A program using smart technologies to improve the way drainage is managed in the City of Gosnells has been recognised – twice over – at the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) WA Excellence Awards.
The Smart Drainage program won the awards for Excellence in Asset Management and Excellence in Innovation – Metropolitan.
Mayor Terresa Lynes said the awards were the icing on the cake for a program that had already delivered significant benefits to the City.
“Drainage is essential but often-overlooked infrastructure that needs to be done well for our City to be a great place to live, work and spend time,” she said.
“The program to implement smart technologies in the City’s drainage management has been a fantastic success, improving the City’s ability to monitor, maintain and repair the drainage network, reducing the effects of drainage work on nearby residents, providing early warning of local flooding and saving the City money.
“Thanks to the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia WA for recognising the City in this way and congratulations to all the staff who have worked on this program.”
The technologies implemented as part of the program include tractor-mounted CCTV to investigate inside pipes, push cameras to go where the tractor cannot reach, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) connected to interpretive software to identify and accurately size voids in the soil surrounding damaged pipes, expanding foam technology to fill those voids and flow meters linked to texting software so the City’s drainage crews are called to the site before it actually floods.
The City continues to roll out the flow-meter technology across recognised high-risk flooding locations within the City.
This latest recognition follows a highly successful year in 2023, when the City won five IPWEA WA awards and received two high commendations.
Caption – City of Gosnells Mayor Terresa Lynes (right) with Coordinator Engineering Maintenance Greg Duggan and the two IPWEA (WA) awards won by the City on Monday 11 March.
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