Australasia |
Higher flood peaks - Potential for flood peaks to be higher than what has been observed in historical records.
Lower inflows into dams - Minimum 24-month inflows into Keepit and Split Rock dams could reduce by 50% by 2070 under the driest climate scenario.
This is where the regional water strategy will come into play, by bringing together the best and latest climate evidence with a wide range of tools and solutions to plan and manage the region’s water needs over the next 20 years and beyond. Tamworth is an important regional employment and services hub that supports much of northern inland NSW and is anticipating significant economic and population growth which will need access to reliable supplies of water.
While a new Dungowan Dam was previously being
explored in the region, the strategy says there are alternative and more cost-effective options that could help support Tamworth’s water security. The long-term water strategy for the Namoi will focus on doing more with the water it has, supporting sustainable growth and being prepared for the next drought to address this challenge. Setting out 27 actions to ensure the Namoi region is well-placed to meet such future challenges, the strategy considers a range of infrastructure and policy
options that could improve Tamworth’s water security. These include changes in dam reserves which could be progressed in the short term while longer term initiatives are being investigated, pipelines east of Tamworth (linked to dams from the Namoi Valley) or west of Tamworth, plus off-river storages. Each of these options, the strategy states, will have benefits, costs, and impacts while a combination may help mitigate impacts.
Project progress EnergyAustralia has started technical and environmental
studies for the proposed Lake Lyell pumped storage hydropower project in New South Wales. Mike de Vink, EnergyAustralia’s Lake Lyell Project
Director, said that a dedicated team of specialists will conduct exhaustive investigations over the course of the next year. On-site examinations will delve into areas encompassing biodiversity, aquatic ecology, preservation of Aboriginal heritage, societal consequences, water dynamics, climate effects, and more. The assessments will also evaluate the project’s capacity to stimulate local economic growth and foster employment opportunities.
Emphasising the significance of community involvement, de Vink affirmed the commitment to
SA Water embraces drone technology
From the skies over the River Murray to reservoirs around the state, 19 licensed drone pilots are transforming how SA Water inspects its infrastructure and elevating safety to new horizons since the purchase of its first drone in 2015. Throughout 2022-23 alone, the team of drone pilots from across SA Water have embarked on an incredible journey, performing 785 flights and accumulating a total flight time of 176 hours, supporting various operations. SA Water Coordinator Survey Services Daniel Haines said drones are being used in all corners of South Australia, from Finger Point in the South East to Yalata in the West Coast and throughout the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands in the state’s Far North. “Traditionally, the water service industry has relied on manual inspections and
labor-intensive methods to assess the condition of water infrastructure including reservoirs and pipes, which raises particular challenges in hazardous and hard-to-reach locations,” Daniel said. “Armed with the capability to capture high-resolution imagery and data from previously inaccessible areas, drones have transformed our
approach to asset inspections, significantly improving safety for our crews while optimising operational efficiency. “We are using drones to complete inspections of pipes and tunnels, including the tunnel from
Clarendon to Mount Bold Reservoir, as part of our asset management and maintenance program which reduces the need for staff to enter confined spaces, limiting the risk of personal injury. “Using our Elios drone – which is capable of navigating indoor areas and confined spaces – we
were recently able to inspect an old building located at Bolivar wastewater Treatment Plant which was otherwise unsafe to enter and believed to contain asbestos. “Drones equipped with thermal sensors can also inspect vast areas, identify hotspots and
potential issues affecting our solar panel performance at all of our sites across the state including at Hope Valley Reservoir, Adelaide Desalination Plant and along the Morgan to Whyalla Pipeline, more accurately and rapidly than humans can, saving time and money on solar upkeep. “These aerial tools are revolutionising how we carry out a broad range of projects and tasks,
which also includes vegetation mapping and monitoring and observing environmental changes over a period of time with video comparisons. “The number of flights and amount of time we fly drones each year is growing, as we explore
other options for their use. This includes monitoring seagrass in Gulf St Vincent, off the south- east coast of the state, and continuing to research safer methods of collecting water samples from our reservoirs, the River Murray and other open water sources. “Drones have become an important part of how we operate and maintain our water assets,
systems and networks, as part of our commitment to provide safe and reliable water services to the South Australian community.”
14 | December 2023 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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