about

Delivering specialised programs for our clients across the globe.

Urban Water Solutions was established in 2007 and has since delivered countless specialised projects for clients in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, USA, Colombia and Samoa.

We are experts in many key aspects of water and wastewater systems such as:

  • Wastewater Hydraulic Modelling and Master Planning
  • Water Supply Hydraulic Modelling and Master Planning
  • Inflow/Infiltration Studies
  • Pressure Sewerage Analysis, Optimisation and Design
  • Pressure Sewer Field Monitoring
  • Non-Revenue Water Management & Pressure Management Analysis
  • Integrated Water Management
  • Wastewater Quality and Salinity Modelling
  • Potable Water Quality Modelling
  • Concept and Functional Design
  • Field Monitoring Planning & Management (Water and Sewer)
  • Data Quality Reviews
  • Expert Technical Advice
  • Training, Mentoring and Workshops

 

Whatever the project, our focus is to work collaboratively with our Clients to achieve their desired outcomes.

If you’d like to learn more about how we can help to deliver your next project, please call +61 3 9419 6667 or email admin@urbanwatersolutions.com

services

We provide program development, on-job training, mentoring and workshops.

To find out more about the services we offer see below:

  • Sewerage System Modelling and Master Planning

    200 modelling projects and counting…

    As technical advisors, technical managers, project managers or project engineers, the staff at Urban Water Solutions have been responsible for flow monitoring, model building, model calibration, system optimisation, master planning and options development for over 200 modelling projects across the globe. These studies have ranged from rural townships with populations of 1000, up to city wide “macro models” with populations of over 3 million.

    Services provided:

    • Data collection & review;
    • Data conversion & processing;
    • Flow survey planning, management and data review;
    • Model building;
    • Model calibration & verification;
    • System performance assessment;
    • Inflow/infiltration assessment;
    • Options development;
    • Masterplan development; and
    • Training and capacity development.
  • Water Supply Modelling and Master Planning

    We have extensive experience in carrying out water network modelling analysis and master planning projects across Australia and internationally. Our highly experienced team has undertaken projects ranging from calibration of rural supply systems, up to the Melbourne transfer system model serving over 4 million customers.

    Our range of water network services include:

    • Hydraulic model building using authority data sets;
    • Field test planning;
    • Model validation against SCADA data;
    • Model calibration with field test data;
    • System performance assessments;
    • Operational model development including IW Live;
    • Development of future models;
    • Master planning and development of staged servicing strategies to service future growth;
    • Training of water authority staff in best practice modelling techniques; and
    • Development of intelligent water network strategy.
  • Integrated Water Management

    Integrated Water Management requires understanding the interdependencies between different urban water systems. Quantifying these linkages both spatially and temporally allows for the development of tools to optimise capital and operating expenses, whilst minimising customer disruptions due to sewerage or stormwater flooding. The impacts of alternate water sources such as rainwater tanks, stormwater harvesting and recycled water networks on the potable water network can be explicitly tested and understood. We have experience in creating and using integrated water models for a variety of purposes.

  • Pressure Sewer Analysis and Design

    First introduced in Australia in 2001, the use of pressure sewer systems to service both new developments and backlog programmes is now becoming widespread. Pressure sewer systems can offer significant advantages over conventional gravity sewer systems, including:

    • Reduced pipe sizes;
    • Shallower pipe depths;
    • Reduced number of conventional sewage pump stations; and
    • They are suited to developments where gravity sewer systems are infeasible due to site characteristics such as minimal falls or high water tables.

     

    These advantages can translate into considerable cost savings for Water Authorities and developers.

    Urban Water Solutions’ staff pioneered the use of dynamic hydraulic modelling software for pressure sewer design in 2004, an approach that has since been adopted progressively by Water Authorities across Australia.

    Urban Water Solutions is Australia’s leading expert in the dynamic hydraulic modelling of pressure sewer systems.  Using sophisticated software with real time control optimisation, we are able to provide our clients with optimised designs for new systems and operations enhancement advice for existing systems.

    Urban Water Solutions’ services include:

    • Modelling and analysis of existing systems for compliance and operational enhancement;
    • Optimised concept and functional design of new systems;
    • Design review;
    • Field monitoring;
    • Master planning; and
    • Intelligent design using control protocol design.
  • Water Loss Management

    Water loss is the water supplied into the drinking water network that is not legally consumed and is a global issue. Water loss is the main component of non-revenue water (NRW), which is simply the volume of supplied treated water that is not sold.

    The International Water Association Water (IWA) Loss Specialist Group first published the standard water balance in 2000. This is now used and recommended by consultants, water utilities, technical organisations, and international funding agencies in an ever-increasing number of countries.

    The IWA Standard Water Balance (Source: IWA)

    Water utilities are under ever more pressure to be efficient with our valuable water resource. They understand the cheapest water is that which is already available. Wasting water is unacceptable to customers and puts additional stress on the environment. The most sustainable and economical solutions to water wastage involve strategies to accurately quantify and effectively manage water losses.

    IWA standard water balance forms the foundation of the water loss management strategy.

    If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” – Peter Drucker

    District Metered Area Flow and Pressure Data

    There are several solutions available to reduce non-revenue water. The selection and tailoring of these solutions should be based on the economic return, considering both current and future costs of water. Of key importance is the concept that water losses cannot be reduced by a single project. As with any asset maintenance, ongoing actions are required.

    Water loss management solutions include combinations of the following:

    1. Active leak detection – either manual surveys or continuous monitoring
    2. Pressure management – reducing excess network pressures
    3. Speed and quality of repairs – reducing leak run time
    4. Asset replacement – the most expensive option

    District Metering and Pressure Management

    The industry is continually investigating new technologies to assist with this global problem, which keeps this field at the cutting edge of technology.

key
personnel

Our team has decades of water engineering experience.

See below for details of our team.

  • Neil Moody
    Managing Director
    Neil Moody
    Managing Director
    B.E. Civil (Hons)
    CPEng Engineers Australia

    Neil has over 33 years of experience working in Australia, USA, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Samoa, Malaysia, Colombia and the U.K. and is a specialist in the development and implementation of major collection system hydraulic modelling and master planning projects. Projects have included sewerage network strategic planning, collection system network modelling and optimisation strategies using RTC and water quality, development of water industry information management systems, stormwater treatment and sewage treatment plant design. Over the past 16 years Neil has been at the forefront of large pressure sewer design using dynamic hydraulic models.

  • Paul Edwards
    Principal Consultant
    Paul Edwards
    Principal Consultant
    CEng – Engineers Ireland

    Paul has over 30 years of engineering experience in the water industry specialising in sewerage and drainage system modelling and system analysis, working in Australia, the UK, Ireland, the United States, New Zealand, Samoa and Malaysia. Principally his expertise is in sewerage and drainage studies, developing and calibrating network models for conventional gravity and pressure sewerage collections systems and using the models for hydraulic analysis and master plan development.

  • Ann Pugh
    Operations Manager / Principal Engineer
    Ann Pugh
    Operations Manager / Principal Engineer
    B.E. Civil (Hons), Master of Integrated Water Management
    MIEAust CPEng NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus)

    Ann has been working in the water industry since the mid 1990s and has worked with many water authorities, both domestically and overseas, to implement digital tools that provide efficiencies in planning and operational activities. She has an in-depth knowledge of the InfoWorks and IWLive suite of software and has conducted many technical presentations, training courses. Ann is a qualified PRINCE2 Project Manager. Ann completed a Masters of Integrated Water Management in 2019 with a final year project looking at the impact of land use change on sewage flows.

  • Stuart Stapely
    Business Manager / Non-Revenue Water
    Stuart Stapely
    Business Manager / Non-Revenue Water
    BSc (Hons), PMP, MCIWEM, C.WEM, C.ENV

    Stuart is a chartered water infrastructure professional with over 25 years of experience in the water industry. He has worked in England, Scotland, Cyprus, Australia and New Zealand. He brings his specialist best practice knowledge in non-revenue water reduction.

    He has a deep knowledge of the Australian water industry and has worked with clients in all states and territories.

    Within the industry, Stuart is an active member of the International Water Association (IWA), and has co-authored guidance documents on water loss definitions and leak detection methods and presented technical papers at a number of international conferences. He joined the Water Loss Specialist Group in 2002 and currently sits on the management committee.

    He is also a member of the Project Management Institute and the Melbourne Chapter and is a certified Project Management Professional.

  • Kim Khoo
    Principal Engineer
    Kim Khoo
    Principal Engineer
    B.E. Civil (Hons)
    Masters (MRes) Civil Engineering

    Kim is a civil engineer with over 22 years of experience in model build, calibration and master planning for both water and waste water systems using various modelling software packages. She has worked on numerous hydraulic modelling and planning projects throughout Australia as well leading a number of major water supply network modelling and master planning projects in Singapore and Malaysia.

  • Kerry Brooksmith
    Principal Engineer
    Kerry Brooksmith
    Principal Engineer
    B. E. Civil (Hons)

    Kerry has over 24 years of experience in the water industry and specialises is the model build, verification and calibration for water supply networks, master planning and water demand management.

    Kerry has worked on projects of all sizes – small, rural scale, up to a re-build of the Melbourne Water transfer network model from the latest GIS data. This model includes 965km of water mains, 679 valves, 55 reservoirs, 54 pumps and 4 supply sources.

  • Stephen D’Agata
    Principal Engineer
    Stephen D’Agata
    Principal Engineer
    B.E. Civil
    NER

    Stephen has over 35 years’ experience providing water supply, sewerage, and stormwater infrastructure planning services. He commenced his engineering career with the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works in 1988 and went on to pioneer the use of computerised hydraulic modelling for network analysis and catchment planning at Yarra Valley Water in 1995. Stephen has continued manage network modelling, master planning, and asset management services to water authorities and local government agencies as a principal and managing consultant with various organisations.

  • Bradley Nissley
    Professional Engineer
    Bradley Nissley
    Professional Engineer
    B. Sci in Civil Engineering

    Bradley is a civil engineer with over 11 years of hydraulic engineering experience gained at Urban Water Solutions.

    Bradley has worked on a wide range of projects, predominantly using InfoWorks ICM and InfoWorks WS. These include sewer, water, and pressure sewer model development and calibration, and sewerage and water network master planning studies. He has also worked on water infrastructure asset management projects using software such as InfoAsset Planner. and InfoAsset Manager.

  • Kiara Lim
    Professional Engineer
    Kiara Lim
    Professional Engineer
    B.E Civil and Infrastructure (Hons)

    Kiara is a civil engineer with 8 years of hydraulic modelling experience gained at Urban Water Solutions. In her time at UWS she has worked on multiple projects for Clients across Australia and the USA. In addition to developing her skills with build / calibration for waste water systems using the InfoWorks ICM software, Kiara has well developed skills in data management, Excel and MapInfo GIS software.

    Kiara graduated with First Class Honours from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in December 2015. The RMIT B.E Civil and Infrastructure (Hons) engineering program is accredited by Engineers Australia.

  • Aidan Sloggett
    Professional Engineer
    Aidan Sloggett
    Professional Engineer
    B.E Civil and Infrastructure (Hons)

    Aidan is a civil engineer with 7 years of hydraulic modelling experience gained at Urban Water Solutions. In his time at UWS he has already worked on multiple projects including model build and calibration for wastewater systems using InfoWorks ICM software and GIS software MapInfo.

    Aidan graduated with Honours from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in December 2016. The RMIT B.E Civil and Infrastructure (Hons) engineering program is accredited by Engineers Australia.

  • Max Ford
    Professional Engineer
    Max Ford
    Professional Engineer
    B.E. Civil and Infrastructure (Hons)

    Max is a civil engineer with 5 years of hydraulic modelling experience gained at Urban Water Solutions including one year as an intern while completing his studies. Max has worked on a wide range of water and sewerage system hydraulic modelling projects in Australia and the USA using InfoWorks WS Pro & ICM software and GIS software, MapInfo.

    Max graduated with First Class Honours from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in December 2018. The RMIT B.E Civil and Infrastructure (Hons) engineering program is accredited by Engineers Australia.

  • Christian Calabro
    Professional Engineer
    Christian Calabro
    Professional Engineer
    B.E Civil and Infrastructure (Hons)

    Christian is a civil engineer with 4 years of hydraulic modelling experience gained at Urban Water Solutions. In his time at UWS he has worked on multiple projects for clients across Australia and the USA, including model build/calibration of wastewater and potable water systems and the modelling of detailed hydraulics at wastewater treatment plants.

    Christian is proficient in InfoWorks ICM, WS Pro and GIS software MapInfo & QGIS.

    Christian graduated with Honours from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in December 2019. The RMIT B.E Civil and Infrastructure (Hons) engineering program is accredited by Engineers Australia.

  • Jonathan Siow
    Professional Engineer
    Jonathan Siow
    Professional Engineer
    Master of Chemical Engineering

    Jonathan joined Urban Water Solutions in 2020 having spent over a year working as a graduate engineer at North East Water. During his time at NEW, he focused on water and sewer modelling using InfoWorks WS Pro and ICM software, geospatial data processing in QGIS, and project management.

    Jonathan graduated with a Master of Chemical Engineering from the University of Melbourne in December 2018.  This course is accredited by Engineering Australia.

  • Lachlan Powell
    Professional Engineer
    Lachlan Powell
    Professional Engineer
    B.E. (Hons) and B.Comm.

    Lachie is a civil engineer who joined Urban Water Solutions in a full-time capacity in January 2022.  Working as an intern at UWS during his final year of studies in 2021, Lachie worked on several hydraulic modelling projects based in Australia and the USA using InfoWorks ICM and GIS software, MapInfo.

    Lachie graduated from Monash University in December 2021 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) specialising in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Accounting.

     

  • Ben Caplikas
    Professional Engineer
    Ben Caplikas
    Professional Engineer
    B.E. Environmental Engineering (Hons)

    Ben joined Urban Water Solutions in September 2023 as a professional engineer. He is currently working on network modelling projects but came to us with over 2-years of experience in contaminated land management.

    Ben graduated from RMIT University in 2020 with an Honours Degree in Environmental Engineering.

  • Buddy
    Manager of Organisational Culture
    Buddy
    Manager of Organisational Culture

    Buddy is a Brittany Spaniel that regularly attends the UWS offices and is in charge of stress relief and wellbeing.  He encourages employees to take regular breaks and walks.

  • Teddy
    Wellbeing Expert
    Teddy
    Wellbeing Expert

    Teddy is responsible for employee wellbeing and is the cause of much laughter in the office.