About
Our aim is to bring the latest learnings and technology including GIS, in-situ monitoring and data analysis to ensure WSUD assets can be highly functional and cost effective for asset owners.
Jarrod Gaut
CIVIL ENGINEER, PRINCIPAL
Jarrod has 10 years experience working for local government and private consultancy, with a focus on asset modelling, asset management and monitoring, as well as maintenance and rectification of WSUD assets. Jarrod has completed (or still is completing…) post graduate study looking at stormwater quality models, remote sensing, as well as the life cycle costs and performance of WSUD assets.
Michael Nixon
PROJECT ENGINEER
Michael has several years of experience working in engineering consulting, with a heavy focus on hydrologic and hydraulic flood modelling. Michael is completing an Environmental Engineering Master’s Degree with research into improving hydrologic rainfall-runoff models in the face of a drying climate.
Our services
ASSET AUDITS AND INSPECTIONS
assessing the functional, hydraulic and plant health components of WSUD assets
GIS
development and capture of WSUD specific spatial and attribute data
ASSET MANAGEMENT PLANNING
data-driven analysis to ensure financial and environmentally sustainable management outcomes
SEDIMENT AND BASE PROFILE MAPPING
cost effective methods to determine sediment accumulation and bathymetry of water bodies
WORKS DOCUMENTATION
works plans and specifications for asset maintenance and rectification
REAL-TIME ASSET MONITORING
use of instrumentation for real-time monitoring of depth and water quality parameters to understand asset function
RESEARCH
working with research institutions to better understand catchment loads, asset function and asset life-cycle costs
MUSIC MODELLING
catchment and treatment modelling for design of WSUD treatment and stormwater re-use
CONSTRUCTION QA
ensuring that WSUD assets are constructed in accordance with design documentation and relevant guidelines
Our clients and project partners
Our affiliations and memberships
Latest
2021-current
Our monitoring continues out at the Sparrovale wetland system with Deakin and CoGG despite the heavy inundation from both the urban catchment and the flooded Barwon River. Many (normally) dry access tracks were under more than a metre of water making for long walks in, with all but one sensor surviving.
2022-2023
Really stoked that our Sediment Basin Rapid Bathy Survey and Condition Assessment project with Melbourne Water and the Water4Good team got recognised as the Jacobs People’s Choice winner for oustanding waterway management through the amazing RBMS (River Basin Management Society). Great to learn about a whole bunch of waterway projects beyond the normal urban stormwater space. Thanks to Alison Rickard, David Carew, Celine Marchenay, Kent Feng and the whole Water Technology Pty Ltd crew for the efforts on this massive investigation. The glamour of the night was a nice contrast from the glamour of the often sludgy and sweaty site work
2022
Great to work in such a beautiful part of the world with TDG to quantify sediment and sludge build-up in three treatment ponds using our dual frequency sounder with GNSS
Given the importance of macrophyte cover in understanding performance of constructed wetlands, wouldn’t it be great to have a simple and cost-effective way to undertake quantitative estimates of plant cover, and to track changes in cover over time?
This quick blog outlines a simple method for estimation of emergent vegetation cover using the NDVI calculation from readily available hi-resolution aerial imagery. Explore the results for yourself on the interactive online map.
Have you ever found yourself thinking “how full is my sediment basin?”, or maybe “how deep is my pond?”
If so, we have our custom-built survey boat to help answer this question quickly, accurately and safely. Our simple setup can avoid the need for more expensive survey boats that are often better suited to larger and deeper water environments, or the need to put on the waders and wrestle around in the sludgy base.
June 2020
2019-2020
water_insites has been working collaboratively with local and state government and other specialist consultants to provide asset condition assessments and/or data interpretation for over 500 WSUD assets across Victoria in accordance with Stormwater Victoria’s WSUD Audit Guidelines. Projects included ongoing maintenance frameworks which were informed by asset prioritisation scoring, to ensure function and amenity outcomes are maximised for asset owners per dollar spent over the next 10 years. Take a spin of an interactive dashboard demo below.
June 2019
As a part of PhD Research with Deakin University, the results from a study of the exponential washoff model using a large stormwater quality dataset was published in the Journal of Environmental Management. Paper highlights include:
– The exponential washoff model was calibrated for six pollutants and 126 rain events.
– Model accuracy was best for particulates and worst for dissolved pollutants.
– There was a strong correlation between model parameters and rainfall variables for particulates.
– Model parameter behaviour was best explained for small sub-catchments
A link to a free copy of the paper is available for a limited time:
Nov 2018
water_insites worked with Jamie Comley Environmental Consulting and Yarra City Council to assess the condition of 57 raingardens identified on their asset register. The assessment incorporated detailed inspection of each site, as well as sampling and lab testing of select filter media criteria.
The national stormwater conference provided an opportunity to present the findings of recent research conducted with Deakin University into the life cycle costs and benefits of different types and scales of WSUD assets.