Doing things better
MOST people give little thought to the mechanics of water supply and sewage. They turn on a tap and, hey presto, fresh water. They press a button and goodbye waste.
But behind the scenes it is a different story. TasWater employs a network of engineers and operators who manage and maintain complex infrastructure and assets across Tasmania.
As the organisation approaches its fifth “anniversary” on July 1, operations are becoming more streamlined, productive and efficient due to a policy of optimisation.
Two Optimisation Teams were formed in January last year — one for water and one for waste water.
Their purpose was to help provide a reliable and sustainable service to the community in a cost-effective and affordable way.
TasWater program manager of Sewerage System Optimisation, Dirk Stegink, said the Optimisation Teams were a missing piece of the puzzle.
“We’re providing the technical process engineering back-up, so things are not just running, they’re running in an optimised fashion,” Mr Stegink said.
He said most of the time plant operators will know what to do themselves, but the optimisation teams provide engineering support when things get tricky and don’t go as planned.
“It means we’re able to more consistently get good results and get treatment [plants] to work to their best capability,’’ Mr Stegink said.
The optimisation teams also aim to find better ways of operating — by using less power, reducing chemical use and creating cleaner, more environmentally friendly waste. These improvements lower the cost of production.
“The customer doesn’t see this straight away in terms of a reduced bill, but it does mean we are able to keep costs down,” Mr Stegink said.
“Over time prices go up, but if you find ways of saving costs, they go up less.”
The teams work to optimise the production of new infrastructure as well as maintain and continue to improve existing facilities.
“When you’re in a process industry, whatever you’re making, you’ve got process operators who keep the process under control, but they have technical back-up from a team like ours,” Mr Stegink said.
“By the two working together, that’s where you get good outcomes.”