Australian Water Management Review Vol 1 2010 | Page 14

From dams to desalination
SMEC and the seven seas

The mystique of desalination; creating
pure fresh water from salty seas has
fascinated mankind for centuries.
Desalination reduces dependence on
the climate and brings a grea ter degree
of certainty to precious water supplies.
SMEC is at the centre of desalination
activity in Australia. SMEC has been
involved in the Adelaide, Sydney and
Victorian desalination plants and
exports their desalination expertise to
other parts of the world.
Water has been at the heart of SMEC’s
life since the late 1940s, where SMEC
designed and built the Snowy Mountains
Hydro-electric Scheme. Enormous dams
were constructed, kilometres of tunnels
were dug, large pipelines and pump
stations were installed and the nation
prospered. The power and resources of
eastward flowing rivers were harnessed
to provide energy and water for the
burgeoning industrial centres and water
for the food bowls in the west. This was
a mammoth achievement and is fondly
known as one of Civil Engineering’s
‘Wonders of the Modern World’.
Planning is a critical element to water
management. When SMEC began,
planning was based on US empiricisms,
using slide rules, mud maps and rules
of thumb… it was all about controlling
supply, meeting demand and building
dams and structures that would last
forever. Today at SMEC, water planning
focuses on environmental, economic and
social values. These values are defined
and enumerated to provide a basis for the
development of highly complex numerical
models of the underlying water system.
A modern water system in a developed
area will consist of a complex mixture
of dams, pipelines, canals, pumping
stations, treatment plants, sewerage
systems, seawater outfalls, recycling
plants and more. All of these aspects are
integrated into a modelling framework
and used alongside GIS, DTM, simulation
and optimisation techniques to enable
decision makers to achieve the best
possible outcome.
Recent developments in water technology
enable the real time operation of highly
complex systems such as desalination
plants, hydro-electric dams and power
stations, sewage treatment plants
and sewerage systems using SCADA
integrated with modelling systems.

Water Management Review 2010

SMEC has been at the forefront of these
technologies in Australia and throughout
the world. From Sydney to Swaziland,
SMEC has designed and built water
system models and has innovated at every
step of the way. For situations that cannot
be modeled numerically, SMEC operates
the only independent physical modelling
facility in Australia.
Planning provides the concepts for the
development of detailed designs. SMEC’s
Design Engineers consider the durability,
corrosion and economic life of materials;
analyse the strength of stresses, strains,
failure modes and bursting pressures;
and delve into the intricacies of codes of
practice – incorporating both Australian
standards and a variety of international
standards. SMEC develops, designs,
drafts and reviews – then repeats the
process again.
In the construction phase, SMEC’s
engineers manage the whole construction
process. SMEC ensures that design
specifications are met, that the right
materials are used, and that costs are
effectively managed. SMEC guarantees
that whatever is built will not only serve
its purpose, but last its economic life.
SMEC is one of the few employee-owned
Australian companies that is as successful
in its home country as they are in Africa,
Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific.
SMEC has an established network of 33
offices around the world and has delivered
projects in over 85 countries. With over
4,000 employees, SMEC’s operations
are conducted through a number of
companies including subsidiaries
established to meet regional requirements
and pursue specialised sector activities.
SMEC provides high quality consultancy
services to clients ranging from private
sector organisations, to Government
agencies and International Financial
Institutions, in the following areas: Water;
Transport; Energy and Renewables;
Natural Resources and Environment;
Mining and Underground Services;
Buildings and Urban Development; and
Social Development.
SMEC’s services generate economic
wealth and provide essential services
that contribute to national development in
some of the fastest growing economies.
SMEC’s commitment to good corporate
citizenship is universal.