Transcript
Chloe Warburton
Welcome to talking water with GMW, where we discuss all things water.
In this episode, we’re joined by Acting Manager Water Systems Operations Mick Doherty.
Mick takes us through how GMW manages water orders in times of high demand, so customers can continue to get water at the time and flow rate they require.
We have episodes on a range of topics on our website, so be sure to check them out after this one.
Chloe Warburton
So how long have you been at GMW for Mick?
Mick Doherty
Yeah, I have been here now for just over 30 years
Chloe Warburton
30 years, wow. And what have you done in that time?
Mick Doherty
I started as a field operator back 30 years ago, driving around in a ute to the old regulated structures with drop bars and a dipstick and a bar hook. Yeah, the good old days as we say.
Chloe Warburton
Awesome. And so you're in the Water Systems Operations team now at Goulburn-Murray Water. Can you tell us what that team does and what they're responsible for?
Mick Doherty
Yeah, the team now - as I say back in the old days we had drop bar structures that were regulated on site - we now have almost fully automated systems, so those regulators are operated centrally generally here in Tatura, and our team is responsible for managing those regulators and ensuring that the supply level of the channel stays where it should be.
Chloe Warburton
And so in terms of the irrigation season, which is 15th of August to 15th of May each year, are the water orders fairly consistent throughout or does it kind of go up and down?
Mick Doherty
Yeah, the orders go up and down during the season. Obviously following a rain event, the irrigation demand will ease off so the orders will drop back.
But we also see different types of demand through different parts of the network during the season. So we're traditionally quite busy in autumn and spring, particularly out west, whereas more locally and in Shepparton and Cobram areas is more predominantly orchards that are active during the summer periods. So yeah, it varies across the network, but yeah, try and manage that the best we can.
Chloe Warburton
And how has this autumn that we're in now looking in comparison to previous irrigation seasons?
Mick Doherty
Well, we're always driven by what the customers do and as much as we try very hard to understand what they're going to do, it's a real fine balancing act to try and sort of put all that together with water availability and the weather patterns and things like that.
So this year has been, well, fairly busy. A couple of rainfall events in late December and January closed up demand a little bit. But yeah, we're expecting a very busy autumn period with cheap water and lots of water out there to deliver.
Chloe Warburton
And what kind of challenges do times of high demand cause for your team? Like, how do you manage that?
Mick Doherty
Our system, yeah. Customers, lodge orders and our system won't allow the system to exceed the capacity of the channel network. It's called the demand management system. But to get the most deliveries out of our network as possible, the planners actually move orders around, and so they try and match up, start and finish times to make sure that we use as much of that channel capacity as possible, and that's across 24 hours of the day.
So we often see peaks of demand through the middle of the day, but sometimes we might need to move orders overnight to make sure we're getting the maximum out of the channel network.
Chloe Warburton
If water orders do reach the level where they can't be delivered in a timely manner without channels spilling, what happens then? Is that something where we go into, you know, what we call a rationing cycle?
Mick Doherty
We try to avoid rationing as much as we can. It's been almost 20 years since we last had to ration. Most of the time we'll ask for our customers to be flexible in moving their start times around. And we've seen a lot of customers be quite flexible in that start time and have actually gone back for two or three days or even more at times to make sure that they can get their full order.
If we do go into a rationing cycle that's quite onerous on customers, it would mean that they can't get access to their full order and that's not exactly a good outcome for anyone.
Chloe Warburton
And so is there anything that our customers can do to help reduce the risk of rationing? Is there anything they should be thinking of?
Mick Doherty
They should be thinking to get their orders in early is helpful, to give us some idea about, you know, when the demand is increasing.
We have access to water from different parts of the network, particularly in the range of Western Channel down towards Pyramid Boort area, we can supplement supply with water from the Loddon River, but the travel time heading down the Loddon takes about four days.
Customers orders are generally only 48 hours notice, but if they can give us more notice, then we can make sure that that water is released in a timely manner to ensure we've got as much available as possible.
Chloe Warburton
So it's really about planning on both ends, isn't it?
Mick Doherty
Planning on both ends and then being flexible.
Chloe Warburton
Yeah, beautiful. And if people have any questions about ordering water, what should they do?
Mick Doherty
Generally, yeah, contact us through Waterline if possible and get your order in. They can order up to 10 days in advance. And yeah, by all means, let us know what you're planning on doing and you can be flexible and then let us know if you want to come forward or let us know if you want to push it back a couple of days.
We're happy to work in as best we can and the flexibility is the key for everyone.
Chloe Warburton
Beautiful. Thank you so much, Mick, and good luck for the peak season hours.
Mick Doherty
Thanks very much, Chloe.