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Regional and Rural
Recognises outstanding water savings achieved by the manufacturing, primary production and retail/wholesale sectors in regional and rural areas.
Congratulations to our winner, Padman Stops
WINNER
Padman Stops
| Padman Stops is a manufacturer of water control structures and automatic irrigation controllers for the flood irrigation industry. Its key product, which was designed and manufactured more than 20 years ago by John Padman, is the “Padman Stop”. It is a 100% watertight rubber flap set in a concrete structure that makes it easy to automate gravity flow water, thus reducing the loss of water from leaking bay outlets. In 2006, Padman Stops began its “Fast Watering” project, with the aim of creating a high efficiency irrigation system. The theory behind the system was that irrigating faster than the water can soak below the root zone would result in higher efficiency. With this in mind, John Padman built a pump with a flow meter that could be used in a trial to measure the effect of “Fast Watering”. Trials have found that the faster the water, the less water is used. In one trial, the application rate of the pump was found to be down to 0.3ML of water per hectare compared with 0.77ML per hectare for conventional irrigation. In recent times, the irrigation industry has been overwhelmed by drought and water restrictions. The aim of the “Fast Watering” project is to reverse this trend. The findings from three farms monitored during the irrigation season between August 2007 and 2008 are that “Fast Watering” has resulted in water savings of 180.9ML. This is the equivalent of approximately 72 Olympic-size swimming pools. “If we can save 180ML of water on just three farms, how much water can we save when 70% of our available water is used on irrigation? Our greatest opportunity for saving water can be achieved by researching and changing on-farm irrigation practice. If we continue to irrigate as we have in the past, then irrigation will have no future,” said John Padman. Judges’ comments: Padman Stops has been able to increase the efficiency of flood irrigation without increased energy use. It 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. |
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FINALISTS
Unilever Australasia
| Unilever Australasia has adopted several approaches to achieve water savings at its Tatura site. The company has introduced a water awareness program, which includes: monitoring water usage trends at the site on a monthly basis and then reporting results regionally and worldwide on a quarterly basis; introduction of fortnightly team meetings with employees regarding water awareness; a weekly display of water usage (kilolitres of water used per ton of production); fitting hoses with trigger nozzles; installation of new water pressure booster pumps for maintaining a lower water pressure; and recycling of water in a micro factory cooler. These initiatives are reaping enormous benefits for the site, with savings of 38ML – the equivalent of 15 Olympic-size swimming pools, being recorded for 2007. Unilever Australasia has found that with the drought continuing in Victoria it has been extremely easy to get employees involved in water-saving initiatives. In fact, once the company introduced its water awareness program, they soon found employees were raising further suggestions on how the company could save water. Judges’ comments: Unilever Australasia is highly regarded for its demonstrated strong partnerships and for its application of water management to the whole site in terms of improving operation for water efficiency in addition to creating a water-saving culture. |
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