John Martin - Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water, Sustainable Water and Infrastructure

John Martin – GWM Water

Industry Cluster Evening November

Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water!GWMWater!

Sustainable Water and Infrastructure

John Martin Executive Manager, Sustainable Water and Infrastructure

GWMWater

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About GWMWater

  19 Vic WAs   4 metro   13 regional urban   4 rural   2 rural and urban

GWMWater   Fully integrated business   Headworks   Bulk water   Rural D&S   Irrigation   Urban   Wastewater   Reuse   Licensing of resource mgt

  70 000 customers   70 000 km2

  74 towns   Largest popʼn = 13 000

  Smallest = 5

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About John Martin

  Agricultural Engineer   SRWSC / RWC much of northern Victoria   Irrigation research / salinity management Red Cliffs   Operational development – statewide role   Horsham since 1993

  Water resource management   Headworks and catchment management   Technical services since 2004

  Carlton supporter – two-eyed

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Current Issues   Drought   Wimmera Mallee Pipeline   Capital Works

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Dry Conditions Across the State

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The Future

  Building a New Social Contract   Adapting to a Drier Future Climate   Supporting Sustainable Growth   Reducing the Environmental Footprint

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Strategic Directions Building a New Social Contract   Meeting future needs of

customers   Fit for purpose products and

services   Water market   Third party access

Adapting to a Drier Future Climate

  Being able to manage under a range of climate scenarios

  Identify new sources of water

Supporting Sustainable Growth   Sale of growth water from

WMPP savings   Intelligent operating systems   Integrated approach to water

resource management

Reducing the Environmental Footprint

  Development of GWMWater energy projects

  Manage septic tanks as part of the resource

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Sustainable Water & Infrastructure

  The offer of drinking water for all   Renewable energy   The next source of water

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Drinking Water for All   Many small “towns” or villages 10 – 100 people   Cost of water treatment is not viable for small towns   Various classes of towns, fully treated, disinfected only, raw water supply   Lowest percentage of towns / customers supplied in Victoria

  WMP creates the opportunity of centralised treatment   30 towns on main system – some already treated – many not   Central treatment considered in business case

  Economics didnʼt stack up then   Benefits for rural customers not clear   Cost of treatment for water not needing to be treated

  Approaches / Options   Central treatment – e.g. membrane – significant head available in parts of the

system   Point of use – small towns / rural industry e.g. where export requirements

necessitate this   Other?

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Renewable Energy   WMP will triple GWMWaterʼs energy use – 40 000 MW hr   WMP was Victoriaʼs first major water saving project

  Commenced before the focus on renewable energy   GWMWater Board considers that “climate is our business”

  We should play our role in managing our impacts on climate as we are critically dependent on climate

  Current Board has recently managed major capital project $680 M WMP   Experienced in managing major capital investments   Keen on the idea of owning own infrastructure   Understands risk profile, e.g. compared to PPA

  Approaches / Options   Regional scale - e.g. wind farm - 6-8 turbines, phasing   Participation in joint schemes, e.g. solar

  Affordability   Major issue for economic regulator Essential Services Commission

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Next Source of Water   WMP and earlier NMP

  Saved 150 GL of water   Recent climate sequence shows that these savings may not be enough under

some scenarios   MDB Plan - will constrain further development of traditional sources

  Water Supply-Demand Strategy   50 year plan for sources vs use   Integration of other elements

  Septics   Stormwater   “New” pockets of groundwater   Desalination   Water savings - leakage, evaporation   Demand management   Water market

  Plenty of experience in many areas with these   We will be seeking know-how to feed into this development

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