Asset Management & Optimisation Program
ABOUT THIS PROGRAM
Ageing infrastructure and a growing population are among the water industry’s biggest challenges. This means water corporations need to manage assets as effectively as possible to optimise performance.
Our Asset Management & Optimisation Program helps with this by trialling and assessing tools, technologies and decision-making processes. We look at performance optimisation methods and how to best manage assets across their entire life cycle - from strategic planning to disposal. Find out more about our projects below.
Program Manager: Callum Tate from TasWater.
Deputy Program Manager: Prith Roy from Yarra Valley Water.
Watch the program update from our recent members conference.
Current projects
Asset Maintenance Community
With so many assets in common across the water industry, the idea of developing an Asset Maintenance Community offers many potential efficiencies.
We are working to create this community to share information among members and develop a set of best-practice standards for asset management. Please get in touch via email if you’d like to contribute or get involved.
Water Asset Model Build Initiative
Asset knowledge capture is a pre-requisite for analytics and connecting data to decisions.
That is why IWN, WSAA and Modla, are working with the wider water industry to collect, validate and codify the understanding of water assets. This is an ongoing initiative that facilitates the sharing of information and data across utilities, with the vision of building a common set of industry models.
Completed models are available to all and are hosted on Asset Wiki.
Lagoon leak detection
Finding a leak in a wastewater lagoon can be like finding a needle in a haystack, especially with plastic lagoons. This technology involves a device that rides around a lagoon to pinpoint any leaks and solve this problem.
So far, we have successfully trialled the technology on a plastic-lined lagoon at North East Water and on unlined lagoons at Goulburn Valley Water and Yarra Valley Water.
Completed projects
The following projects have been completed under our Asset Management & Optimisation Program. Please email us if you’d like more information about the projects, including outcomes and reports.
Modla trial - Modla is an asset analytics and collaboration platform. This trial involved building an automated way for water utilities to create programs of work. Yarra Valley Water, Barwon Water, and Melbourne Water provided the data to test and validate the solution. Email us, if you’d like to see the report for more information.
Blue-green algae - This trial involved an ultrasonic control device to prevent blue-green algae blooms, which are common in summer. The trial began in late 2020 at a Central Highlands Water reservoir.
PumpCheckR2 - The PumpCheckR algorithm is designed to review pump station data to ensure the pump is running on the curve and to evaluate inefficiencies. This technology was trialled with North East Water, Barwon Water, Gippsland Water, Goulburn Valley Water, Wannon Water and Western Water.
Remote level sensor trial - This technology is designed to collect height data and levels from streams, reservoirs, IBCs and potable water tanks that are remotely located. It has the potential to provide business efficiencies by reducing time spent visiting remote sites and the OHS risk of attending them.
Asset scanning - This trial used computed tomography technology to scan assets in the field without removing them, thereby reducing service interruptions.
MADe trial - This is a software and engineering tool, which provides integrated analyses to support asset management decisions by informing the development of maintenance tactics and/or placement of sensors (where condition monitoring is suggested).
SEAMS trial - This was a pilot project of enterprise analytics software, looking at analysing existing data to underpin a long-term asset management plan and balance investment across water company areas.