28/9/00
The $14 million Riverwise Project to minimise the potential for wastewater spills into the Swan and Canning rivers is now complete.
Water Resources Minister Dr Kim Hames said today that the emergency storage capacity at 27 riverside wastewater pumping stations had been upgraded and new SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) technology had been installed to provide continuous monitoring and control of 150 critical wastewater pumping stations along the two rivers.
“The Swan-Canning river system is the scenic and recreational heart of Perth and the State Government is making a concerted effort to reduce any risk of pollution,” Dr Hames said.
“Wastewater pumping stations are generally located in low-lying areas and overflows occasionally reach waterways. This is not a major pollution source, but it can impact on the health of the river system and it was important to improve performance in this area.
“The Swan and Canning rivers are treasured community assets and the Riverwise project has developed and implemented initiatives to avoid or manage incidents that may have an adverse environmental impact on these important waterways.”
The new SCADA system provides a direct link to Water Corporation control centres at Canning Vale and Balcatta, where operators monitor each pumping station’s activity. Wastewater pumping stations with less than three hours’ emergency storage were specifically targeted as part of the capacity upgrade, which involved the installation of new underground storage tanks.
The Maylands wastewater pumping station site is the final facility to have its storage capacity upgraded as part of the Riverwise project.
The Riverwise project was launched by Dr Hames in 1997 and involved the Water Corporation, the Water and Rivers Commission, the Swan River Trust and Department of Environmental Protection. The Water Corporation, in particular, played a leading role in the project implementation and it received an Institution of Engineers 2000 Engineering Excellence Award in partnership with Hunter Water Technology and Process Control Technology for its SCADA system.
Media contacts:
Sandy Gater (Minister’s office) 9424 7450
Paul Byrne (Water Corporation) 9420 2225
