Solutions

Precision Greening
- Advanced irrigation management. Think public open space irrigation; crops grown with more yield and less water, less fertiliser and less energy; ecological infrastructure optimising water use and the health of rivers and wetlands. Broader than smart application, precision greening covers delivery, application, sensing, simulation, communications and control.
- The Big Salt Bust
  
  Australian Water Environments (AWE) works extensively in the field of salt interception in recognition of the Australian community’s desire to restore the River Murray.
- Sentek Helps Santos Create Clean Energy
  
  Santos is one of Australia’s leading gas producers, supplying Australian and Asian customers. The growth of the coal seam gas (CSG) sector represents a major opportunity to help Australia and the region move to a cleaner, less carbon-intensive future.
- 1.8 billion litres of water saved
  
  Current estimates reveal that the use of BioCentral’s products PolyCom™, a polymer based material stabilising water additive, and DustChek™, a biodegradable ecologically safe dust suppressant, in the local government and mining sectors has saved approximately 1.8 billion litres of water in three years.
Water Creation
- Diversifying sources of water. Think demand management, rainwater harvesting, wastewater reuse, urban stormwater harvesting, desalination and managed aquifer recharge.
- Leak Busters Save Millions
  
  Australia is enjoying millions of dollars in water savings from advanced water leakage detection and repair programs.
- It's only natural
  
  While global corporations talk of triple bottom line outcomes, the City of Salisbury in Adelaide’s northern suburbs has achieved just that - a sustainable environment, economy and community through Australia’s first integrated water creation management system.
Leading Change
- Creating a different water future. Think independent economic regulation, competition policy, Public Private Partnerships, research and product development, water sector professional development and community education.
- New product development provides entry into French market
  
  Philmac, Adelaide-based innovator and manufacturer of premium quality plastic fittings and valves, has utilised its superior problem solving capabilities in the area of connecting polyethylene pipe to create a unique plastic compression fitting specifically for the French market.
- Global Reach
  
  SMEC is a professional services firm with Australian origins and a global footprint that provides high quality consultancy services on major infrastructure projects.
- Developing World Class Water Leaders
  
  Organisations from around the globe are turning to Australia to train their managers in one of the best water education programs available in the world.
Risk Proofing
- Managing future risks and decision support. Think managing water quality in harsh conditions, market based water trading systems, exploring the nexus of energy and water, advanced social, environmental and economic scenario modelling and optimisation.
- Resources Sector Chooses EnviroSys
  
  Companies within the mining, oil and gas industries rely heavily on water. It is critical that this precious resource is managed responsibly in order for them to maintain their licence to operate.
- What is smart water pricing?
  
  An effective and fair water pricing policy is a challenge water utilities and governments are grappling with around the world as they try to develop water pricing that is sensitive to community affordability, generate sufficient revenue to maintain and invest in providing safe, reliable water, while also engaging users by rewarding water efficiency.
- Dealing with future water uncertainty
  
  If it wasn’t for the option of water trading many Australian irrigators would not have been able to access water and continue to produce crops during recent years of low water availability.

What is smart water pricing?

effective, fair, water pricing policies An effective and fair water pricing policy is a challenge water utilities and governments are grappling with around the world as they try to develop water pricing that is sensitive to community affordability, generate sufficient revenue to maintain and invest in providing safe, reliable water, while also engaging users by rewarding water efficiency.

Single tier or multi tier pricing, the level of fixed supply charges, and trying to gauge the impact on the community, particularly low income households, are just some of the factors pricing policy decision makers have to consider.

Advanced decision support and scenario modelling software is helping utilities and regulators in Australia determine fair pricing and policy. Intelligent Software Development caught the attention of many industry insiders with its groundbreaking ‘Fair Water Policy’ report, a sophisticated analysis of water pricing scenarios that revealed how single tariff pricing, with no fixed charges, is fair and more effective.

Intelligent Software Development’s trademarked artificial intelligence product ‘Simulait Water’ was applied to analyse the effectiveness and fairness of water pricing policy here homes pay an annual supply charge of $160 pa, $0.71 per kL up to 120kL, $1.38 per kL from 120kL to 520kL, and $1.65 per kL.

Artificial intelligence agents representing 400 demographic types and their behaviours for purchasing and consuming water under a three tier pricing policy were modelled for 580,000 households, reflecting the complex economic, political, environmental, human and social behavioural elements. This was then compared to modelling of ‘D10’ the name of a single tariff structure suggested by two of Australia’s leading water economists, Professor Mike Young of the Environment Institute, University of Adelaide and Jim McColl of CSIRO, in their globally popular Water Droplet series.

While industry wisdom may suggest three tier pricing structure would protect low income, low volume users and place the burden on high volume, high income users, Intelligent Software Design revealed the reverse was true.

Three tier pricing was shown to be unfair as low income households pay a higher per kL price for water than high income households and high water users.
Low income households and low water users saw less of an increase in their water bill by moving to ‘D10’ single tariff pricing than with three tier pricing.
With three tier policy, water saving responsibility lies largely with low income households and low water users. Single tariff/no supply charge ‘D10’ pricing shifted water saving responsibility to high income households and high water users.

“Historically many utilities had to compromise pricing to what was politically acceptable. Now utilities have a tool to create water pricing that is politically, economically, environmentally and socially smart. This level of sophisticated design and analysis sets the benchmark for what all water utilities should be adopting,” said Professor Mike Young.

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