The Waterwise Garden Irrigator Program: A Cooperative Model for Urban Water Conservation - Australia

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The Waterwise Garden Irrigator Program: a cooperative model for urban water conservation

Doug HallIrrigation Australia WA Industry Development Officer

Irrigation Australia 2008 Conference22 May 2008

Dimensions of Cooperative Model• Existing and Emerging cooperation• Intra- and Inter-organizational cooperation• Integration of existing programs• Adds value to existing programs• Continual Improvement Framework• Quality Assurance Framework• Action Learning & Research• Conservation through Water Use Efficiency Gains

Sticky Change – The Ultimate Challenge

The Rubbish Tipof Great Plans

Reasons why plans for change fail:– Supply Driven not Demand Driven– Lack of Economic Drivers for industry & customers– Lack of Continual Improvement to adapt to learnings

Why Develop WGIP?• Raise standard of Waterwise Domestic Irrigation Systems

including their Water Use Efficiency

• Establish minimum specifications for Waterwise Domestic Irrigation Systems• Effectively create a Voluntary Industry ‘Standard’

• Raise standard of Industry Professionalism

• Establish a Framework for Industry Development• An evidence-based system for improving irrigation system

specifications and professional development

A Brief History of WGIP• Joint Venture of IAA and Water Corporation

• Main Drivers - Robin Weaver (IAA WA Region) & John Brennan (Water Corporation)

• One of family of Water Corporation Waterwise Programs – many dependent on irrigation

• WGIP 03 – 1st Iteration• Oct 03 to Feb 05 • 73 individual members• 30 business members

A Brief History of WGIP

• Problems emerged in 2005/06

• WGIP 03 Reviewed in 2006/07

• Established Waterwise Sub-committee

• WGIP 07 – 2nd Iteration• Developed and launched 1 Jul 07• 120 individual members (27 regional) and growing• 54 businesses (14 regional) and growing

A Systems Approach

Output

Process

Inputs Garbage

Garbage

Quality

Quality

Quality Process

A Quality Assurance Approach

• Set ‘minimum standards’ for all inputs and processes

• Monitor ‘critical points’

• Monitor outputs through targeted sampling - not end point testing of every system

• Corrective Actions – minor and major

• Supports Continual Improvement

WGIP and its ComponentsInstallers

(Unique WGIP#) System Specifications

Install & ScheduleSystem

Components& Design

System completed toSpecificationsAudit

Output WUE Gain Not directlymeasured

Feedback

Rebate Claimby Customer

Process

Inputs

GovernmentWaterwise

Rebate

Continual Improvement of ElementsInstallers



Components& Design



Feedback


Process

Inputs

GovernmentWaterwise

Rebate

CI CI CI

CI

CI

CI

CI

CI CI

CI

CI

Continual Improvement of InstallersInstallers



Components& Design



Feedback


Process

Inputs

GovernmentWaterwise

Rebate

CI

CI

CI

CI

Becoming a WGIP Member

*Application & *Member Fee

*Training Session

ManualDesign BasicsSystem SpecificationsIALWA Installation Stds

2 Open BookExams

*PassExams

WGIP #& Photo ID

MembershipGranted

Webpage Listing of Business

Evidence ofIndustry Experience

Controller Cards &Other WGIP

Materials

Foundation for more competent professional irrigation practitioners

Protecting program,members and customers

Pre-requisites for Rebate

Future Improvements to Installers

• Ongoing Professional Development– Evidence of attendance at manufacture days etc

• Better linkage to:– Certified Irrigation Installer (CII)– Certified Irrigation Contractor (CIC)– Irrigation Qualifications

• Requirement to be CII, CIC or have Quals?

CI of Design & System SpecificationsInstaller



Components& Design



Feedback


Process

Inputs

GovernmentWaterwise

Rebate

CI

CI

CI

CI

Waterwise Irrigation System Specifications• Minimum specifications - including:

– Components • Encourage use of Smart Approved Watermark • To Australian Standards where existing

– Mains Connections - including legal requirements– Mainline, control valves, control wiring, cable

connections– Garden bed and turf irrigation– Controllers & Scheduling – System Handover

Establishing minimum voluntary ‘standards’

Future Improvements in Specifications

• Put Specifications of Web for general viewing

• Expect Specifications to be continually reviewed and improved based on feedback from:– WGIP members– Manufacturers– Other major stakeholders

• Foundation for National Specifications for Urban Domestic Irrigation Systems?

Continual Improvement of ComponentsInstallers



Components& Design



Feedback


Process

Inputs

GovernmentWaterwise

Rebate

CI

CI

CI

CI

Continual Improvement of Components• System Specifications recommend/require use of:

– Smart Approved WaterMark components– Components to meet Australian Standards where

available– Controllers with specific capabilities (“5*” Controllers)

• Future improvements will add new:– Smart Approved WaterMark components– technologies– Australian Standards– Inputs from other jurisdictions

Continual Improvement of RebateInstallers



Components& Design



Feedback


Process

Inputs

GovernmentWaterwise

Rebate

CICI

CI

Continual Improvement of Rebate• WGIP 03 – no rebate

• WGIP 07 – WA Government’s Irrigation System Rebate if system installed:– by WGIP member– to WGIP System Specifications

• Has established incentive for uptake of program by industry and customers

• Issues with 07/08 rebate:– Was $300 sufficient incentive?– Requirement to install new controller?

• 08/09 Amendments to rebate:– Irrigation System Rebate raised from $300 to $400– Existing controller okay but must meet specifications

Some Rebate Metrics – 1 May 08• Rebates Claimed for:

– 99 irrigation systems– By 28 (of 120) WGIP individual members

• 6 (of 27) regional members– By 16 (of 54) WGIP Businesses

• 4 (of 14) regional businesses

• Max rebates by an individual member – 21

• 3 individuals represent 46% of all Claims

Generating greater understanding of business and customer behavior

Number of WGIP Rebate Claims

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Aug-07 Sep-07 Oct-07 Nov-07 Dec-07 Jan-08 Feb-08 Mar-08 Apr-08

Num

ber o

f Cla

ims

Per MonthCumulative Total

Installers(Unique WGIP#) System Specifications


Components& Design



Feedback


Process

Inputs

GovernmentWaterwise

Rebate

CI CI CI

CI

CI

CI

CI

CI CI

CI

Continual Improvement of Audit Process

Auditing Installed Systems• Every system installed under WGIP 07 can

potentially be audited by independent auditor

• Rebate claim by customer triggers audit process

• Corrective action required by installer if audit indicates system specifications not met

• Expulsion of WGIP from WGIP 07 if corrective actions not made by installer

Protects - brand of program, WGIP 07 members & customers

Audit Form

Some Audit Metrics

• 14 Systems Audited – no major corrective actions required

• Better than WGIP 03 mechanism BUT some issues to resolve

• Anecdotal evidence that number of claims << number of installs

• Feedback to WGIP individual and businesses commenced

Other Future Activities• Customer Training – Scheduling & Protecting WUE

• Customer Satisfaction

• Improve Adoption by Developers

• Better linkage to other Waterwise Programs

• Measure Irrigation Volumes – verify WUE dividend

• Prevent WUE Decay – improve maintenance & repair

• Support other jurisdictions interested in WGIP

Summary• WGIP is an evolving cooperative model

that:– Integrates a number of important existing

programs by IAL and other organizations– Adds value to these programs and does not

compete with them– Provides verification of improvements in

inputs, processes and outputs– Provides framework for ongoing

improvements in all components

Acknowledgements

WA IDO Project and Doug Hall supported by:

• Horticulture Australia Ltd• Irrigation Australia Ltd• Irrigation Australia Ltd (WA Region)• WA Department of Water• WA Department of Food & Agriculture• Water Corporation

Education

The Waterwise Garden Irrigator Program: A Cooperative Model for Urban Water Conservation - Australia