28-Sept 11: For the second consecutive occasion, Aqua Environmental will be the Platinum Sponsor at Pipes Wagga 2012. This unique event provides engineers and practitioners with practical skills and tools to assist  in dealing with pipes. Pipes Wagga takes place on 13th and 14th March 2012.

The first Pipes Wagga conference in 1991 came about when staff from the City Council became aware of the magnitude of the problems the city had with concrete sewer mains laid prior to 1920. To gather the information they needed to start to deal with the problem, they organised a workshop with the known experts. It soon became obvious that this workshop would be of value to a wider group of organisations involved with water engineering and the first Pipes Wagga Conference was organised. This original conference has continued to grow to the now bi-annual event.

The objective of Pipes Wagga is to provide engineers and practitioners with practical skills and tools to assist in dealing with pipes. Pipes Wagga aims to challenge delegates to examine their daily work practices and asks them to discuss how to ensure more efficient methods are always applied.

The feature of Pipes Wagga has always been the quality presentations relevant to the industry and the sharing of actual experiences, live field demonstrations such as relining, pipe cracking, data equipment and the opportunity to network with industry members, suppliers, contractors and much more.

Pipes Wagga is relevant to planners, local authorities, engineers, environmentalist, scientists, researchers, contractors and equipment suppliers, service contractors and project managers.

Pipes Wagga also contributes to the publishing of industry manuals and supports charity projects for water related issues for underprivileged communities.

The strength of Pipes Wagga is to provide a platform for the presentation of quality papers, live demonstrations, trade display and extensive “hands on” field demonstrations which are all an integral inclusion of Pipes Wagga.

Visit the Pipes Wagga Website.

  has world-wide significance because buried pipes provide around 70 per cent of the world’s urban water supply.

Leading the international research team is Associate Professor Jayantha Kodikara from Monash University, which has partnered with the University of Technology Sydney and University of Newcastle to develop cost effective advanced condition assessment and failure prediction models that can evaluate pipes before they burst.

The five-year project, funded by seven Australian water authorities, the US Water Research Foundation, and UK Water Industry Research Ltd (UKWIR), will produce advanced techniques and technologies to accurately predict the remaining life of buried pipes and protect against pipe bursts.

Sydney Water, the largest urban water utility in Australia, will contribute $5.5 million to the project.

Burst pipes have posed a problem for urban water authorities in recent years, when unusually wet conditions followed years of drought. Cooler temperatures and heavy rainfall, for example, can cause expansive clays to move and pull pipes out of alignment.

Similarly, hot weather and low rainfall causes the soil to dry up and contract, again causing pipes to shift, much in the same way that causes cracking in homes over the summer months.

Paul Freeman, Sydney Water’s General Manager Asset Management, and Chair of the project’s management team said burst water pipes can cut water supplies to residents and businesses, affect safety and transport, and cause financial loss.

‘This is great news for Australian cities as the length of the buried pipes of the seven Australian water utilities alone would go around the world more than one and a half times.

‘Sydney Water will contribute a world leading real life pipe test bed in Sydney to research condition assessment and failure prediction.

‘We have been able to engage effectively with industry and research partners, and for the first time in a large water pipe collaboration there is overseas investment and knowledge.’

The project has received Australian funding from Sydney Water Corporation, Hunter Water Corporation, South East Water, Melbourne Water, Water Corporation (WA), South Australia Water and City West Water. CSIRO will join the research team in its next phase.

Article from ECOS Magazine.

Information can also be at Monash University Website.

Pure Technologies is a world leader in the development and application of innovative technologies for inspection, monitoring and management of physical infrastructure. From monitoring the health of large bridges to protecting pipelines, our technologies and expertise are being used around the world to help manage deterioration and reduce loss.

Our services along with the corresponding technologies include:

• Proprietary monitoring equipment for pipelines, bridges and structures.

• Technical pipeline inspection services including leak detection and condition assessment.

• Specialised engineering services, primarily in the area of pipeline condition assessment for water and wastewater infrastructure.

• Oil and Gas Pipeline Leak Detection Surveys.

With over thirty years of local industry experience, we are able to customise our services to meet Client requirements; including providing pro-active leakage surveys, trunk main leak detection, pipeline condition assessment and water loss management services.

We currently hold internationally certified accreditation for Occupational Health and Safety Management, Quality Management and Environmental Management and continually update these processes to align with the progressive nature of our business.

15-Jun 11: Aqua now has access to advanced metallic pipeline inspection technologies called Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) following Pure Technologies’ acquisition of EMTEK. The technologies will allow for the detection of corrosion, pitting and cracking on metallic pipelines from 100mm up to 2m diameter.

Pure Technologies Ltd., announced yesterday that it has purchased the business and assets of Electromechanical Technologies, Inc. (EMTEK), a Salt Lake City-based developer of advanced pipeline inspection technologies.

EMTEK provides reliable state-of-the-art In-Line Inspection tools (ILI) for the pipeline industry. With years of experience, these tools are built to endure the rugged pipeline environment, and to provide the highest quality data available.

The unique design of the EMTEK tool combines the best technology into a compact, light-weight design. Each tool is equipped with:

• Extra High Resolution (XHR) MFL.
  • Better magnets and better sensors.
  • Tighter sensor spacing for maximum resolution.
  • Uniform sensor spacing on the entire circumference.
  • Higher sample rates for best quality data.
• Near-field sensors that discriminate between Internal and External defects.
• 6-axis Strap Down Inertial Sensor Integration for quality map and geographic location generation.
• High Resolution geometry sensors for detecting dents, bulges, wrinkles, buckles, and other geometric anomalies.

Each tool is capable of passing 1.5D bends, and can pass 25% bore reductions.

Commenting on the transaction, Jack Elliott, Pure’s President and COO, said:

“The ground-breaking extra-high resolution magnetic flux leakage (XHR-MFL) systems developed by EMTEK will immediately position Pure as the industry leader in condition assessment of ferrous water and wastewater pipelines. Conventional MFL is a well established technique for inspecting oil and gas pipelines; however the internal cement mortar lining common in water pipelines has always created challenges. EMTEK’s patented technology has overcome these challenges.

“While the majority of our growth to date has come from the inspection, condition assessment and monitoring of prestressed concrete pressure pipelines, this type of pipe represents less than five percent of the total installed base of pressure pipe around the world. The EMTEK technology, opens up a much larger available market to us, and complements our SmartBall® and Sahara® solutions for leak detection and condition assessment, which are applicable to all types of pressure pipe.

“In the oil and gas sector, we will now be able to package the EMTEK system with our unique SmartBall leak detection system, thus providing the only combined integrity and pinhole-leak detection capability available on the market. Recent high-profile oil and gas pipeline leaks in North America have resulted in increasing regulatory and political pressure on operators to upgrade their leak detection systems. We have already seen increasing interest in our SmartBall system and we expect our enhanced offering to accelerate our growth in this sector.

“EMTEK’s commitment to innovative non- destructive testing systems fits well with Pure’s aggressive R&D program and the patents acquired with the transaction will strengthen our already comprehensive IP portfolio. EMTEK’s solutions will be delivered through our regional offices in the Americas, Middle East and Australia; through our Hong Kong joint venture in greater China; and through selected licensees.”

Full press release can be found here.

24-May 11: Aqua will be showcasing their large suite of services at the 36th Annual QLD Water Industry Operations Association Workshop and Exhibition on 1-2 June 2011. The event, held at University of Southern Queensland, will see a delegates attend a strong two-day technical program supported by a large trade exhibition.

Trade visitors can obtain free exhibition entry – download your pass here.

Other exhibitors at the WIOA QLD event are:

• ABB
• Acrodyne
• Acromet Australia
• Aegis
• Aegis Safety
• AIM Water
• Air-Met Scientific
• Allflow Supply Co.
• Aqua Guardian Group
• Aqualift
• Austeck
• Australian Innovative Systems
• Australian Water Association
• Automation Group
• AWIS
• AWMA Penstocks and Stopboards
• Blakers Pump Engineers
• Bürkert Fluid Control Systems
• Capital Safety – ANZ
• CAPS Australia
• Challenger Valves & Actuators
• Clearwater Recruitment
• Complete Tapping Service
• Conneq
• Control Microsystems
• CRS Industrial Water
• CSE Semaphore
• CST Wastewater Solutions
• DCM Process Control
• Dynapumps
• Eco Catalysts
• Ecolab
• Elster Metering
• Epsom Environmental Services
• Festo
• G.E. Power & Water
• H2O Rx / Chemical System Consulting
• Hach Pacific
• Hurll Nu-Way
• Hydramet
• Hydro Innovations
• Hydromet
• ITS Trenchless
• ITT Water & Wastewater
• Iwaki Pumps Australia
• Kembla Watertech
• KRE Engineering
• KSB Australia
• Labtek
• Ludowici Watergates
• McBerns
• Merck Millipore
• Merriman Controls
• Metaval / Vag
• NOV Mono Pumps
• NuFlow Technologies
• Odour Technologies
• Omron Electronics
• Pacific Laboratory Products
• Parasyn
• Peerless Epigen
• Probac
• Process Control Services
• ProMinent Fluid Controls
• Pryde Measurement
• qldwater
• Roto Pumps Australia
• Royce Water Technologies
• sebaKMT
• Sewer Equipment Company (Aust)
• SkillsTech Australia
• Spirac
• Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Think Pipes Think PVC
• Toowoomba Regional Council
• Trenchless Australasia Magazine
• Trio Datacom
• Tyco Environmental Systems
• Tyco Water
• Ugly Fish Eyewear
• UV Guard
• VEGA Australia
• VoR Environmental
• WAM Australia
• WAPSA
• Waters Marine
• Water Industry Operators Association of Australia
• WME Media

Full details on the event can be found here.

Delegate Registration for the event can be found here.

Program. The projects were used as an internal pilot for a new customised iPhone App that allows reports to be generated from the field in real time, with photos and GPS plot locations.

Due to the three individual projects being within close proximity to each other, the Aqua Crew was able to complete all during the same deployment.

It was the first time each of these local government organisations had completed active leak detection work and the results were impressive.

A total of 35 leaks were located including a number of large leaks on water main pipelines.

The estimated combined leakage reduction from the projects was in the vicinity of 30 litres per minute.

Aqua Environmental is viewed as the preferred supplier to the NSW Water Loss Management Program having involvement on the majority of projects including the largest in Tamworth, Clarence Valley and Richmond Valley during 2011.

by Pure Technologiesand will see us showcase a large range of new and innovative pipeline inspection and monitoring technologies.

We invite you to come by stand W9 to meet Jack Elliott, C.O.O and President of Pure Technologies and to discuss what new and exciting technologies and services Aqua can provide.

Ozwater is an event like no other, organised by the industry for the industry where the issues that drive the industry are discussed and future directions decided. Ozwater ’11 will address the wide ranging issues that face the water industry today. These include major national water reforms, climate change and its impacts, technological advances and the challenges of human resources to name a few.

The Ozwater ’11 Conference will feature inspirational international and national keynote speakers, numerous invited speakers, scientific and technical papers, case studies, workshops and electronic poster sessions.

Visit the Ozwater’11 Website for more information.

For free visitor entry to the trade exhibition please register here.

The Tamworth project has a predicted savings of 40 million litres of water per year. The active leak detection survey will focus on the areas of Tamworth, Kootingal, Moonbi and Hills Plains. In total there is over 550km of water pipelines to inspect with acoustic technologies.

The project in Goulburn involves the survey of 180km of water mains in and around the Goulburn town. The initial indications from minimum nightflow measurements are that the area is experiencing significant leakage levels.

In recent months Aqua Environmental has being awarded a large number of projects around NSW and providing their efforts to the NSW Water Loss Management Program. The Water Loss Management Program is a $22M joint initiative of the Local Government and Shires Associations of NSW, the Water Directorate with partial funding from the Australian Government.

If your local council is considering an Active Leakage Reduction or Leak Detection project please contact Aqua Environmental. We can provide a comprehensive customised approach to your project and integrate specific reporting requirements based on your requests.

Deniliquin is located at the intersection of the Riverina and Cobb Highway approximately 725 kilometres south west of Sydney and 285 kilometres north of Melbourne.

The town is divided in two parts by the Edward River, an anabranch of the Murray River, with the main business district located on the south bank.

Deniliquin is also the headquarters of Murray Irrigation Limited, an irrigator owned private company and one of the largest privately-owned irrigation supply companies in the world.

Murray Irrigation manages the operations of the Berriquin, Deniboota, Denimein and Wakool Irrigation Areas in the Murray Valley. These areas produce 50% of Australia’s rice crop, 20% of NSW milk production, 75% of NSW processing tomatoes and 40% of NSW potatoes.

Aqua Environmental has completed a large number of projects under the NSW Water Loss Management Program and continue to produce excellent results. For further details on how our service can be customised for your regional or rural water supply please contact us.

The four individual water loss projects are:

• Richmond Valley Council
  • 192km leak detection survey in Casino, Coraki, Woodburn, Broadwater, Riley’s Hill and Evans Head.
  • Have completed comprehensive meter installation and flow monitoring project.
  • Estimated savings of 130 million litres per year.

• Liverpool Plains Shire Council
  • 6.5km leak detection survey in Willow Tree.
  • Previous project resulted in savings of 6.4 million litres per year.
  • This project has estimated savings of 50 million litres per year.

• Eurobodalla Shire Council
  • 116km leak detection survey in Catalina and Batemans Bay.
  • Only one zone (DMA) of a total of 15 has shown high levels of water leakage.
  • Has good flow monitoring system in place to identify leakage.

• Moree Plains Shire Council
  • 94km leak detection survey in Moree.
  • Complex system has meant monitoring has been difficult.
  • Estimated saving of 90 million litres per year.

All projects were awarded as a result of a competitive tender process. These projects are expected to be completed in the next two months to allow the NSW Water Loss Management Program time to process data before the program ceases in June 2011.