#450 litre pumping station

[pumpingstationsuk]

Discover our 450 Litre Storm Water Pumping Station, compliant with BS EN 12056-4:2000 and BS EN 752-6:1998 standards. Complete with Ebara Optima Submersible Drainer Pump, lockable manhole cover, non-return valve, and full installation kit. Ideal for areas lacking gravity flow, perfect for sewage or wastewater transfer. Contact us at 01332 854868 for your Pumping Station needs. Includes a 24-month warranty.

[cooldavidkentposts]

ABB wins contract to support Sydney Water infrastructure project

ABB has been awarded a contract for a range of drive and motor products and services as part of Sydney Water’s Prospect South to Macarthur (ProMac) water and wastewater infrastructure project.

With Greater Sydney’s population expected to reach ~8 million by 2036, the city’s existing water network will be stretched beyond capacity. Via the ProMac project, Sydney Water will upgrade and expand Sydney’s water and wastewater infrastructure to service development in the South West Growth Area and future growth in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis. This includes construction of a new reservoir at Liverpool and two new reservoirs at Oran Park, to allow for a total of 100 million litres of additional reservoir capacity.

An aerial view of the area in Sydney where the project will be taking place. Credit: Sydney Water.

Sydney Water is also building 15 km of additional pipework and three pumping stations and augmenting the existing network to transfer water to the new reservoirs and to service growth. Construction began in September 2020 and the project will be delivered in stages over two years with the new assets to be commissioned in late 2022.

ABB’s products and services will form part of the project’s water pump station upgrades. The equipment will be installed to power and control nine pumps across the various locations in this project.

The contract includes ACS580MV medium-voltage drives, ACS880 ultra-low harmonic single drives, spares and commissioning. These advanced technology drives have been engineered to operate without disrupting the power network due to harmonics, which pollute the electrical network and make equipment connected to it behave erratically. Harmonics can also cause damage to sensitive electronic equipment and interference in communication equipment and give false readings on measurement devices.

Sydney Water recognised that the ACS880 drives were naturally designed to reduce harmonics in the network and could easily integrate into their existing system without concerns of wider disruption. This meant there was no need to oversize the electrical system or account for higher investment costs in additional infrastructure. By using clean technology such as this, the need for any additional filters or power quality equipment is eliminated.

Like all water utilities, Sydney Water must sometimes connect to residential power networks. Standards that regulate interference by industrial equipment require stringent levels to be maintained so that these connections don’t interfere with everyday devices like mobile electronics and televisions, for example. ABB’s ACS580MV and ACS880 drives are category C2 rated for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), which gives Sydney Water compliance to operate their pump stations with shared networks so that the drives can be run on residential networks without any concern of interference to the general public.

Sydney Water also purchased ABB’s AMI 450 high-voltage modular induction motors and M3BP low-voltage process performance motors with IE3 premium efficiency. About 80% of energy usage at water plants is attributed to the operation of motors for pumping. ABB’s high-efficiency motors can deliver significant energy savings because they use less energy at the same power output, which concurrently lowers CO2 emissions.

The AMI 450 motors are packaged to fit precisely with ABB drives and are optimised for variable speed control to deliver an energy-efficient solution for Sydney Water. These modular induction motors will also be customised to meet the needs of Sydney Water to offer them a low-loss, high-power-density solution that is more efficient, yet smaller and lighter when compared to other alternatives on the market.

M3BP cast iron motors provide protection against the harsh environmental elements found in water applications and will also afford Sydney Water lower running costs, low noise levels and low maintenance costs all in a smaller footprint.

Mike Briggs, Head of Motion for ABB in Australia, said, “Thanks to the ProMac project, Sydney Water will now secure future water sustainability for even more residents in Western Sydney and ABB is proud to be a part of supporting that investment.”

ABB’s solutions offering and design framework surpassed others that were put forward for the project, and demonstrated ABB’s ability to confidently stand by a complete performance guarantee. ABB’s ability to manage the product lifecycle of the equipment by assuring service, parts and labour, combined with full load testing facility capability all with a guarantee of 24/7 support via ABB’s global network, is expected to extend the lifetime of these products for up to 20 years.

Image caption: Liverpool Reservoir upgrade – part of Sydney Water’s Prospect South to Macarthur (ProMac) project.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/water/news/abb-wins-contract-to-support-sydney-water-infrastructure-project-340327265

from WordPress https://davidkent.home.blog/2021/07/16/abb-wins-contract-to-support-sydney-water-infrastructure-project/

[deltaponline]

Revised Pump Design saves Diesel Margin for Nuclear Power Plant

  Nuclear power facilities are equipped with large diesel generators that supply emergency power for important safety circuits in the event of a situation where a power outage requires critical pumps to operate and safety shutdown the reactor. Of these circuits, the ultimate heat sink (service water) pumps have one of the highest priorities, but they can impose a significant load on the diesel generators. For one site, Sulzer has applied its pump design expertise to improve performance and reduce power requirements while continuing to comply with regulatory standards. Operational safety is of paramount importance in nuclear generating facilities, which are governed by strict standards and protocols that dictate design specifications and operational procedures. These plants are required to ensure that the diesel generators are capable of running the necessary equipment during a power outage. For a nuclear power station in the Midwest of the USA operating two pressurized water reactors (PWR), the raw water pumps were identified for replacement. A request for quotation was issued for tender and those manufacturers that qualified as a potential supplier, including Sulzer, prepared their bids. As with all tendering scenarios, questions can be asked, and all of the bidders are made aware of any questions and the respective answers.

After extensive repair and upgrade, one of the water pumps is transported back to the customer. Collecting the facts On the face of it, this would appear to be a straightforward like-for-like replacement. The pump specifications were provided and, due to the importance of this equipment, very unlikely to be changed. However, a number of issues with the performance of these pumps existed, including high vibration levels, high power requirements and reduced flow rates when operating in unison. Art Washburn, Nuclear Technical Support Manager for Sulzer in Chattanooga, explains: "My experience in the nuclear sector goes back decades and the specification for these pumps didn't seem to cover potential operational concerns. The questions I needed to ask couldn't be answered by the purchasing department; I needed to talk with the engineers, to get a better understanding of the situation. This would enable us to deliver the right pump for the job." In this case, there were six pumps in total, three cooling water pumps per reactor. Sticking to the rules The safety protocols for the plant state that, in the event of a loss of power, safety-critical systems will be powered by emergency diesel generators. These are designed to produce sufficient power for all the safety circuits, which are brought back online in sequence to avoid overloading the generators. The raw water pumps are among the first pieces of equipment to be restarted, but the protocols require the pumps that start and operate, to remain in service and not be stopped by the operators. On the face of it, this would appear to be sensible – applying the maximum pumping capacity to the reactor. However, the maximum flow is dictated by the heat exchangers and injection systems, not the pumps, so operating all the pumps at the same time results in each pump operating at a significantly reduced flowrate. In this case, where high specific speed (Ns) pumps were installed, the power requirement increased at the highly reduced flowrates, overloading the generators. In fact, the combined operation of three pumps in parallel caused the safety relief valves to lift as the pumps approached shutoff head conditions.

Comparison shows performance difference between original and replacement pumps. Optimizing the design For a pump with a high specific speed, the shape of the power curve is highest at low flows and it drops down as flow increases. The curve for a pump with a lower specific speed is almost the reverse, with a lower power requirement at low flows and increasing as the flow rate rises. Art continues: "Once the history of the original pumps was understood, it was possible to establish why the plant was experiencing the issues described. This led to the design of a pump with a lower specific speed, which would not only deliver the required flowrates but also save a huge amount of power. Under normal design conditions, the power requirement remained unchanged, but when running on the diesel generators, it is critical." Following more detailed discussions, Sulzer was awarded the contract to manufacture and deliver six new pumps for the power plant. The decision to reduce the specific speed required some changes to the impeller and bowl but otherwise the original specifications were met. Sulzer also included some material upgrades and improved the design of the stuffing boxes to eliminate leakage, which had been a standing long-term corrosion issue identified by the maintenance team. Delivering power savings The new pumps came from the SJT range of cooling water pumps, which are large-flow vertical pumps that are engineered to order to ensure the most efficient design is achieved. In this case, the pump operated at 1'775 rpm and required a 300 horsepower (225 kW) drive motor to deliver 5'320 gallons per minute (20'100 litres per minute). The change in the pump design saved approximately 100 horsepower (75 kW) per pump, thereby freeing up an additional 600 horsepower (450 kW) from the emergency diesel generators, for no additional cost. To put that into context, a project to re-rate the generators and provide a similar amount of extra capacity, if feasible, would cost in the tens of millions of dollars. The new pumps have been installed and the improvement in performance has been significant. The levels of vibration have dropped considerably, especially at minimum flow and the safety relief valves are no longer being challenged. In addition, the material upgrades that were included in the new designs have brought further benefits, increasing the mean time between maintenance (MTBM). However, by far and away the greatest benefit has been the reduction in power requirement at low flow conditions. Such a large gain in diesel margin has saved the power plant from a potential generator re-rate project, the cost of which would take years to recover. Improving understanding Art concludes: "This case highlights the importance of being able to understand pump curves and how pumps interact together in a system. As experts in pump design and manufacturing, Sulzer has created a specific training course on this subject to help those involved in operating, maintaining and replacing pumps. In little more than four hours, those people responsible for sourcing new pumps will have the potential to make considerable improvements in their facility." For installations that are experiencing concerns about exceeding the available power from the emergency diesel generators, it is possible to review existing pump curves and adjust the specific speed of a pump without compromising the specifications laid down in the original documentation. Reducing the load on the generators has the potential to save millions of dollars that would otherwise need to be spent on re-rating this equipment. www.sulzer.com Read the full article

[digitalmark18-blog]

Fair Go: Wellington mum 'gobsmacked' after Auckland hotel burglary due to botched security

New Post has been published on https://britishdigitalmarketingnews.com/fair-go-wellington-mum-gobsmacked-after-auckland-hotel-burglary-due-to-botched-security/

Fair Go: Wellington mum 'gobsmacked' after Auckland hotel burglary due to botched security

Tourists and travellers are being warned to be wary of popular travel booking websites after a terrifying midnight hotel break-in.

Wellingtonian Marie Donald used Agoda.com to book a room at the Metropolis building in Auckland for her and daughter Freya in August.

They were looking forward to spending time in the city, and going to the Katy Perry concert.

But their first night in the room proved to be a traumatic experience, after they were burgled as they slept.

“I try not to think about it… you know, thinking of somebody being in our apartment when I’ve got my child,” she said.

“As a mum, you’re thinking, ‘my God, that could’ve been really horrendous,’ you know… if we’d woke up. Thank God we didn’t.”

Turns out, the guests from the previous night had never checked out – and never handed in their swipe cards.

Instead, they returned the next evening and snuck into Marie and Freya’s room, stealing Marie’s wallet and perfume.

“The fridge door was open, which was a bit weird… And then I sort of said to her, ‘did you put the light on?’ and she said ‘no, no it wasn’t me mum’.”

Marie then realised she’d been burgled – the thieves going on a spending spree at petrol stations, a fast food outlet and a car wash in South Auckland.

At the time of booking, Marie thought she’d paid for a room at the building’s hotel – but it was actually a listing from property management company Cloud Inn.

“It just showed pictures of the apartments, but it wasn’t clear that it wasn’t through a hotel.”

The listing shows areas like the building’s pool and gym – which can be used by Cloud Inn guests – but also the hotel’s front desk, which cannot.

Cloud Inn also doesn’t have direct access to the Metropolis security system, and didn’t cancel the swipe cards when they weren’t returned – something Marie only learned afterwards.

“I was gobsmacked, it made me feel sick because that was something that could have been prevented,” she said.

“That’s hotel 101… if somebody’s not handed a key [in], you cancel it.”

Marie requested a refund from Cloud Inn, but the company refused.

It also refused to compensate her for the lost property – about $450.

Marie then asked Agoda for a refund, and tried to get the booking website to remove Cloud Inn’s listings.

It refused to take down Cloud Inn’s rooms but after being contacted by Fair Go, Agoda did agree to refund the room cost to Marie, as a “gesture of goodwill”.

Marie is disappointed Cloud Inn can still advertise rooms, if it can’t guarantee they’re secure.

But she was also gobsmacked to learn the Cloud Inn was claiming it too was a victim in the incident.

“How, how are they a victim? A victim of their own incompetence,” she said.

Marie tried to publish a review of the burglary on Agoda.com, but the website doesn’t allow reviews to mention “legal issues… such as theft”.

Security consultant Charlie O’Donnell says no matter which website, it always pays to read reviews carefully.

“Read in between the lines because they often don’t publish the bad reviews and when they do, they’re sometimes diluted in a favourable manner,” he said.

O’Donnell says no matter where you stay, always make sure there’s a physical lock that can be pulled across the door.

“They have a legal and a moral obligation to ensure people who are renting their properties are safe and secure. Minimum they should be giving them internal locks on the door so when they enter the apartment, you can lock the door – either with a deadbolt, throw bolt or chain,” he said.

The Metropolis body corporate told Fair Go it’s now changed the security settings so that swipe cards cannot bypass the door snib once it’s locked, and that the Cloud Inn – and other rental providers – only have swipe cards issued for the duration of each of their bookings.

The Government has today announced a new pathway to fast track outstanding residential insurance claims from the Christchurch earthquake.

The Greater Christchurch Claims Resolution Service (GCCRS) has been established to provide homeowners a free to access, impartial pathway to settle claims, Earthquake Commission Minister Megan Woods said.

“Our new one stop shop will provide independent case management to bring together fast-tracked claims handling, specialist engineering support, psychosocial support, and legal expertise to help resolve claims,” Dr Woods said.

“Claimants will also be given access to a new online tool where they can see clearly what the next step is for their claim, who is going to do it, and when it will be done by.”

“GCCRS will operate on a ‘no wrong door’ basis. Anyone with an unresolved claim can call or come to the new office on Cashel Street and our settlement support brokers will tailor the approach to suit each individual situation. “

Earthquake damage in Christchurch Source: 1 NEWS

The service was set up following the report from Dr Woods’s Independent Ministerial Advisor into the Christchurch earthquake response.

The service is being hosted and operated by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

“I encourage anyone who has an unresolved claim or a potential concern with a repair to contact the new service, ” she said.

Exercise NZ chief executive Richard Beddie has defended gym classes for children, saying that calls for kids to be outside more or to play sport aren’t helpful.

Mr Beddie said less than 10 per cent of Kiwi children do enough physical activity, with gyms and community groups starting to offer classes targeting children in response.

“Children is 10 per cent, that means in the future we’re going to have some major problems with obesity and type 2 diabetes for that population, we already have that,” Mr Beddie told TVNZ1’s Breakfast,

“This is part of the solution for that and having some offerings for children to be active.”

Mr Beddie said the fact we had this issue meant calls for more sport of more outside time for kids were redundant.

“If it was easy as that we wouldn’t have the problem in the first place,” he said.

“The problem with saying they should be outside … it’s clearly not working, we need to change something, playing outdoors is part of the solution just as exercise activity in a class might be part of the solution.”

“The problem with sport is it appeals to certain people, particularly those that have a competitive element, but sport actually turns a whole bunch of people off.”

“Simply saying it should be all about sport, it’s a very 20th century solution to the problem.”

Gym classes, in which Mr Beddie said kids didn’t squat or bench press, were often convenient with children exercising as their parents did.

“Generally, one of the big benefits of this, it can be done at the same time as adults are exercising, cause that’s part of the challenge too, we need to be active, if you’ve got kids part of the challenge is where do I take them or what do I do when I’m working out.”

Judith Collins says the Government is in a panic about the fuel price crisis and has called for them to cut the regional fuel tax.

Yesterday, the Government announced it was prioritising the passing of the Commerce Amendment Bill when the House resumes next week with Jacinda Ardern saying she’s “hugely concerned” at the prices consumers are currently paying at the pump.

Jacinda Ardern is promising to rush through new laws to make changes, but says the Government is not to blame for the big price hikes. Source: 1 NEWS

On TVNZ1’s Breakfast today, Ms Collins said the Government’s plans didn’t go far enough.

“If the Government wants to do something right now, it could cut that tax, say we’re not going to have that regional fuel tax, 11.5 cents a litre in Auckland plus everything else that’s going on,” she said.

“Right now, with the fuel prices so high and the Government saying it’s all so terrible, they’ve just worked that out, at 11.5 cents a litre in Auckland alone plus everything else round the country, right now is the time for the Government to say we’re going to put that on hold while we sort it out.”

Mrs Collins said for every litre of petrol sold, $1.25 went to the Government and 31 cents went to the fuel companies.

“The dollar has dropped, oil prices internationally have gone up, every time that happens, the Government’s tax take goes up because it’s basically a percentage of the fuel.”

“In my electorate Papakura for instance, people have to travel around, don’t have much choice at all and they’re the people paying for it.”

New Zealand’s economy could not sustain an emissions target that kept global warming below 1.5°C, a climate expert has said.

In the most extensive warning yet on the risks of climate change, scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) say limiting warming to 1.5C, rather than 2C, is necessary to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.

That half degree difference would change the height of sea level rise, the survival of coastal ecosystems and the availability of food and water resources, the scientists say..

Limiting warming to that target is possible but would require unprecedented changes, Prof Jim Skea, co-chair of the IPCC, said.

Nearly 90 scientists from 39 countries, including New Zealand, have spent three years on a planet saving plan, one that requires drastic action. Source: 1 NEWS

Victoria University professor of climate science Tim Naish said the target was not possible without technology – that doesn’t yet exist – to extract carbon dioxide from the air.

“To me, it’s an academic idea. I think that without technology we’re just not going to make it.

“Although in an ideal world it would avoid a lot of climate change impact, my sense is we’ve just left that too late.”

Prof Naish said target was not viable for New Zealand because the economy relies on the meat and dairy industry.

“We’ve got to reduce production and have less cows and sheep. The problem with that is it would tank our economy in the short-term. We can’t do that too quickly, so there’s no silver bullet for New Zealand.”

“That’s why I say, 1.5 is extremely hard. Two [degrees] is a challenge but achievable, but 1.5 is really pushing the limits of the possible rates of change.”

He said the Paris Agreement, to keep a global temperature rise below 2C this century, was still achievable and New Zealand was going to show global leadership with the Zero Carbon Bill currently being drafted.

“The pathway that the government is exploring to be carbon zero by 2050 is not super-scary and is quite achievable and actually brings some fairly positive benefits to New Zealand’s economy if we follow it.”

Source: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/fair-go-wellington-mum-gobsmacked-after-auckland-hotel-burglary-due-botched-security

[greenplanetplumbing]

Will Australians have enough drinking water? 

Check out new post published on http://www.greenplanetplumbing.jezweb.sydney/will-australians-have-enough-drinking-water/

Will Australians have enough drinking water? 

Increasing population numbers, more people moving to the big cities, and huge changes in weather and rainfall patterns are all putting pressure on Australia’s daily drinking water supply system.

It is clear that the current reliance on a healthy and never-ending supply of drinking water from rainfall is dangerous. What happens when there is a drought? What happens when the world runs out of drinkable water? What happens when Australia runs out of drinkable water? Will you then drink recycled water? Let’s look at how the system works now.

Water Crisis in Australia

What is recycled drinking water? What are we drinking now?

There is no laid down standard process for recycling water. This is because in most countries the methods are specific to the local requirements, and to the environment where they are found. Sewerage is treated at effluent treatment plants and then it is recycled and finally mixed together with natural water

The World Health Organization has a set of guidelines governing the provision and quality of drinking water, and the Australian Government’s regulations for the distribution and supply of water follow these very closely. All water that is acceptable for drinking is called ‘potable water’. In Australia, potable water has come from rain and collected in dams before being directed to reservoirs, purified and treated and finally made available to everyone via a series of pipe networks – called reticulation.

Because Australia receives all its water from rainfall, problems can occur when there are droughts that have no end in sight, or as climate change decreases expected annual rainfall patterns. With less water for the population to drink during the Millennium drought a while ago, the government decided to take action and build six desalination plants. Wastewater was also recycled for use in various industries.

Australians are generally very comfortable with water recycling if it includes a natural water source. Recycled water is added to the Wivenhoe Dam. This particular method is referred to as “the miracle mile”, and is how the indirect potable reuse will occur in Australia. Some people are concerned that the water is not sufficiently purified and could still contain contaminants and germs, however, the final processes of recycling have 2 or 3 checks and balances which would finally eradicate any harmful substances or bacteria.

Houses built in modern housing estates now have two sets of water pipes – one for drinking water and a second one, often purple, for recycled water that can be used for watering the garden, car washing, and toilet flushing. All these homes are checked by licensed plumbers to make sure that the two pipes do not get mixed up, this has happened before in only two cases.

Another point is for the Australian people to trust the government to supply them with good recycled water for drinking. People were concerned that they would be drinking ‘poop’ in contaminated water. However, only a small amount of the treated and recycled water is mixed with the regular water that goes to people’s homes.

Recycled Water: Gardening & Other Uses

Australian urban areas all receive reticulated water, and all wastewater from houses, businesses, and industries is directed to the sewers. Naturally, a lot of rainwater will also collect in the sewers. All of this water is then directed to sewerage treatment plants. The water is treated according to what it will be used for – i.e. drinking water, or industrial use. Any water left over from this process is called effluent.

Australia has a well-established system that uses recycled water for purposes other than drinking water – like for watering gardens and other industrial processes, for example. Some sewerage treatment plants give the water the full disinfection treatment for recycling use, while others cast it straight away as effluent.

Wastewater Recycled

In Penrith, reuse of recycled water is practiced very successfully. Their wastewater flows into the Nepean River, then the North Richmond plant treats the water and it is delivered it to the Hawkesbury region. In most parts of Australia, particularly Rouse Hill in northwest Sydney, wastewater is used for non-potable applications as most homesteads are sewered. You can choose whether to have this option in your home. It is called a dual-reticulation system.

Some Interesting Water Facts

Of the 70% of water cover on our earth, only 3% of it is drinkable

Making water ready for human consumption requires lots of energy for pumps and other processes.

An average family of 4 uses 450 litres of water per day – 164 000 litres per year, while other people in the world use as little as 25 litres per person

A bath can use up to 100 litres of water – showering uses less than 1/3rd of this amount

Remember the saying “If it’s yellow, let it mellow, if it’s brown, flush it down” and try not to flush the toilet every time you use it – flushing uses up to 9 litres per flush

Be aware and cut down some of the things we use in our everyday lives as all of them used water in their production – Your t-shirt used 2,699 litres of water, 500 sheets of paper used 4,996 litres…

Potable Water Recycled in Australia

Power stations in Queensland have been receiving recycled water since 2009 with the implementation of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project. If dam levels drop to below 40%, an option may be used to add this to Queensland’s drinking water supply.

It would be necessary for any recycled water system to be carefully installed and regularly maintained. And in Australian, a recycling system would have to be community approved.

What is the Role of the Plumber?

Being a homeowner, you are responsible for the maintenance of your home, and this includes the plumbing and pipes, as well as the taps and running water. Having regular check-ups and fixing small problems before they get too big will prevent big, flooding type issues later on which could turn out to be very expensive.

Fix any leaks immediately before they turn into serious water wastage.

Fix slow drains. Drains can slowly get blocked up due to an accumulation of debris, and then they require extra water to clear them – so keep them functioning smoothly;

Calcium build up in a tap or shower head can cause lower water pressure;

The important working parts of toilets can break or malfunction, and you will be able to hear water running, but nothing will be happening – this is a quick repair if caught in time;

Check for garbage disposal leaks that might go unnoticed;

Don’t forget the kitchen sink drain – you might also want to use a liquid drain cleaner to prevent a big build-up of waste. This will keep the water flowing;

Maintain your septic tank system – this is one thing you do not want to deal with if a serious blockage can be avoided.

[pumpingstationsuk]

Efficient 450 Litre Sewage Pumping Station for Extensions & Annexes - Order Now

Discover our 450 Litre Single Sewage Pumping Station, ideal for extensions and annexes. This complete kit includes a sewage vortex pump, lockable manhole cover, and 24-month warranty. Easy to install and compliant with BS EN standards. Order now for fast delivery. Contact Packaged Pumping Stations Ltd. for more information.

[pumpingstationsuk]

The PPS range of Pumping Stations are all manufactured in accordance with BS EN 12056-4:2000 Gravity drainage systems inside buildings and BS EN 752-6:1998 Drain and sewer systems outside buildings. Give us a call today for your Pumping Station requirements on 01332 854868. This Sewage Pumping Station is designed for Extensions and Annex's. Please find below what is included within your 450 Litre Sewage Pumping Station.

[greenplanetplumbing]

Will Australians have enough drinking water? 

Check out new post published on https://www.greenplanetplumbing.com.au/will-australians-have-enough-drinking-water/

Will Australians have enough drinking water? 

Increasing population numbers, more people moving to the big cities, and huge changes in weather and rainfall patterns are all putting pressure on Australia’s daily drinking water supply system.

It is clear that the current reliance on a healthy and never-ending supply of drinking water from rainfall is dangerous. What happens when there is a drought? What happens when the world runs out of drinkable water? What happens when Australia runs out of drinkable water? Will you then drink recycled water? Let’s look at how the system works now.

Water Crisis in Australia

What is recycled drinking water? What are we drinking now?

There is no laid down standard process for recycling water. This is because in most countries the methods are specific to the local requirements, and to the environment where they are found. Sewerage is treated at effluent treatment plants and then it is recycled and finally mixed together with natural water

The World Health Organization has a set of guidelines governing the provision and quality of drinking water, and the Australian Government’s regulations for the distribution and supply of water follow these very closely. All water that is acceptable for drinking is called ‘potable water’. In Australia, potable water has come from rain and collected in dams before being directed to reservoirs, purified and treated and finally made available to everyone via a series of pipe networks – called reticulation.

Because Australia receives all its water from rainfall, problems can occur when there are droughts that have no end in sight, or as climate change decreases expected annual rainfall patterns. With less water for the population to drink during the Millennium drought a while ago, the government decided to take action and build six desalination plants. Wastewater was also recycled for use in various industries.

Australians are generally very comfortable with water recycling if it includes a natural water source. Recycled water is added to the Wivenhoe Dam. This particular method is referred to as “the miracle mile”, and is how the indirect potable reuse will occur in Australia. Some people are concerned that the water is not sufficiently purified and could still contain contaminants and germs, however, the final processes of recycling have 2 or 3 checks and balances which would finally eradicate any harmful substances or bacteria.

Houses built in modern housing estates now have two sets of water pipes – one for drinking water and a second one, often purple, for recycled water that can be used for watering the garden, car washing, and toilet flushing. All these homes are checked by licensed plumbers to make sure that the two pipes do not get mixed up, this has happened before in only two cases.

Another point is for the Australian people to trust the government to supply them with good recycled water for drinking. People were concerned that they would be drinking ‘poop’ in contaminated water. However, only a small amount of the treated and recycled water is mixed with the regular water that goes to people’s homes.

Recycled Water: Gardening & Other Uses

Australian urban areas all receive reticulated water, and all wastewater from houses, businesses, and industries is directed to the sewers. Naturally, a lot of rainwater will also collect in the sewers. All of this water is then directed to sewerage treatment plants. The water is treated according to what it will be used for – i.e. drinking water, or industrial use. Any water left over from this process is called effluent.

Australia has a well-established system that uses recycled water for purposes other than drinking water – like for watering gardens and other industrial processes, for example. Some sewerage treatment plants give the water the full disinfection treatment for recycling use, while others cast it straight away as effluent.

Wastewater Recycled

In Penrith, reuse of recycled water is practiced very successfully. Their wastewater flows into the Nepean River, then the North Richmond plant treats the water and it is delivered it to the Hawkesbury region. In most parts of Australia, particularly Rouse Hill in northwest Sydney, wastewater is used for non-potable applications as most homesteads are sewered. You can choose whether to have this option in your home. It is called a dual-reticulation system.

Some Interesting Water Facts

Of the 70% of water cover on our earth, only 3% of it is drinkable

Making water ready for human consumption requires lots of energy for pumps and other processes.

An average family of 4 uses 450 litres of water per day – 164 000 litres per year, while other people in the world use as little as 25 litres per person

A bath can use up to 100 litres of water – showering uses less than 1/3rd of this amount

Remember the saying “If it’s yellow, let it mellow, if it’s brown, flush it down” and try not to flush the toilet every time you use it – flushing uses up to 9 litres per flush

Be aware and cut down some of the things we use in our everyday lives as all of them used water in their production – Your t-shirt used 2,699 litres of water, 500 sheets of paper used 4,996 litres…

Potable Water Recycled in Australia

Power stations in Queensland have been receiving recycled water since 2009 with the implementation of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project. If dam levels drop to below 40%, an option may be used to add this to Queensland’s drinking water supply.

It would be necessary for any recycled water system to be carefully installed and regularly maintained. And in Australian, a recycling system would have to be community approved.

What is the Role of the Plumber?

Being a homeowner, you are responsible for the maintenance of your home, and this includes the plumbing and pipes, as well as the taps and running water. Having regular check-ups and fixing small problems before they get too big will prevent big, flooding type issues later on which could turn out to be very expensive.

Fix any leaks immediately before they turn into serious water wastage.

Fix slow drains. Drains can slowly get blocked up due to an accumulation of debris, and then they require extra water to clear them – so keep them functioning smoothly;

Calcium build up in a tap or shower head can cause lower water pressure;

The important working parts of toilets can break or malfunction, and you will be able to hear water running, but nothing will be happening – this is a quick repair if caught in time;

Check for garbage disposal leaks that might go unnoticed;

Don’t forget the kitchen sink drain – you might also want to use a liquid drain cleaner to prevent a big build-up of waste. This will keep the water flowing;

Maintain your septic tank system – this is one thing you do not want to deal with if a serious blockage can be avoided.