Mandurah Pinjarra residents set to benefit from new water control system

11/10/96

Residents and businesses in the Mandurah-Pinjarra area are set to benefit from a state-of-the-art water monitoring and control system.

Water Resources Minister Roger Nicholls today officially launched the innovative Mandurah Regional Telemetry System.

The $2 million system will mean greater consistency in customer service standards, less water loss through damaged pipes and an immediate response should problems occur.

Mr Nicholls said the telemetry system would address water supply problems faced in summer months when holiday makers placed high demands on the local water supply.

"The telemetry system allows Water Corporation staff either to see the whole scheme at a glance or examine detailed information about specific parts of the scheme," he said.

"It is similar in concept to using a remote control to open a garage door.

"When the telemetry system gives early warnings of potential problems, operators can respond quickly from the operations centre or a remote location.

"Alarms can be triggered by unusually high demand, low tank storage levels and even burst pipes and, in response, all the main valves in the water supply scheme can be controlled by an operator."

The Mandurah and Pinjarra area takes water from three dams - South Dandalup, North Dandalup and Conjurunup - and three ground water bores at Ravenswood. Eight pump stations, nine storage tanks and 500km of water mains supply water to more than 20,000 connections in Mandurah and 1,250 connections in Pinjarra. At Dwellingup there are 234 connections and at Park Ridge 288.

A key element of the new telemetry system is its ability to optimise storage and pumping capacities. It can recognise high use areas and regulate pipe pressure to ensure all consumers receive water at good pressures even in times of peak demand.

Telemetry will also address water hammer, a series of pressure waves in water supply pipelines caused by sudden high water use and by valves opening and closing rapidly. Water hammer can burst pipes and fittings and, on occasion, cause scheme shutdowns.

The new system's ability to control water hammer will reduce scheme shutdowns and protect domestic fixtures such as hot water systems.

Mr Nicholls said an added significant benefit was the telemetry system's after-hours capabilities.

"Outside normal working hours, the system's alarm mechanism enables a Water Corporation operator to access the system at home using a laptop computer. This means on-call operators are able to quickly identify the problem area (such as a low water tank levels) and fix the problem."

Other key benefits of the telemetry system include reduced operating costs, fewer repairs and the deferral of capital expenditure.

Mr Nicholls said the telemetry system was a forerunner to the management of other regional water supply schemes in WA.

Media contact: Hugh Ryan 322 6529