Opening SA’s reservoir reserves revels in top AWA prize

The opening of South Australia’s reservoir reserves for recreational access is once again celebrating success after claiming the Organisational Excellence Award at the Australian Water Association’s 2023 National Water Awards last week.

Among the highest accolades celebrated in the Australian water industry, the award further recognises the transformation of these spaces into thriving community assets enjoyed by more than 1,000,000 visitors to date.

Since the first site opened in April 2019, the community now has access to 2,100 hectares of land, 900 hectares of open water and 95 kilometres of trail network to explore across 10 reservoir reserves.

SA Water’s Senior Manager of Environment and Energy James Crocker said the utility was honoured to receive the award and the recognition it brings for the pioneering initiative.

“This award is further credit to our dedicated team whose work underpinned opening up reservoir reserves for our communities to enjoy, and continues to protect drinking water quality,” James said.

“As global populations become increasingly urbanised, there is an ever-growing public desire for more green open spaces, which presents an opportunity for water utilities to play a role in enabling access to these sites.

“Activating our reservoir reserves – some of which were closed to the public for more than 100 years – required us to think differently compared to how we traditionally managed these sites.

“Our methodical approach was supported by an innovative water quality risk management framework which integrated hydrodynamic monitoring, quantitative microbial risk assessment and computer vision technology.

“This program has proven recreational access can safely complement the primary role of working reservoirs, when carefully planned and supported by the best available science.

“Specifically for the water industry, it’s tested long-held conventions about land management and provides a blueprint for protecting drinking water supplies while delivering health and social outcomes for the community.

“There’s no greater praise for our initiative than the vast number of visitors embracing the new opportunities to connect with nature and enjoy a range of activities, like bike riding and kayaking, at these special places.”

In another outstanding achievement during the Australian Water Association’s national water exhibition and conference – Ozwater’23 – SA Water also took home the Best Paper Award for its Wider World Program.

SA Water’s Customer Experience Design and Delivery Lead Nina Rampal, who co-authored the winning paper, said the program challenges the utility to make its services more accessible and equitable for all customers.

“Organisations often focus on solutions that suit as many customers as possible, which makes sense from the perspective of achieving efficiency. However, this approach can exclude customers who are on the margins, or limit their diversity,” Nina said.

“By excluding them, we’re likely overlooking the most vulnerable, and those who need support the most.

“Our program is the culmination of a five-year journey to help reduce barriers faced by customers living with a disability, as well as those who are aging, digitally excluded or come from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, by understanding their challenges and creating solutions to better support their needs.

“This recognition is a testament to our team’s unwavering spirit to reshape how we design our services, and to our diverse customers whose voices were truly heard and will continue to be as we break down more barriers.”

The initiatives SA Water has implemented from its research so far as part of the Wider World Program have ranged from creating accessible communication formats such as Easy English versions, involving its bilingual employees – who collectively speak more than 30 languages – in customer interactions, and trialling accessible meter options with a pilot group of customers.

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