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Delivers Healthy Water Use for River Murray
South
Australian technology developed to manage service delivery by health care
workers has been innovatively redeployed to monitor water usage from the
beleaguered River Murray.
Although
the system was designed to track time and resources used for domiciliary
care, the DAELIBS (Data Analysis Electronic Logger Identity Button System)
technology is now being used to enable Riverland farmers optimise water
usage.
Adelaide-based
company DAELIBS, a client of IT&T industry growth initiative Playford
Centre, was caught off-guard when water consultancy company Water Data
Services approached it about this unique application of its technology.
Water
Data Services is an environmental monitoring consultancy providing water
monitoring services to high profile clients such as SA Water and the
Patawalonga Catchment Water Management Board.
The
company purchased the system on behalf of the Lower Murray Irrigation
Action Group (LMIAG) to assist farmers in the Lower Murray region improve
their water usage.
The DAELIBS technology uses an electronic logger and identity
button to record the date and amount of time that water is allowed to flow
onto a paddock.
Water Data Services
principal consultant Bruce Nicholson said the Daelibs system provided a
simple solution to a complex problem.
“We found out about the
technology through an electrical company that was developing electrical
components of the technology,” he said.
“They showed us the
technology and we thought it was excellent, it was just what we were
looking for. This has never been done before. Farmers have always recorded
the amount of water they are using manually and we wanted to cut out the
errors and reduce time.
“This technology is a
lot cheaper than the scanners the farmers were using. At $400 a unit,
it’s cheaper and more portable. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback
from the farmers who wanted a simple and quick method.
“DAELIBS
is really robust. Each paddock has a button with
a unique code. The farmer holds the logger against the button and records
the date. We then match up
the date and time with the flow meter and then we can calculate the volume
of water that has been used.”
DAELIBS
developed the second-generation version of its
technology using marketing advice and working capital from Playford
Centre.
Playford Centre was established in 1997 to
fast-track the growth of South Australian IT&T companies into national
and international markets. The centre provides business, technical and
marketing assistance, including working capital, and “grooms”
companies to prepare them for venture capital.
Mr. Nicholson said
farmers in the region had difficulty measuring the amount of water they
were using. “The farmers use flood irrigation to water their land,” he
said.
“They open channels
from the river to let water cover their paddocks, but the problem was how
to measure that amount of water. The issue is improving productivity and
to reduce water use. If farmers use too much water, it goes back into the
river and causes pollution.”
“The goal is to reduce
the amount of water that goes back into the river and optimise the amount
of water used.”
DAELIBS
managing director Ian Bruce said the redeployment of the technology
demonstrated its versatility.
“The
technology was designed for the health industry and is now helping to
control irrigation in the Murray. The technology is being applied to water
valves rather than to health workers,” he said.
“It
demonstrates that the technology can be applied in any industry.”
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