New Stromlo Water Treatment Plant
100-word Summary
Executive Summary
Introduction
Assessment of Selection Criteria
Innovations
Press Release
100-word Summary
January 2003 bushfires destroyed the Cotter Water Catchment meaning that ash and soil were deposited into the main storage dams, then at record lows. The contamination had to be removed before supplying the public. After extensive preliminary work with planners, the government, industry representatives and a range of involved stakeholders, a $40 million, 250 megalitre a day treatment plant began supplying Canberra only 16 months after the project was first suggested. Fast-track delivery was achieved through stakeholder management, innovative procurement involving risk-sharing, performance incentives, pro-active team management, rapid decision making, and just-in- time design.
Executive Summary
MASSIVE BUSHFIRES in January 2003 bushfires caused great damage to the city of Canberra during a period of extended drought. The city effectively lost its western water catchment; almost all of the vegetation in the Cotter water catchment was burnt. This meant that ash and soil were likely to be deposited in the main storage dams. Water levels were at a record low because of the drought, and so the remaining water had to be treated regardless of the levels of contamination.
It was agreed that a solution had to be found within 15 months if the city of Canberra was to survive the following summer.
The dilemma was that in the two catchments that provide water for Canberra, the Cotter catchment dams had water containing high turbidity and was unreliable with regard to quality due to the burnt catchment, while the Googong catchment had a low storage level due to the heavy usage during the preceding drought period. Nonetheless, it was decided to augment the Googong system and to install a new filtration plant on the Cotter system at Mt Stromlo.
This required rapid action by ActewAGL on two fronts - to establish the project meant quick negotiations with a variety of planning bodies and ACTEW Corporation as the asset owner, along with the execution of a tender process to establish the eventual and successful contractor. As to the second part of the process, the construction phase, this meant that the ssuccessful team had to achieve what was virtually impossible and erect a functioning system within a little over one year - a task that has typically taken twice as long if not more.
There was a sense of urgency from the time the plan was suggested to its actual completion. Cooperation of all the stakeholders, the construction team and the workforce was vital for success.
The project team opted for an innovative approach to management. To achieve fast-track delivery meant sensible stakeholder management, innovative procurement, performance incentives, pro-active team management, rapid decision-making and just-in-time design.
By November 5, 2004 and with the cooperation of all concerned, the plant started delivering improved water quality and availability of water supply to Canberra. As at
June 30, 2005 the $39.3 million project has achieved practical completion ahead of schedule
and just within the original approved budget.
In December 2004 the plant demonstrated its ability to perform well beyond the capability
of the former plant by treating raw water of very poor quality drawn in part from Cotter
Dam. The new plant has demonstrated its value to enable the continued delivery of
potable water as the Cotter catchments recover from the January 2003 bushfires.
The success of the new Stromlo water treatment plant has truly set a new benchmark for
project planning and delivery.
Introduction
THIS PROJECT is not about the construction of a water filtration plant, although
that is part. It is about the resolution of a massive problem that seemed likely to
affect the national capital of
Australia. It was about
resolving this issue within
what seemed an impossible
time scale.
The key to this project is
time, or the lack of it.
The January 2003 bushfires
caused great damage to the
city of Canberra, but the
impact would have been
considerably less if the
disaster had occurred at a
time when the storage dams
were full. As it was, with
dams at record lows and the
ACT apparently undergoing
the effects of possible
climate change where
rainfall was unpredictable, the impact of the fires in a drought
period was immense.
What had once been the pride of the territory in pure raw water obtained from a pristine
wilderness, gave way to a burnt-out catchment that needed a solution of great ingenuity to
resolve.
The burnt vegetation resulted in a stop-gap measure of special booms being installed to
limit the amount of debris which potentially could contaminate the drinking water supply.
As the storage water levels were so low, provision had to be made to treat water regardless
of the levels of contamination, including the use of treating possibly impure water at the
bottom of the dam storages.
Remedial action was necessary. ActewAGL as the provider of the service had to negotiate
a course of action with ACTEW Corporation, the owner of the water infrastructure. It was
agreed that a solution had to be found within 15 months if the city of Canberra was to
survive the next summer.
Water for Canberra comes via two catchments. The Googong catchment was not affected
by fire but it needed a greater capacity to treat water. So it was determined to increase the
capacity of Googong WTP by 90 ML/d. It was also decided to provide the fire ravaged
Cotter catchment with a new 250 ML/d filtration plant that was to be installed at the site
of the existing water treatment plant at Mt Stromlo. The existing treatment plant did not
provide any filtration capacity.
Such a decision was not easy to implement. Approval to proceed depended on permission
being obtained not only from ACTEW as the owner of the assets, but all the other
stakeholders ranging from the ACT Government to the National Capital Authority to the
Australian National University as owner of the renowned Mt Stromlo observatory.
The worst possible scenario would have been for the drought to break and the dams in the
Cotter catchment not being available due to poor water quality. Whilst Googong Dam
supply is fully treated via the Googong Treatment Plant, on its own it is not capable of
meeting Canberra's demand during the summer. Proceeding to augment Googong WTP
alone would have meant imposing restrictions on the community even during times of
plentiful storage. For ACTEW as the utility and asset owner, and ActewAGL as the
service provider, this was not an acceptable scenario.
The rapid delivery of the project depended on a most timely approach to the challenges
presented. These were met in two stages: A the initial phase was to establish the project.
Preliminary negotiations between ActewAGL and the various stakeholders were important
in facilitating the early start. There was land to be approved, the building of the plant on a
hill top to be cleared, along with discussions with neighbours adjacent who demanded
special consideration, such as low levels of emitted light and no explosives used in the
construction phase.
Then followed a rapid process for delivering a new plant. A competitive pricing process
was put into operation which eventually resulted in two proponents who worked on initial
concept designs. This process helped to resolve some issues with the initial plans and
eventually United KG (formerly Thames Water), John Holland Projects and Sinclair
Knight Merz were engaged as the design and construct team.
The second part of the process was the design and construction phase. The chosen team
worked in an integrated manner with each other and the management team. The approach
was harmonious throughout, assisted by the pain-share/gain-share approach taken. In a
little over one year (371 days) from the time the contract was awarded, filtered water
flowed from the new Mt Stromlo plant. It was an incredible achievement under intense
pressure to perform. The process between the decision to install a new plant and the
production of filtered water, offers a new dimension in engineering achievement.
Traditional engineering approaches formed the basis of a sound project, to which was
added elements such as good stakeholder management, risk-sharing, performance
incentives, good team management and just-in-time design. The end result was a
significant achievement not only for engineering principles but also for customer
satisfaction, environmental success and for the development of the national capital.
Assessment of Selection Criteria
1. Sound engineering practices/principles: A design, use of materials,
construction or manufacture is based on demonstrable sound engineering
principles or practices
With the ravaged catchments, time was the real driver, and a secure and reliable water
supply had to be ready for the following summer. It was imperative that planning had to
be done quickly, with preliminary assessments and government approval obtained. The
site selected at Mt Stromlo was already used for the existing small treatment plant, but the
ACT has strict policy guidelines relating to building on hilltops. There were also significant
disadvantages in being adjacent to the Mt Stromlo observatory and the seismic monitoring
station.
From a water engineering perspective, there was no data available for comparison -
normally before beginning to design and construct a new treatment plant, all available data
from years before would be assessed, trials conducted, and decisions made as to the likely
impact on water quality. As the fires had destroyed the vegetation in the catchment there
was no comparative data so it was an entirely new program: A there was no evidence as to
how a new water body would behave in future.
Also, there were few data resources available within ActewAGL on which to draw - the
previous plant of any consequence designed and built was the Lower Molonglo Water
Quality Control Centre [a wastewater treatment facility] some 30 years before, and that
took three years work from start to finish. Senior engineers associated with that project
had long since retired. While some specifications from the Lower Molonglo plant were
actually used for specifications relating to the new plant, the level of applicability of an
ageing sewage plant to a new water filtration plant were clearly limited. So there was high
dependency on ACTEW Corporation to be prepared to provide and also accept new and
efficient solutions given the lack of applicable precedents. In this the contract conditions with both gain and pain share facilitated the construction process.
An overarching question was how to engage industry and have it appreciate the problems
likely to be encountered - industry was unused to confronting a situation of this scale and
importance so it required a totally fresh approach to selling the package of a new plant.
Preliminary work was clearly the key, but as part of this process, approvals would have to
be given by agencies unaccustomed to the speed required or the stakes involved.
It was only possible to construct the new plant if all the preliminary problems were
overcome quickly, and so a very firm timeline was established. SPAN, the transaction
advisors working with ActewAGL, developed a multi-point plan that set what would
normally be impossible time targets and indicated that these targets were essential if the
program was to work. Industry representatives said privately that the time points were too
harsh and the plan was not possible. Yet by ActewAGL working with industry and
agencies, and by having all the preliminaries resolved to the satisfaction of all, every time
target was achieved.
There was clearly a sense of urgency with the project - everybody involved accepted the
challenge, and recognised the consequences if they failed. This feeling of urgency lasted
through the preliminary stages until the plant was operational.
As an example of facilitating arrangements, development of scope was done with joint
partners along with value engineering work and this helped to smooth the planning
process. Also, a deliberate decision was made to make it a design and construction project,
utilise a Just-In-Time (JIT) design methodology. This meant that the stakes were high and
all associated with the contract accepted this. As part of this process, ActewAGL together
with the designers reviewed and endorsed for construction all design drawings.
There was also the challenge of the parallel upgrading of the two water-related tasks at the
one time. As noted above, while the Stromlo plant was being planned and installed, there
was another task in upgrading the Googong water treatment plant by extending the
treatment capacity and increasing the pumping capacity. Given a choice, no water utility
operator knowing the risks involved would permit major works to be carried out affecting
the primary and secondary sources of supply concurrently. As it was, the same
organisation undertook both tasks stretching the available operational resources. There
were obvious challenges in managing the water supply and ensuring its security given the
pre and post commissioning activities. Hence a risk assessment was done and mitigating
actions taken to minimise complications. This process required considerable coordination
and a flexible approach from the contractor. This risk assessment was one of many
conducted during each project phase including tender, design and construction.
2. Originality/ingenuity: A significant original engineering application or
ingenuity to achieve the best solution for the required specifications
As the project was designed to be done in record time, innovations were welcomed which
cut construction time. Among these was the decision to site the plant in a location where
earthworks requirement was relatively small. This not only saved time and limited any
excavation work but it recognised the ban on using explosives so close to the seismic
monitoring station.
Also, there were large concrete pours and the PERI modular formwork system by the
contractor enabled large uninterrupted pours, and easy breakdown of the formwork for the
next pour. This achieved
records in the amount of walls
being erected each day as well as
making the task easier for the
contractors. Similarly, there was
a use of stabilised sand to form
the back face of walls, which
also cut construction time and
costs. There was also the use of
actual concrete strength to
determine earliest permissible
stripping times.
Time constraints also urged the contractor to use an off-the-shelf modular main
switchboard, said to be the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
In addition to working with Mt Stromlo on light and on noise (discussed further in this
submission) there was work done with environmental groups to minimise damage to the
fire damaged environment.
A major power upgrade needed to be made for the location. As a new 1.5 KVA
transformer was required, the expectation was that the item would be placed in a separate
chamber in accordance with existing standards. But given the rural location and utility use,
this was not appropriate for the site and after negotiation, it was agreed the transformer
would not be housed in a chamber. This required a new standard to be written to allow
this approach to be taken and delivered significant savings on cost and schedule.
Innovations
- Relocate structure to minimise earthworks
- Select PERI formwork system to enable large uninterrupted wall pours.
- Use of stabilised sand to form back face of walls
- Use of actual concrete strength to determine stripping times
- Off-the-shelf modular main switchboard
3. Adherence to budget and program: A meets relevant budget parameters and timelines
This successful project was delivered ahead of schedule and met the original approved budget.
In a contract such as this, the pain/gain share contract was important along with quality and risk pool incentives.
The contract specified pools of dollars in a risk pool. There were 4 components, 3 of which were the concern of ActewAGL, including scope, existing facilities performance, and alterations for any change of law. The fourth risk pool included the risks identified by the contractor with risk being dependent on the tendered amount.
These risk pools could be drawn on if and when the prescribed risks actually occurred.
It is of interest that this area provides an example of an area where lessons were learned and the area should have been done differently. Key Performance Indicators (KPI) were set up for timely delivery with defined milestones to be achieved, and incentives to be provided when each was satisfied. As an example, there was a KPI for timely completion of the construction by the target date, but on reflection the incentive should have been partly given for the production of filtered water to drinking water quality. The scope for the KPI was considered too broad, and on all subsequent contracts the transaction adviser who suggested this course of action now ensures that narrower KPI criteria for completion is included.
4. Actual or potential contribution of the work to the economy: A contributes to the local, regional or national economy by say, reducing the whole of life costs or adding to the efficient use of existing engineering construction, manufacture, maintenance or application
In the short time frame available, it was important that both industry and community benefits were available to ensure a smooth passage.
As an example, the two pre-qualified proponents in the bidding process had different approaches to the use of a dissolved air floatation (DAF) process. Dissolved air flotation is an effective means for removing organic material. One proponent believed it necessary and integrated a DAF component in their planned system, while the other had the DAF unit as an optional separate component. The decision had to be made as to whether the DAF unit should be included or not for the tender process. So a risk-based decision was requested from ACTEW. It reasoned that given the lack of water quality data and the high potential for algal bloom in the Cotter catchment dams after the fires, the provision of DAF process should be included or not for the tender process. So a risk-based decision was requested from ACTEW. It reasoned that given the lack of water quality data and the high potential for algal bloom in the Cotter catchment dams after the fires, the provision of DAF process should be included in the tender. Even if there was only a 7% chance of the unit being used each year, they wanted the unit included in the tender process and not be the subject of a possible retrofit. This effectively levelled the playing field for tenders.
The successful tender incorporated DAF as an integral part of the main filters. This technology dramatically reduces the footprint and therefore the cost of the overall works. The outcome: A The Canberra region now has a competitively priced water filtration plant capable of dealing wit a very broad range of raw water impurities that are likely to be encountered as the catchments recover from the January 2003 fires.
5. Impact of the work on the quality of life of the relevant communities: A contributes positively to the communities using it in respect of say, cost, time, environment, or general amenity of the community
To provide a new water filtration plant for the people of Canberra and the national capital, there was a dual responsibility on the project engineers.
The targeted treated water quality was compliance with the ACT Drinking Water Quality Code of Practice and the 1996 Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. Specifically, targeted turbidity is : C 0.1 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) for water leaving the filters. This limit provides a very comfortable margin for compliance with the levels stated in the Drinking Water Guidelines. The final target water quality was agreed during the design development phase.
The contract team maximised use of the local community skilled labour force where this was possible, despite the construction period being at a time when the demand for tradesmen was high and it was difficult to obtain skilled manpower locally.
The plant has proven true to purpose and is able to offer water quality that has not been achieved before. As an example, when the water turbidity reached 2 NTU the previous plant at Mt Stromlo had to cease operations. Now with turbidity reaching 20 NTU or more the new plant copes with ease. This has allowed lesser quality water to be drawn from the Cotter Dam. Water from this dam has not been used for several years due to poor water quality that could not be treated at the old Stromlo Water Treatment Plant.The ability to use water from the Cotter Dam is an added benefit of the new Stromlo Water Treatment Plant. Also, the filtration of the water has resulted in the higher level of efficiency of the disinfection process. Previously, chlorine levels in the reticulation system had a tendency to drop off to very low levels at the extremes of the distribution network. With the advent of the new plant, the chlorine levels are maintained through the distribution system and in fact the chlorine dosage at the plant has been reduced over the first few months of plant operation without impacting on the efficiency of disinfection.
The availability of the plant to provide treated drinking water meant that any heavy rainfall within the bushfire affected catchment washing the ash and silt into the dams did not have any adverse impact on the drinking water supply to the Canberra residences and businesses.
6. Significance of the work as a benchmark of Australian engineering: A sets new benchmarks or continues current high standards, thereby raising the standard and standing of Australian engineering
There was an unprecedented time taken for project design and construction - treated water was delivered one year and six days after the contract was signed.
The time aspect of this project can be separated into two components: A Project Establishment and Project Delivery.
First, project establishment. This required engaging industry in the project concept which necessitated a competitive pricing process, and obtaining planning approvals - this occurred in under 5 months including tendering, concept design and awarding the contract. Planning was comprehensive and required consultation with relevant stakeholders.
As noted above, it was imperative that the project be completed on time or beforehand if possible. The planning process was carried out in a manner consistent to meet this challenge. Some activities commenced with 'in principle' approval from ACTEW, including acquisition of the required land adjacent to the existing Stromlo Water Treatment Plant; beginning the Planning Approval process for the facility; commissioning a geotechnical assessment of the site; and starting a detailed site survey. Without this type of approach, the time targets to achieve project completion would not have been possible.
Next the ACTEW Board was approached with the presentation of a Submission Paper in May 2003 outlining the challenges ahead, and this was followed by a more detailed paper in June 2003 detailing the requirements for a 250 ML/d Water Treatment Plant at Stromlo and a 90 ML/d augmentation to the Googong Water Treatment Plant. The Board gave its approval to develop a strategy to have the work completed by the summer of 2004/05.
In the prequalification process, at the end of June 2003 Transaction Advisers were appointed and Registration of Interest publicised by early July 2003. A Probity Adviser was appointed early July 2003 to ensure there was compliance with set requirements. A Briefing was made to 42 registrants in mid July 2003 and Pre-qualification completed in 10 days. From this six registrants were short listed at the end of July 2003.
The Request for Proposal (RFP) was achieved in nine days duration for the short listed consortia and evaluation of the RFP completed in 28 calendar days. Two consortia were selected from this process. The aim was that these consortia would carry out design work to enable them to submit a final tender.
ACTEW specifically sought the following: A experienced, integrated design and construction, and a commissioning team with a proven track record building water treatment plants of a similar size in tight timeframe; guaranteed process performance; quality construction consistent with normal water industry practice for plants of this size; and it had to be delivered on time at a competitive price. This was a demanding and uncompromising set of requirements.
Advisors were appointed to undertake the pre-tender partnering workshops, to ensure performance and relationship objectives were met, to oversee the endorsement and escalation process, to facilitate the co-location on the construction site and the integration of ActewAGL staff which would provide opportunities for learning and facilitate easy monitoring of relationship health.
In addition, there were the planning and approvals to be obtained, the land acquisition to be handled, provision made for a new water treatment plant complete with filter structure, tanks and buildings, dosing and ancillary systems, sludge thickener and centrifuges, a new control system and electrical power upgrade to be done by ActewAGL. This required a two-stage development:
Stage 1: A 160 megalitres per day capacity by 29 Oct 2004
Stage 2: A 250 megalitres per day capacity by 23 Feb 2005, all in a budget of $39.3 million.
The management team was required to perform strictly to guidelines and understand the tight scope of the project. The objectives were clear, in requiring a new and functioning plant in a very short time frame.
The end result of this process was that a joint venture of United KG (then Thames Water Projects Australia) and John Holland Projects were engaged with Sinclair Knight Merz engaged as a sub-contractor for design.
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Secondly, the design and construction phase. The strategy was as follows: A Immediate mobilisation in October 2003 to begin the process with the first object of immediately progressing National Capital Authority (NCA) approval. The plan was to have bulk earthworks by Christmas 2003, to commence concrete pours in January 2004, have the equipment delivered by mid-2004, and have construction complete by August 2004.
A special task with such short deadlines required a special arrangement where the contractor, the design team and the management team needed total transparency, facilitating a trusting relationship. It was decided that the best approach was to incorporate D&C and Alliance principles. This had a partnering relationship with a tendered guaranteed maximum price (GMP), an open book with shared commercial risks, a tendered target out turn cost and risk pool, and incentives related to time, cost and quality. There were prescriptive design requirements, obligations and rights of client and contractor, and limited liabilities on the contractor. The safety record was incredibly good with well over 150,000 man-hours workedwith very few and minor isolated incidents incurring near the end of the project.
The construction phase was a true team effort. ActewAGL obtained the required planning approvals and, following the competitive tendering process, engaged the successful team. There was total integration of team members as the construction and design staff worked out of offices in Melbourne, as well as in Canberra and Sydney, allowing a design feature detail determined in the Melbourne offices to be installed at Mt Stromlo virtually overnight. ActewAGL benefited from the experience as in addition to being exposed to the latest technology and implementation procedures, some 25 of the management team was female, adding to ActewAGL's skill base for the future.
A benchmark of importance was safety. The footprint of the plant was so small that managing the variety of trades people on site was a constant 25 challenge. The contractor had weekly toolbox meetings and requested that trades specialists from Sydney attend regular meetings each fortnight to advise on OH&S matters. Also the resident ActewAGL management team advised where appropriate on the ways to reduce safety risks in the workforce.
The environment was another benchmark. To begin, there was a KPI on environmental protection. The contractor and delivery team were aware of environmental concerns and handled them well with good environmental controls established on site. Environment ACT was advised of progress during construction. Owing to the proximity of the Mt Stromlo observatory, any light emissions from the plant were crucial and the observatory needed to give approval of any decisions made. Lighting within the plant is therefore different from any other plant. Fittings cut off direct light at the horizontal to prevent unwanted illumination. Lights are expensive high pressure mercury lamps - but as they take some time to warm up and illuminate the work space,it was possible to experience limited light that underperformed in OH&S terms. So a compromise was reached between safety and illumination, with fluorescent lamps used when the mercury lamps were warming up and not emitting sufficient light in which to work safely. During the construction process the plant was environmentally audited on a number of occasions without concern.
All pumps used are energy efficient, which was prescribed in the initial plant specifications. There is sludge residue from the plant and, in a new approach, the disposal contractor is engaged on an incentive contract to identify and pursue environmentally sustainable options for disposal. If he achieves better results, he is rewarded. Currently the sludge is used as landfill provided the solid level is 15% or more, and polymers are used to bind the sludge to ensure that the sludge not only achieves these levels of solids but is of value as fill. During construction and commissioning, noise levels were measured not only at the boundaries, but next to machinery to ensure OH&S standards and a safe working environment were achieved. Safety - in addition to all these factors the site was independently audited for safe access issues and any outcomes fed into the defects list and addressed.&&&&
In terms of output, in the little more than a year, some 800 tons of steel was used, 4000 cubic metres of concrete poured, 600 km of underground cable laid, along with the installation of 2080 instruments, 1060 valves, and 1033 pieces of ancillary equipment. It was a great team effort and done in a very short time.
7. Extent to which the work represents world best practice: A can be matched against similar engineering achievements to represent world best practice.
In summary, the actions taken speak for themselves. In submitting our application for these awards we condensed the main features of our work into a few salient points. We now revisit some of these key features that contributed to the success:
Stakeholder management: A stakeholders were all identified and engaged at the earliest possible time. This ensured that the process of consultation and other processes were managed with the emphasis on people by engaging the individuals in the organisations and listening to their concerns.
Innovative procurement: A risk sharing and incentives were integral.
Performance incentives: A the form of contract developed was unique, marrying alliance principles with more traditional approaches of sound engineering. These alliance principles were related to dispute and conflict resolution. The whole team was co-located under the same roof using a relationship charter setting out common goals and common behaviours that needed to be demonstrated. The tendered cost of the project was competitively tendered with the target cost based on a client-endorsed concept design which was paid for during the design development phase.
Performance incentives worked well. They were employed to drive behaviours and as they were heavily schedule related, they enabled the contractor to set priorities.
Proactive team management: A A special relationship was formed between the client and the contractor during the preliminary prequalification phase with a succession of contract review meetings, risk assessments were developed with them as was a relationship charter - all before embarking on the project. A relationship coach was employed to facilitate the resolution of team relationships, and this coach was able to pinpoint early signs that if left unmanaged, could have led to breakdowns and delays. During the delivery phase, the performance of the team against the relationship charter was surveyed and analysed, and the result of this monitoring was fed back to the team to keep the commitment strong.
Rapid decision-making: A The precedent for this began at the highest level with the ACTEW Board making major decisions quickly, based on the information provided to them. In the design review process, a similar process occurred. This was an intense period with many drawings produced in a short time. In a two-week cycle, the client team had two days to review drawings and on the third day, a combined design/review meeting was held with organisation and management representation, the design team and the project manager. This meeting endorsed drawings to go to the next phase, or endorsed drawings with qualifications.
Just-in-time design: A The complete multi-disciplinary design team was located in the same office, and the design team worked in close consultation with the construction manager to ensure design effort was allocated into priority areas, and typically civil design drawings were endorsed for construction just in time.
Press Release
Water Treatment Plant Sets Record for Achievement
Canberra's ActewAGL has completed construction of a $40 million water treatment plant in record time in order to handle the national capital's scarce water supplies.
"The 2003 bushfires around Canberra were catastrophic. They destroyed vegetation in our water catchments and opened the way for enormous damage to our supplies unless something was done - and quickly", said Martin Lome, project manager for the new plant.
"With the ash from the destroyed vegetation on the slopes of the catchment, there was nothing to prevent the scant supplies being contaminated.
"We had to construct a sizeable water treatment plant in time for the next summer or Canberra would have been without sufficient drinking water", Mr Lome said.
The challenges were enormous - the lead time was very short, there were major planning requirements to be met, the planned site of the plant was adjacent to the Mt Stromlo observatory which required changes to construction methods and subsequent lighting, major electrical upgrades had to be made to the site, and so on.
As a consequence of the challenges, an innovative approach was taken to ensure a fast track delivery - including original thinking on stakeholder management, procurement, performance incentives, decision-making and project management, and just-in-time design.
ActewAGL teamed with United KG (formerly Thames Water) and John Holland Projects in a joint venture with Sinclair Knight Merz as a sub-contractor for design.
The outcome was excellent for the national capital, and represented an achievement for sound engineering practices in construction, design and delivery.
"Many thought it impossible for a 250 megalitre a day plant to be operational within 16 months after project conception, but we achieved it", said Mr Lome. "But we only did it with some wonderful cooperation from everyone, our Board, designers, contractors, planners, government, and industry. It was a great accomplishment".
The plant has been operational in Canberra since November 2004.
Contact: A Martin Lome, ActewAGL Projects Delivery Manager, 02 6242 1478
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Other Major Projects:
Major Capital Projects - Power
LMWQCC—Secondary Treatment Augmentation
Googong Dam Spillway Rock Protection (WC-10112)
Water Service Reservoirs – Working at Heights Safety Modifications (WD-0399)
Future Major Projects
Future Major Projects
Leadership
Asoka Wijeratne – General Manager, Water
Martin Lomé – Manager Projects
Major Capital Projects
| 1. Supply to major technology centres |
$150M |
There are several new large commercial technical and data centre projects in the ACT. ActewAGL is tasked with connecting the electrical supply to these centres from a new gas fired power station by designing and building new substations and feeder lines.
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| 2. Supply upgrade to water pump stations and treatment plants |
$13.5M |
There is a need to upgrade the electricity supply to several pump stations and treatment plants such as the Cotter Pumping Station and Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre. This will involve upgrades to HV feeders, transformers, substations and lines.
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| 3. Second point of supply to ACT |
$27M |
Currently at the design and land acquisition stage, this project will ensure stability in the ACT’s power supply in the coming years. Working with TransGrid, ActewAGL will manage the creation of new 132kV transmission lines and a zone substation.
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| 4. Customer initiated projects (urban, infill, rural
and community development) |
$16.5Mpa |
Routine new estate underground electrical reticulation design and construction, redesigning of the network network and installing additional load capacity.
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| 5. Asset replacement projects |
$16.5Mpa |
pole, substation and
meter replacements
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| 6. Augmentation projects |
$35Mpa |
Distribution and sub - transmission
network upgrade
Upstream network upgrades within system, zone substation and transmission line upgrades, capacity augmentation.
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| 7. IT and communication projects |
$2Mpa |
SCADA and general communications upgrades within the network.
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LMWQCC—Secondary Treatment Augmentation (WC-20045)
This $57 million project is to augment the capacity of LMWQCC secondary treatment facility to meet total nitrogen and ammonia removal requirements for discharge and to have the capacity for medium term growth of sewage flows. The first stage of the upgrade involves the construction of a separate anoxic reactor, three additional clarifiers and associated works. As at 30 June 2007, 70% of the detailed design was completed and a $3.9 million contract awarded for supply and installation of mechanical equipment. Siteworks are expected to commence late 2007.
Googong Dam Spillway Rock Protection (WC-10112)
This project valued at approximately $25 million is to overcome previous erosion of the spillway and ensure future flood damage is minimised. This will involve extending the lining of the spillway chute terminating in a flip bucket, raising the height of the chute sides, and anchoring the chute lining. Instrumentation (piezometers) at both Googong and Corin Dams will also be upgraded. Detailed design reached 20% complete as at 30 June 2007 and construction is anticipated to begin late 2007-08.
Water Service Reservoirs – Working at Heights Safety Modifications (WD-0399)
This three-year $12.4 million project upgrades access structures at 43 water service reservoir sites (48 reservoirs) to current work-at-heights safety standards. It involves the addition of stairs, guardrails, platforms and fall restraints to replace ladders where appropriate. At 30 June 2007, the overall project was 88 per cent complete with all foundations installed, all stair towers erected except two above ground reservoirs and 10 in-ground reservoirs, and work inside 36 reservoirs completed. Completion by early 2008 is now anticipated.
Future Major Projects:
- Enlarged Cotter Dam ($150-190m)
- Angle Creek Crossing ($40-90m)
- Indirect Potable Reuse ($270m)
- Tantangara Dam
Leadership
Asoka Wijeratne – General Manager, Water
Since 2004 Asoka has been in his current position as General Manager, Water with ActewAGL.
Since taking up this position Asoka has significantly turned around the financial position, culture and structure of the organization and moulded senior management into a high performance team.
Asoka is responsible for:
- Managing an annual budget of approximately $70 million pa in operations and $60 million plus pa in capital
- Meeting EBIT target set by the Board and complying with 47 KPIs under the contract ActewAGL has with ACTEW.
- Managing a workforce of some 250 personnel including engineers, scientists, accountants, trades personnel etc.
Martin Lomé – Manager Projects
Before joining ActewAGL Martin spent 20 years working through the ranks at Sydney Water, beginning his career as a Technical Officer and progressing to Project Manager of a major sewage pumping station upgrade which was awarded Gold at the 2004 New South Wales Premier’s Public Sector Awards for Business, Management and Financial Performance.
- Since late 2005 Martin has been Manager Projects (major projects link) at ActewAGL and during 2006/07 oversaw the successful completion of 75 major projects, 97% of which were completed on time and within budget, which is now the industry benchmark.
- Early in 2005 Martin was appointed Manager Projects Delivery. He initiated a detailed review and development of the Divisional Project Management Methodology, ensuring the division possesses a documented guide providing the basis for training, coaching, consistent quality of delivery and capturing the benefits of ongoing review and improvement initiatives.
- Martin joined ActewAGL in 2002 as Project Manager of the New Stromlo Water Treatment Plant (http://etm.apesma.asn.au/actewagl/projects.asp#a1), a $39.3 million project. In this position Martin led a multi-disciplinary team throughout the design, construction and commissioning phases of the project, which was finished in record time ahead of schedule and within the original budget.
- 2006/07 Performance Improvement Initiatives
·Monthly Program Status Reporting
·Project Management quality procedures
·Detailed scheduling using MS Project Server
·Probabilistic analysis of budgets and schedules
·Management Information System (PMIS)
·UMA Capex review and process refinement
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