Smart water solutions contribute to low-carbon agenda in the Hunter

A two-year contract extension signed between Veolia and Hunter Water is set to secure more than just high-quality water services for the region. As the country’s leading water experts, Veolia will deploy solutions involving innovative technology to deliver against enhanced wastewater targets and generate the highest-quality water the Lower Hunter has seen. While nurturing the next generation of water engineers, and driving low-carbon outputs, the contract will make new headway in combating climate change.

Hunter Water serves the needs of over 600,000 people living and working in the region. Veolia, Australia’s leader in ecological transformation and Hunter Water’s operation and maintenance contractor, delivers safe, high-quality drinking water, and treats millions of litres of wastewater across the region every day. Following almost eight successful years delivering water services, Veolia has now secured a two-year extension on its contract.

The extension will see new heights reached in water quality and wastewater treatment for the region. Working closely with Hunter Water, Veolia has already identified eight ways to enhance drinking water standards and a further 46 ways to improve its sewage treatment activities. These will ensure continued excellent water quality for the community and help to better preserve biodiversity.

In addition, new Energy Tracking (e-Tracking) technology developed by Veolia will monitor the energy performance of the treatment plants, delivering consumption efficiencies that reduce its carbon footprint. The e-Tracking system will also assess operational conditions and deliver real-time alerts to operators on energy performance, facilitating prompt action where necessary.

Led by a team of 20 water engineers and technical experts, Veolia will have trained nine graduate engineers, eight cadet engineers and eight electrical and mechanical apprentices by the end of its 10-year tenure.

Daniel Spiller, Chief Operating Officer for Veolia ANZ said:

“Veolia works with the brightest minds and uses the best technology available to meet the water needs of the Lower Hunter community, whilst protecting the waterways and wildlife that surround our operations. We’ve worked hard over the past seven years to innovate so that water quality standards continue to improve, whilst finding solutions that achieve decarbonisation — we call this ecological transformation.

“Our extended contract with Hunter Water will allow us to continue putting people and the environment at the heart of what we do. This remains a priority, as does our investment in young people through cadetships and apprenticeships, as they will be the next generation of water workers for the region.”

Executive Manager Customer Delivery, Clint Thomson from Hunter Water said:

“We’re pleased to award a contract extension to Veolia, who share in our vision for the future of water in the Lower Hunter. As custodians of the water cycle for our customers and communities, it is critical that we maintain safe, high-quality and efficient water services, protect our environment, and develop the next generation of water professionals. Building on the achievements of the partnership so far, we have clear service delivery targets and continuous improvement objectives, and we’re working hard to achieve our ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030.”