Alcoa Pinjarra recognised as 2020 Gold Waterwise Business

Monday, 7 September 2020 17:17

By Monique Welhan

Pinjarra Refinery’s Chemical Engineer John Peter Kelmar accepted the award from Western Australian’s Water Minister Dave Kelly. PIC: Supplied

Alcoa’s Pinjarra Refinery has been recognised as a Gold Waterwise Business for 2020, by the Water Corporation.

The Waterwise Business Program acknowledges leading Western Australian businesses for their contribution to saving precious water resources.

Presented by Water Minister Dave Kelly, the award was accepted by Chemical Engineer John Peter Kelmar on behalf of the team at Pinjarra.

Pinjarra Refinery Manager Mark Hodgson said achieving this level of recognition reflected an organisational philosophy that the responsible management of water usage is simply part of how Alcoa conducts its business.

“Maintaining the water balance around the refinery is a complex process, which means that even the smallest operational changes can have significant impacts on our overall water consumption. Constant monitoring, training and a dedicated team who are focused on continuous improvement are key to how we manage that complexity,” said Mr Hodgson.

Pinjarra’s new residue filtration facility means that more recovered process water will be available for re-use in the coming years, which will assist in further reducing the refinery’s fresh water needs.

During the 2020 reporting period, a total of over nine billion litres was saved as a result of the Waterwise Business Program.

Alcoa has been part of the Program since its inception in 2007.

In that time a total of 102 billion litres has been saved, which is equivalent to 45,330 Olympic-sized swimming pools.