FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN THE WATER INDUSTRY Tony Kelly Managing Director Yarra Valley WaterAugust 2011

THE EVOLUTION OF URBAN WATER

Brown et al Monash University

THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE

“The economy is dependent on the environment

(for the provision of natural resources)

and our standards of living are

dependent on the economy” John Elkington

It follows……..

If we want to sustain our standards of living we need to look after the

environment

WHY BOTHER?

Ecological footprint

GDP

per c

apita

($US

)

WHY BOTHER

WHY BOTHER – GREENHOUSE GAS

Global Comparisons - Per Person Emissions

WHY BOTHER – POPULATION GROWTH

IT TOOK MELBOURNE 100 YEARS TO REACH A POPULATION OF 1 MILLION

IT WILL TAKE ONLY 15 YEARS TO ADD ANOTHER 1 MILLION PEOPLE

WHY BOTHER?

BUILDING OUR UNDERSTANDING

11

Hunter Lovins Mathis Wackernagel Jonathan Porritt

George Tchobanoglous

Richard AshleyAmory Lovins

LEARNING FROM INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS

PARTNERING WITH PROGRESSIVEWATER UTILITIES

Anglian Water UK

Yorkshire Water UK

Hamburg Wasser Germany

East Bay Municipal Utility District USA

Copenhagen Energy Denmark

Fraunhofer Institute Germany  

PARTNERING WITH PROGRESSIVELOCAL ORGANISATIONS

CSIRO 

RMIT Centre for Design

MAB

Stocklands

Melbourne Water

Vic Urban

City of Hume 

City of Manningham

City of Murrindindi

City of Mooreland

OUR STRATEGIC INTENT

We strive to lead the global water industry in serving theCustomer and the Environment.

“Water Is Life”

Yarra Valley Water exists to provide water and sewerage services that contribute to the health and well being of its

Customers and the Environment

Supported byOur high performing business culture &Continuously improving our efficiency.

TOOLS DEVELOPED OR ADAPTED

Energy Maps

Multi criteria Analysis

Risk Management Framework

Valuation of Externalities

Life Cycle Assessment…….

ASSESSING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

USING LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

YARRA VALLEY WATER’S RESPONSE INFRASTRUCTURE

Moving from a Linear model to a closed loop

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

Function Energy use (kWhr/ML)

Water pumping station 40-450

Sewerage pumping station 140

Conventional water supply treatment 50

Recycled water treatment (membranes) 200

Dual membrane filtration plant 400

Wastewater treatment 500-1000

Household pressure pumps (for rainwater tanks)

230-3100

Combined Water & Sewerage

VIDEO……………

YVW CONTRIBUTIONS

Zero net Greenhouse 

Gas emissions

40% reduction in per person water use

Self Imposed Nutrient cap on river 

discharges

Developed a lowest 

community cost model 

Trialling several 

alternative sources of water

Melbourne A Liveable 

City

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

Maintenance of a water conservation ethic

Rigorous objective assessment of new supply options 

Smaller ecological footprint

Affordable prices & safety nets for the vulnerable

Healthier rivers and Bays

Improved water supply security

THANK YOU

YARRAVALLEY

WATER