WA Leads innovation in water safety

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  Crawler technology wins Water Industry Safety Award
• The award recognises safety improvement and injury prevention  

Water and innovation were on show in Dampier today, with Water and Innovation and ICT Minister Dave Kelly observing the Water Corporation's award-winning crawler technology in action at a local water tank.

The technology won the national Water Industry Safety Award at the 2017 Australian Water Awards, held during the Ozwater conference earlier this month.

The crawler is a remote controlled device that attaches to the external steel wall of a water tank and measures the thickness and condition of the steel using ultrasound technology. The device can roam up to 30 metres high, which allows the Water Corporation to get a clear picture of the condition of the tank.

This advanced technology means Water Corporation workers no longer need to use cherry pickers to physically inspect tanks, eliminating safety risks posed by working at heights.

Comments attributed to Water and Innovation and ICT Minister Dave Kelly:

"It was great to be in Dampier today and see the Water Corporation using innovative technologies that improve worker safety.

"This device can now be used at tanks across the State, eliminating the risks posed by working at heights. The crawler can also be used to inspect confined spaces, which are too small for workers to enter.

"The idea for this technology came from a Water Corporation engineer who saw a documentary about similar technology being used to inspect steel structures and investigated how this could be applied to the Water Corporation's infrastructure.

"As the Minister for Innovation and ICT, as well as Water, it is excellent to see the Water Corporation address safety challenges through innovative thinking and technologies.

"Congratulations to the Water Corporation for taking out the Water Industry Safety Award."