skycore Group in the final.
With the WaterTrack Optimiser and Rapid already finding its place on the market, director Peter Scolari said winning the award was the icing on the cake. "We do have something magnificent," Mr Scolari said.
WaterTrack enables farmers to identify where their precious water is being used, through losses due to evaporation or seepage from canals and drains, the directors say.
The project was initially going to take 12 months, but instead took four years, Mr Scolari said. "It's been four years of blood, sweat and tears but worth it in the long run," he said.
Both WaterTrack Optimiser and Rapid are currently distributed through a network of agricultural and irrigation consultants, and directly to the farmer and Rapid is available online.
The products were used by companies doing research including the National Water Conunission and the Queensland and New South Wales departments of primary industries, Mr Scolari said.
They want to get it rolled out in Australia, but are also looking at the overseas market and have recently received an inquiry from Greece, he said.
The directors paid tribute to the company's chief software designer Luke Poga, who "lived, breathed and ate" WaterTrack.
The savewater! awards® seek to acknowledge and facilitate the promotion of excellence in sustainable water practices, encourage innovation and action by organisers and further the cause of sustainability through water practices.
Appeared: Tuesday 2/9/2008, Daily Liberal, By FAYE WHEELER |
 Peter Scolari, Luke Poga and Phil Comerford are celebrating after a product they helped develop won a national award for saving water.
|
|
This article originally appeared on Tuesday 2/9/2008 in the Daily Liberal
Article By: FAYE WHEELER
Page: 6
Section: General News
Region: Dubbo NSW
Circulation: 5,208
|
|
We beat 'big boys' in award |
Wide Bay Water has "an Olympic gold medal" in national environmental awards under its belt and the hint of a $100 million international investment in the air.
On the eve of the election of Wide Bay Water CEO Tim Waldron to chairman of the International Water Association Taskforce, WBW was announced in Melbourne as the winner of the National savewater! award.
Acting CEO David Wiskar said the "gold medal" of the water industry was for WBW's innovative water recycling work.
Sydney Water and the Queensland Water Commission, nominated for its successful high profile "Target 140" campaign, were the other finalists.
Beating the big boys of the Australian water industry was a real buzz, Mr Wiskar said. Mr Waldron said the water industry was now significant in the Fraser Coast region's economy.
A range of WBW employees who helped service national and international clients were now based in Hervey Bay and it was possible WBW could administer a $100 million research fund.
|
This article originally appeared on Tuesday 2/9/2008 in the Fraser Coast Chronicle
Page: 1
Section: General News
Region: Hervey Bay QLD
Circulation: 10,053
|
|
|
