The Statement of Operating Intent (SOI) is a WISE special. This is an intentionally short document that defines the scheme arrangement and how the system was designed to operate under various scenarios (operating modes). The SOI is a communication tool from planning and network modelling design to all other personnel in the organisation that require system knowledge to complete work, including:
If seeking a wastewater treatment solution which does not require power (toward net zero) then waste stabilisation ponds are very cost effective and very low maintenance. Particularly for remote or long-term operations. Health and environmental regulators are very familiar with these systems making approvals straight forward. The dimensions of the ponds are important to delivering maximum biological treatment in a minimum land area while achieving environmental protection limits. If you have existing ponds that are square or increase in depth from shallow (1.3m) to deep (2.5m) then you’re suffering poor treatment from an erroneous 1980s design manual – WISE can help you retrofit for a high level of treatment.
Just want specifications and drawings for supply / construction of equipment to suit your site? No problem: this is our ‘bread and butter’. Your site data such as detailed feature survey, geotechnical testing, water quality (if treatment is the goal) and land tenure constraints all serve to reduce procurement costs by giving all bidding contractors certainty in the scope of work. If this is not available WISE can provide sub-contracted services to your approval. All specifications developed are detailed to relevant Australian or ISO Standards, Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA), client specific standards or other best practice guidelines. The WISE connection and experience with supplier and construction contractor markets enables design of cost-effective construction and operations at this stage of your projects.
Your greatest opportunity for capital and operating cost reductions occurs in the conceptual planning phase of a project; and the greatest opportunity for any other corporate objectives. This can occur on brownfield (operating) or greenfield (new) project sites.Identifying risks, constraints and opportunities for optimum project development can be well described by Value Engineering strategies, as developed by Larry Miles at GE Corporation in the 1940s. At WISE our objective is to work with you to ensure that we’re in the green zone by thoroughly scoping and planning projects for risk mitigation. Tangible and non-tangible constraints influence project costs. Tangible constraints could include locations of borrow materials and construction water, river crossings for infrastructure, etc; Non-tangible constraints could include land tenure, regulatory licenses, climate change, etc.
Needing to do more with less in times of climate change? WISE will broaden your water source identification: everyone knows there’s wastewater or stormwater but how to make it commercially feasible? Where is the correct business case in water systems development for now and into the long term future? So the question should be when does each available source become sequentially feasible. The base assumptions for your specific site must be correct:
Models are an approximation of reality which are designed to enable planning decisions. As for the other aspects of design, a good understanding of the system context is the foundation of a reliable model. The antithesis of “garbage in – garbage out”. WISE has written comprehensive guidelines to infrastructure modelling. Using your preferred data sets to model forecast scenarios and how to achieve target outcomes.
This could really sit with The Usual Suspects. Process design of drinking water, recycled water or wastewater treatment to suit your project needs & site. The scope may include defining sampling and monitoring to determine the basis of design. New technology, membranes, chemicals and techniques are emerging all the time; WISE seeks to provide access and evidence on the efficacy of the options available.
Water systems are inherently part of the environment which often includes social values and may include human health priorities. Can WISE assist in your understanding and development of the following? ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH OR WATER LICENSING At a primary level the environmental, social and health values are protected by regulators under legislation (the law), typically with a license which is issued as an instrument of the legislation. Any project operating with a license should be designed with measures to enable license compliance with minimum operator inputs – let’s keep it simple. WISE can complete regulatory approvals as part of your engineering design package. GOVERNANCE Your company may have a corporate strategy to go above and beyond this baseline: in the emerging climate change environment the water stewardship strategy can include carbon emission reduction in water asset operations and / or planning for reduced water access. UTILITY OPERATING LICENSE In Western Australia water services providers are required to hold an Economic Regulatory Authority Operating License which ensures financial capacity to operate water service assets including asset maintenance planning.
There can be many financial opportunities in quality strategic planning of water utilities services. WISE project experience has included: