10 May 2022

Showcasing our leadership at OzWater '22

A celebrated wastewater awareness campaign, an innovative water-saving shower challenge and the recently released Lower Hunter Water Security Plan (LHWSP) are set to feature in the largest water exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere.

OzWater ’22, taking place in Brisbane this week, will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Australian Water Association and bring together representatives from across the water industry to help inspire and drive a sustainable water future.

Hunter Water has sent a team of 10 to the three-day event to showcase the outstanding work we are doing in a range of different areas including customer experience, community engagement, water resilience, and sustainability.

Managing Director Darren Cleary will be on a panel for OzWater’s main session, Towards resilience: building back better, which will hear case studies on the learnings from recent challenges such as COVID-19, supply chain pressures, and climate extremes in bushfires and floods.

Today, Partnerships and Marketing Lead Alicia Fry and Group Manager Communications and Engagement Keiran Smith are presenting Respect the Throne: flushing out problem behaviours from the bottom up.

“We launched Respect the Throne in 2020 in response to an immediate impact on our wastewater systems as an increasing number of fatbergs were removed from our treatment plants during the outbreak of COVID-19.
Alicia Fry, Partnerships and Marketing Lead

“The awareness campaign received a Highly Commended at the 2021 Mumbrella CommsCon Awards for ‘Best COVID-19 Response’ and has created genuine conversation and behavioural change on what can and can’t be flushed down the toilet and we’re looking forward to highlighting the campaign and sharing our learnings at OzWater ‘22.”

In addition to Respect the Throne, Education Lead Kristy Ratcliffe will also present Waterworld: empowering students to take 4-minute showers through gamification.

Waterworld, a web-based app that can be used on any device, helps educate students and families in the Hunter about shower habits and encourages making Smart Water Choices when using this precious resource.

On Thursday, Team Leader Source Water Strategy Jordi Bates will present The Lower Hunter Water Security Plan: our approach to a resilient and sustainable future. The LHWSP, released by the NSW Government last month, is a 40-year plan that sets the region up for economic prosperity and underpins growth, liveability and quality of life in considering new sources of water.

Further presentations will be made by Team Leader Meters and Billing Dane Linde and Group Manager Revenue Ardie Morris, while Program Lead Water Conservation and Integrated Water Management Kirsty Jones is serving as a panellist.

OzWater ’22 will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12 May.

This year’s theme is Our Water Journey, Ngallee Daabil Gnarran, which celebrates the evolution of the water sector: its rich history, where it is now, and what possibilities lie in its future.

Visit www.ozwater.org for more information.