Access Water

By Linda Macpherson, CH2M HILL Vice President, Reuse Principal Technologist, Senior Water Policy Planner, and Public Involvement Specialist

The Gippsland Water Factory (GWF) is not only an innovative wastewater treatment and recycling system in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia, but it is also a vital community asset demonstrating a new way to care about water. GWF uses innovative technology, including biological treatment, membrane filtration, and reverse osmosis, to treat domestic and industrial wastewater and create high-quality recycled water for use by local industry. What makes this facility even more unique is an exciting and innovative community educational facility, the Vortex Centre, which was built adjacent to GWF to raise community awareness about water conservation and sustainable water management.

Visitors of the Vortex get a first-hand experience of the technology treating their water in a very understandable and meaningful way. The state-of-the-art ‘green’ facility features interactive displays, touch screens and videos, with a focus on water conservation and sustainable water management, highlighting water as a precious resource at a local, state, national and global level. The Vortex plays a key role in delivering Gippsland Water’s vision to create an environmental and social legacy through its new education program, ‘Water Wonders,’ both for students, the local community and water stakeholders. The inspiring building, hands-on activities, engaging programs, and distinctive location combine to promote behavioural change and increased awareness of the need to use water responsibly. Described as ‘the building that teaches’, the centre features sustainable design elements to minimise energy consumption and ensure the Vortex itself practices what it preaches.

The Vortex Centre is free for those who live within the service region, and school groups are encouraged to bring students to ensure the next generation is well-educated on water. Even though water is emphasized, every opportunity is taken to deepen the visitors’ connection to the way water influences the Gippsland region’s natural and economic systems. The goal is to help visitors understand how we affect water, how water is a part of our livelihood, how sustainability enables us to secure a positive future, and ultimately, how being a better steward to our planet is being a better steward to ourselves.

At a time when water is now recognised as a precious and limited resource, GWF is a project and destination of pride for the local community. Gippsland Water drew attention to these benefits in their outreach and planning process, as well as how these advances will highlight the region as a leader in sustainability and innovation, creating community wide ownership, warm feelings, and support for the project.

Noting how successfully the inspiring building, hands-on activities, engaging programs, and distinctive location of the Vortex combine to promote behavioural change and increased awareness of the need to use water responsibly, the Banksia Environmental Foundation honored the Vortex Centre and associated ‘Water Wonders’ education program with a Banksia Education Award late last year. The Banksias are Australia’s pre-eminent environmental excellence awards, celebrating the achievements of those who have made a significant contribution to the sustainable future of the county through leadership and innovation. Gippsland Water was also recognized with the prestigious overall Origin Gold Banksia Award and the Banksia Water Category Award for its GWF project.

The Banksia Education Award is presented to a project that demonstrates “leadership and innovation in lifting awareness, improving understanding, advancing social and community consciousness of sustainability issues and educating to achieve real, tangible outcomes.” According to the Banksia Environmental Foundation, “The Judges were impressed that this project combined the “outer” (environmentally friendly building) with the “inner” (the behaviour change through education) in a highly engaging and innovative program that strategically targeted and provided the respective level of education from primary school to tertiary level. Judges commented on the degree of detail considered in engaging the local public and see this as a real example of a living educational model.”

As one of the individuals who worked so hard to make this centre a reality, along with folks from Gippsland Water, New Media Magic, LLC, Pico Chicago and Melbourne, and DesignInc, it is a great pleasure to see the Vortex Centre recognized with this prestigious award. Water reuse is a critical aspect of securing sustainable and reliable water supplies around the world. Community support for these projects is paramount to the success of reuse projects, and Gippsland Water’s GWF and Vortex Centre are a great example of communities can effectively implement water reuse projects and have a lasting legacy.

Linda Macpherson is an expert and strategist for water reuse information and acceptance. She has been an integral part of groundbreaking projects such as introducing the public to the nation’s first poplar tree/wastewater reuse project in the United States to directing development of Singapore’s NEWater Visitor Centre. She has worked extensively in Australia delivering the iconic Gippsland Water Factory Visitor Centre and a Demonstration Visitor Centre in Perth for Water Corp. Her knowledge and commitment in these projects have brought her to the forefront of bridging the gap between the engineering/scientific community and the general public. Linda is often called upon to help diverse stakeholders build appreciation for both the technical and larger policy context of water issues.  Linda serves on the Board of Directors of the WateReuse Association and Research Foundation.