The conference represents an ideal opportunity for specialists to get together and exchange information and experiences in using Trenchless Technology.

It is interesting to note that ASTT in Australia first developed momentum in the urban water industry and its inaugural meeting was held in Brisbane in 1990. Hence, it is entirely appropriate for WSAA as the peak body of the Australian urban water industry to continue its strong association with ASTT.

WSAA has an important role in Australia in representing its 29 members and 25 associate members who provide water and wastewater services to approximately 15 million Australians (75 per cent of the Australian population) and many of Australia’s largest industrial and commercial enterprises.

WSAA was formed in 1995 to provide a forum for debate on issues of importance to the urban water industry and to be a focal point for communicating the industry’s views.

WSAA provides a national focus for the provision of information on the urban water industry for all interested parties.

The Association aims to encourage industry cooperation to improve the urban water industry’s productivity and performance and to ensure the regulatory environment adequately serves the community interest.

WSAA also has a key role in representing the Australian urban water industry at the national level particularly in relation to the implementation of the National Water Initiative.

As outlined above WSAA and its members have had long association with ASTT and this close relationship is reflected in WSAA’s support for the No Dig Down Under 2006 conference.

WSAA is sponsoring an Asset Management workshop on 29 October 2006 which will be facilitated by Josephine Parker MBE Director of Watershed Associated, United Kingdom.

Josephine has been a technical director with 30 years experience in the water industry, holding national and international roles within the industry. She worked at Thames Water Utilities for 21 years and during this time she developed a solid track record of reducing costs, achieving targets and meeting deadlines in construction and operations management, engineering design and strategic planning.

She has particular expertise in management of buried assets and the management of construction, research and business projects. She is currently running her own consultancy with customers in the UK, Europe, USA and Australia. She is also project manager for one of the largest UK government funded projects to improve the management of buried services records. Josephine was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by the Queen for services to the water industry in 1996.

At the Asset Management workshop being facilitated by Josephine key Australian and international speakers will outline asset management practices being adopted in their organisations and the role that Trenchless Technology plays in enabling them to improve asset management performance.

The workshop represents an ideal opportunity for participants to hear first-hand from leaders in the asset management and Trenchless Technology disciplines and will assist the urban water industry in Australia to continue along a path of continuous improvement in this critically important area.

Asset management is a key issue for the Australian urban water industry given that this industry is asset intensive. It is generally accepted that 80 per cent of the asset value of water and sewerage systems is in the distribution systems and it is in the distribution systems that Trenchless Technology offers significant advantages in the replacement and rehabilitation of distribution system assets.

By the very nature of these distribution assets, which are of varying age and location, the management, maintenance and replacement in the urban environment presents difficult challenges given the need to minimise disruption to customers, traffic and impacts on the urban landscape.

Although Trenchless Technology may not be the panacea, the ‘no dig’ option does avoid all of the negative aspects associated with open excavation and allows asset management works to be delivered with minimal disruption to our cities in a cost effective manner.

The advantages of Trenchless Technology to the urban water industry can be summarised as follows:

• It enables sewers and water mains to be relined with little or no excavation resulting in superior standards of service and greatly extends the assets’ economic life i.e. reduce inflow/infiltration/leakage and tree root-proof sewer networks.

• It allows the construction of new networks with minimal social and environmental impacts.

• It enables pipelines to be constructed through environmentally sensitive and unstable ground areas with no adverse impacts.

• It allows infrastructure to be constructed where depths are beyond open excavation limits.

• Services for brown field redevelopments can be provided in confined high density areas without property damage i.e. sewers between two existing buildings.

• It allows designers to place pipelines under creeks, rivers or through hills avoiding need of pumping stations.

• It is generally the only solution for crossing of major roads, railways and heritage listed infrastructure, limiting social costs and traffic hold-ups.

• It removes many of the workplace health and safety issues associated with trenching, shoring and fencing of open excavations.

WSAA is proud to be associated with the No Dig Down Under 2006 conference as it firmly believes that there will be a valuable exchange of information between the conference delegates which will enable water utilities to optimise the benefits of Trenchless Technology in the management of their pipe network assets.