by Komoneed | Dec 3, 2024
Following its win in October at the Australian Water Association (AWA) Victorian Water Awards, Victorian utility South East Water has netted two more awards at this year’s Asian Water Awards, held in late 2024.
The utility’s Hydrotrak Geofencing technology received the Water Technology Excellence (Research and Development) – Australia award, as well as the Water Technology Excellence (Water Resource Management) – Australia award, at the Asian Water Awards.
Developed by South East Water’s Research and Development and Operational Technology teams, the Hydrotrak Geofencing System uses GPS location devices integrated with GIS spatial data of its network and hydrants to automatically detect the location of a vehicle when it is stopped at a hydrant for a tanker-filling operation.
The device then automatically sounds an audible alarm, prompting the driver to push the fill button, which generates billing data.
Since deploying the system in December 2022 to over 300 water carter vehicles, South East Water said it has recovered more than 65 ML of water that was previously unaccounted for, reducing both water and revenue loss.
South East Water’s General Manager of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation, Daniel Sullivan, said the solution played an important role in driving long-term water security and South East Water’s financial sustainability.
“HydroTrak helps us account for water extraction from our hydrants, providing improved financial outcomes at a time when customer affordability is a challenge,” he said.
“It resolves a common industry problem — the inability to detect and charge water carters for their hydrant use. Historically, this has resulted in significant water and revenue loss for water utilities, with these losses needing to be absorbed by customers.”
South East Water said it is working with a number of interested organisations to facilitate industry-wide adoption of the Hydrotrak Geofencing System. The utility anticipates that larger-scale adoption of the technology could provide better financial outcomes for the industry.
“Understanding water carter consumption will allow for better demand forecasting, resource planning and management. This will translate into numerous community-wide benefits like better, fairer prices for customers,” Sullivan explained.
Image credit: iStock.com/yotto
by Komoneed | Dec 3, 2024
This post was originally published on UNDPCOP29 Must Set New Global Climate Finance Target, Says UNDP Adaptation Head kate.smith@undp.org Mon, 12/02/2024 – 05:53 Empowering communities, fostering innovation and integrating socio-economic contexts into climate...
by Komoneed | Dec 3, 2024
Norway agreed on Sunday to stop the first round of licensing for Arctic deep-sea mining following pressure from the Socialist Left Party (SV), reported The Guardian. The small leftwing party refused to support the government’s budget if it did not halt deep-sea mining exploration licenses scheduled for next year. “This puts a stop to the […]
The post Ocean Advocates Celebrate ‘Huge Win’ as Norway Pauses Deep-Sea Mining Plans appeared first on EcoWatch.
by Komoneed | Dec 1, 2024
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by Komoneed | Dec 1, 2024
A project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cotton production systems has received $1,985,000 from the federal government’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Program Partnerships and Innovation Grants Round, and $800,000 from the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC).
Called ‘Climate Smart Cotton — reducing nitrous oxide emissions with enhanced efficiency fertilisers’, the project hopes to help Australia to become the preferred international supplier of low-emissions fibre.
The primary goal of the project is to demonstrate to cotton farmers that the use of enhanced efficiency fertilisers (EEFs) would significantly reduce emissions of nitrous oxide, said principal researcher Professor Peter Grace, from QUT’s School of Biology and Environmental Science and Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy.
Nitrous oxide is a potent soil-borne greenhouse gas, produced from the application of nitrogen sources, mainly mineral fertilisers, to increase crop production, Grace said.
“Australia’s cotton industry is primarily irrigated and has traditionally not used EEFs; however, we have evidence from grains cropping that an 80% reduction in emissions could be achieved in cotton production with the use of EEFs,” Grace said.
“EEFs are designed to maximise the amount of nitrogen available and reduce the losses of nitrogen, thereby reducing global warming and water pollution.”
Grace said the project would work directly with the cotton industry and could have application in other irrigated crops, such as maize, wheat and rice, and potentially horticulture.
“Increased nitrogen efficiency will lower the amount needed per unit of fibre or grain, reduce costs and increase profitability,” he said.
“Cotton manufacturers will pay a premium for low-carbon fibre, also contributing to greater profit for producers.”
QUT is partnering with state governments, the CRDC and companies with a long history of the sustainable management of Australia’s cotton industry.
“The consortium has developed over 20 years, with QUT collaborating with CRDC, CottonInfo and the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Incitec Pivot Fertiliser to determine the on-farm emissions of nitrous oxide from cotton production across Australia,” Grace said.
“We are collaborating with Nutrien Ag Solutions, a multinational enterprise which provides expert agronomic services for effective nitrogen fertiliser management and has strong links to thousands of farmers.”
CRDC Innovation Broker Nicola Cottee said the project underscored the cotton industry’s commitment to innovation and sustainability.
“Under our CRDC Strategic Plan, ‘Clever Cotton’, our goal is to establish a sustainable low-carbon cotton production system. Through our research partnerships, we aim to provide cotton growers with the tools and knowledge they need to reduce their environmental footprint.
“This project is a crucial piece of the puzzle. The potential to achieve a significant reduction in nitrogen fertiliser emissions via EEFs is a game changer for cotton.
“We’re excited about the potential of this project and the positive impact it will have on our industry and the environment,” Cottee said.
The project team comprises principal researcher Grace along with researchers Professor David Rowlings and Dr Naoya Takeda, all from QUT; and Dr Guna Nachimuthu, Dr Aaron Simmons and Dr Graeme Schwenke — all from the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.
Image credit: iStock.com/Alfio Manciagli
