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Achievements

Responding effectively to continuing drought impacts and water shortages

  • In Adelaide: meeting the challenge of the highest burst water main rate in the history of our operations, with an increase of 12 percent above the annual average.
  • In Ballarat: providing high quality drinking water despite poor source water quality as a result of combined reservoir levels at an extremely low 11 percent.
  • In New Zealand: working in partnership with our clients across all contracts to improve drinking water quality. In Ruapehu we received an ‘A’ grading for source water management-the first time this has been achieved in a small community in New Zealand.
  • In all contracts: responding effectively to declining raw water quantity and/or quality and ensuring a secure supply of high quality drinking water.

Ensuring a sustainable long-term water supply

  • Design of the Glenelg to Adelaide Parklands Reuse Scheme, in partnership with SA Water. This $75 million project incorporates a new treatment facility, a pipeline from Glenelg to the Adelaide Parklands, pumping stations and a pipeline network around the Parklands. This landmark scheme will provide the Parklands and CBD customers with recycled water.
  • Design of the Christies Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade, as part of a joint project team with SA Water and engineering consultants KBR. This upgrade will cater for population growth, while improved treatment processes will improve sustainability of water supply through additional wastewater reuse and reduced nutrient discharge to the marine environment.
  • Project delivery of the new Ballarat North Water Reclamation Plant, delivering up to six million litres of treated wastewater each day, planned for agricultural and industrial reuse in the Ballarat region.

Growth

  • New contracts to provide water and wastewater services for the Franklin District Council on New Zealand’s North Island, and Queenstown Lakes District Council on the South Island.
  • Effective response to growth and development in all our contract areas.
    Examples include:

    • New Zealand: commenced delivery of infrastructure for a major greenfields development site, the Hingaia Peninsula. This project provides additional environmental benefits, through the decommissioning of the existing Drury WWTP and the rehabilitation of the land on which the plant is situated.
    • Adelaide: upgrade of the Christies Beach WWTP and the expansion of the Aldinga WWTP will address some of the issues presented by strong population growth in the Adelaide’s south.

Workforce

An ongoing program of workforce expansion ensures United Water is delivering on these and many other new projects driven by population growth in our contract areas. Our growing workforce will also cater for anticipated increases in asset upgrade and major project activity over the next few years.

Research and Development

In collaboration with our partners the City of Salisbury, CSIRO Land and Water, Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation, SA Water and the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Natural Resources Management Board, we received funding of $1.7 million from the National Water Commission for Aquifer Storage Transfer and Recovery (ASTR) research. This vital research continues to attract international interest and recognition.

Customer Service

United Water has continued to provide outstanding customer ser vice, despite unprecedented demand for our services in a period of drought. Independent research found call centre staff in Adelaide achieved a 97 per cent satis faction rating for overall service, while our networks team achieved 93 percent.

Safety

In recognition of our safe working environment, low Lost Time Injury Frequency Rates (LTIFR), safety initiatives and emphasis on safe working practices, United Water was awarded the highly sought after 3-Year Renewal for self-insured employers by State insurer WorkCover SA.