Media Release

16 Nov 2006

Waterwise Businesses Recognised By Sydney Water Awards

Five Sydney companies were congratulated on achieving significant water savings at the annual Every Drop Counts Business Program Awards ceremony at Taronga Zoo last night.

Since the program was launched in 2001 it has attracted more than 340 members and generated savings of about 24.1 million litres of water per day or 8.7 billion litres a year.

The Every Drop Counts Business Program helps businesses and government organisations identify and implement water saving opportunities.

Sydney Water is helping businesses set a new direction on innovative water saving.

The program awards recognise organisations and individuals who achieve significant water use reductions and demonstrate a commitment to water conservation.

The major award recipients for the 2005 financial year are:

• Largest volume reduction – BlueScope Steel.
  
• Largest percentage reduction – TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute: Blue Mountains.
  
• Largest percentage Key Performance Indicator Reduction – Boral Quarries.
  
• Innovation – Cadbury Schweppes/Coca Cola Amatil (joint winners).
  
• Sustainable Processes and Practices – Investa.

BlueScope Steel’s three Port Kembla sites have achieved a massive water reduction of 888,000 litres a day.

This was achieved through onsite water reuse, sourcing alternate water supplies, improving industrial processes, regular monitoring of water consumption and increased staff awareness.

BlueScope will no doubt show even greater savings this coming year, as the switch was recently flicked on Australia’s largest industrial recycling plant at Port Kembla which will supply BlueScope with 7.3 billion litres of recycled water each year.

Since joining the EDC Business Program in mid 2005, TAFE’s Wentworth Falls campus has cut water use by 86 per cent.

This outstanding result was achieved by implementing leak prevention programs, educating staff and students about water efficiency, installing flush valves on toilets, using water efficient plants and identifying and fixing a major underground leak.

Boral Quarries was a finalist last year and has continued to make savings in its processes.

Boral uses water to wash, crush and process sand at its two Emu Plains plants.

In 2005 the quarry used just 1.2 litres of water per tonne, down from 6.6 litres per tonne in 2004, which is a 68 per cent reduction.

The Innovation award was given to a company which implemented new technology or innovative work practices to conserve water.

Last financial year both Coca Cola Amatil and Cadbury Schweppes successfully trialled and then introduced waterless lubricants for the conveyors in their bottling plants.

As a result Coca Cola saved 9.8 million litres at its Northmead and Smithfield plants, while Cadbury Schweppes is now saving 16 million litres each year at its Sydney plant.

Traditionally bottling lines have used water-based lubricants, which requires high water consumption and high chemical treatment costs.

Investa was Runner Up last year in the Sustainable Processes and Practices category and has made further achievements to win the award this year.

The Sustainable Processes and Practices award is given to an organisation that has demonstrated not only water savings in the past year but can demonstrate they are sustainable over time.

The criteria for this award includes achievements in water management, water conservation, public reporting of environmental achievements, employee training and awareness.

Since joining the EDC Business Program in 2003, Investa’s NSW properties have reduced daily water consumption by 470,000 litres.

They have improved basic water efficiency in their buildings and are investigating rainwater capture and reuse, as well as waterless urinals.

Initiatives such as including water conservation in their Environmental Management Systems, initiating the “green lease” and exceeding their KPI targets for water use in their buildings has led to Investa being the first Australian company to achieve a 5-star rating for water management.

The 2005-2006 Every Drop Counts Business Program award winners:

Largest volume reduction – BlueScope Steel (Port Kembla).

Finalists – Investa (Sydney); Jones Lang LaSalle (Sydney).

Largest percentage reduction – TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute: Blue Mountains (Wentworth Falls campus).

Finalists – Boral Quarries (Emu Plains); Investa (Sydney).

Highest per cent Key Performance Indicators Reduction – Boral Quarries (Emu Plains).

Finalists – AstraZeneca (North Ryde); PMP Print (Moorebank).

Innovation – Cadbury Schweppes (Huntingwood); Coca Cola Amatil (Northmead and Smithfield).

Finalists – Alsco Linen (Enfield); University of Wollongong (North Wollongong).

Sustainable practices and processes – Investa (Sydney).

Finalists – Lend Lease (Sydney); Macquarie Asset Services (Sydney).

Individual & Small Team Initiative Awards for Significant Achievements in Water Conservation

Small Team:

• Diageo’s Waterwatch Team – Led by Edwin Manlangit (Huntingwood).
  
• Bonds Industries – Tony Cranston, Yong Choi, Armand DuPlesis (Wentworthville).
  
• GlaxoSmithKline – John Jaser, Geoff Crombie and Christine Kinsella (Ermington).
  
• Star City Casino and Hotel – Kevin Starr, Chris Fitzgerald (Pyrmont).

Individual:

• Chris Hewitt – University of Wollongong (North Wollongong).
  
• Michael Walton – Boral Quarries (Emu Plains).
  
• Amy Hogan – Jones Lang LaSalle (Sydney).
  
• Mike Crompton – AstraZeneca (North Ryde).
  
• Zaman Shamsuz – Randwick Council (Randwick).
  
• Mick Boyle – BlueScope Steel (Port Kembla).
  
• Cathy Horan – TAFE NSW Sydney Institute (Sydney).
  
• Michael Pugsley – Mount Pritchard and District Community Club (Mount Pritchard).
  
• Joanne Page – Illawarra Coal (Wollongong).
  
• Rod Hraiki – Lend Lease (Campbelltown).
  
• Peter Sylvester – O-I (Penrith).
  
• Wendy Hird – BlueScope Steel (Port Kembla).
  
• Jim Tatsis – Stockland (Sydney).
  

 

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