South East Water has been announced as a finalist in the 2014 Premier’s Sustainability Awards for its Peninsula Early Connection Option (ECO) Project, connecting sewerage to thousands of homes on the Mornington Peninsula (VIC).
Sustainability Victoria CEO, Stan Krpan, congratulated the South East Water team for their innovative work, and said they are an excellent example of leadership in sustainability.
“South East Water has been recognised by judges in the Infrastructure and Buildings category for its outstanding contribution to sustainability,” he said.
Now in its 12th year, the Premier’s Sustainability Awards celebrate efficient use of water, resources and energy, better waste management and recycling practices, the enhancement of the environment and effective, practical community action.
“This year, the Premier’s Sustainability Awards has announced 27 finalists – the highest number in the Awards’ history. We are delighted to celebrate and share their remarkable stories of sustainability.”
South East Water Managing Director Kevin Hutchings said the integration of a novel approach to design, new technology and trenchless drilling has allowed the corporation to apply a modern solution to address age old issues associated with sewage management.
“We are proud to have the Peninsula ECO Project recognised in the Premier’s Sustainability Awards. It is one of the largest pressure sewer projects in Australian history and fulfils our commitment to protect the environment and public health by connecting over 16,000 unsewered properties on the Mornington Peninsula,” he said.
The project incorporates an in-house developed remote control telemetry system, OneBox, to monitor and coordinate individual pressure sewer pumps allowing sewerage network operators to diagnose issues in real-time from a system-wide perspective right down to a street and individual property level.
“Our teams are working to construct 230 kilometres of reticulation network along the Peninsula between Rye and Portsea in less than 30 months, this coupled with an Early Connection Option provides the opportunity for households and businesses to connect in some instances up to 16 years earlier than scheduled,” he said.
Winners will be announced at the gala awards night on Thursday 2 October, at Peninsula, Docklands.
Tickets are now available for purchase until Wednesday 24 September.