Have you ever wondered how irrigation channels are controlled? Would you believe that satellites can control irrigation channels in rural and remote Australia? This is the story of how that has been happening for decades.
At the 1979 end-of-season meeting for Murray Valley water bailiffs, District Office Manager Charlie Sinn declared that the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (SRWSC) was working towards technology enabling channels to be operated via satellites.
“We thought he had lost his marbles,” said Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) Senior Drainage Engagement Officer Lew Humphreys in the latest Talking Water with GMW podcast episode.
Humphreys was in his first year as a water bailiff. His role included collecting irrigators’ order slips from small orange boxes before manually calculating how much water would need to be delivered for his section the following day.
“But here we are now with automation and computerised central planning,” he said. “It’s a long way from where we used to be.”
Much has changed since then, not only regarding technology but also the water industry more broadly. GMW is turning 30 in 2024. However, Humphreys is one of a handful of staff who joined the corporation before it was even known as GMW, having instead started work with GMW’s predecessor, the SRWSC.
When he joined the SRWSC as a water bailiff in 1979, Humphreys followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father-in-law. The latter actually advised Humphreys to consider a different career.
“Back in those days, they worked seven days a week for the season, and he said there was no family life,” Humphreys said. “You were part of the community, and it was a great lifestyle for my wife, Helen, and my daughters, Carly and Andrea, to grow up in a rural environment. It was still a demanding role when Lew became a water bailiff. While they no longer worked seven-day weeks, all the bailiffs had to live on their sites and would be on call for 24 hours for six days before getting a two-day reprieve.”
“The training was pretty intense because you had to get your mind around water levels and calculating flows before you began,” he said. “You would then be sent out on the job with a section bailiff, and they would pass down their knowledge. You couldn’t write a manual because we all did it differently.”
Satellite and remote control of irrigation channels
Lew’s brother, Nick, also worked at GMW as a Maintenance Planner. His nephew, Jay, now works as a Water Planner for the corporation.
In many ways, the Water Planners are the modern equivalent of the bailiffs, planning deliveries so customers get what they ordered. However, they now use sophisticated computer software and automated flume gates. This is done instead of using grid paper and Dethridge wheels.
Despite the changes to the water sector in the region, Lew said there were still similarities between his current role and his work as a water bailiff 45 years ago.
“It’s still about the people,” he said. “Our team has a strong focus on customer consultation, and it’s gratifying when you can work with customers to get the best result for them. There are also a lot of good people I have worked with over the years, and the friendships you make on the job are extraordinary. I’ve enjoyed my time. I’m thankful I didn’t listen to my father-in-law.”
People can listen to the podcast on the GMW website www.gmwater.com.au/podcast
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