Breakthrough water treatment plant claims top Newcastle engineering award
Project Gilghi by Ampcontrol and Aurecon has been announced as Newcastle's top Engineering Excellence Award winner and Sir William Hudson Award finalist.
Gilghi takes feed water from a variety of sources, including groundwater, rivers, lakes and oceans and turns it into drinkable water, compliant with Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
It has been initially deployed in the community of Gillen Bore, which until 2019 relied on the continued transport (150-kilometre round trip from Alice Springs) of potable water due to the high salinity, hardness and low pH levels found in their existing bore water.
Gilghi water treatment plant provides Gillen Bore with a reliable source of quality potable water. These versatile modular units are self-sufficient (solar powered and off-grid), reverse osmosis units and are a breakthrough solution.
Following a rigorous judging process by an independent panel of experts, projects from each of Engineers Australia's nine divisions are selected to win an AEEA. One winner from each division is also selected as a finalist for the Sir William Hudson Award – the highest honour for a project awarded by Engineers Australia.
Engineers Australia Newcastle Division Manager, Helen Link, congratulated winners on their teamwork, innovation, and technical excellence.
"These Australian Engineering Excellence Award winners showcase the outstanding achievement in engineering and the invaluable contribution engineering makes to the economy, community and the environment," Ms Link said.
"Thanks to Project Gilghi, Indigenous and remote communities across Australia now have access to affordable and continuous potable water thanks to an innovative new off-grid, containerised water treatment plant. It is a remarkable achievement and a worthy nominee for the national award."
Australian Engineering Excellence Award winners – Newcastle
· Project Gilghi - Aurecon, Ampcontrol
· The Newcastle Light Rail Project – Downer
· Optimal Scheduling of Urban Bulk Water Systems Under Uncertainty - University of Newcastle, Water NSW
· Transitioning from 2D drawings to 3D auto-generated digital models for certified design – Essential Energy
Professional Engineer of the Year Award winner – Newcastle
· David Sparkes - FIEAust CPEng NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus)
Project Images are available for
