Posts by Urbaqua
Code of Practice Launch for urban and peri-urban drainage modelling in Western Australia
In early 2020, key stakeholders and urban drainage practitioners in WA recommended the formation of a partnership to “prepare a ‘code of practice’ or guideline which describes the process for model build, verification and reporting. The document should include guidance for different scales, planning decisions and risk, and support generation of local knowledge and improved…
Read MoreNoongar Seasons – Djilba (August – September)
Aboriginal seasons guided by the land Unlike the European calendar, there are six Noongar seasons in Western Australia’s South West region, which are indicated by changes in local plants and animals. The Noongar Season ‘Djilba’ is represented by the colour pink as it symbolises growth of wildflowers and plants. This is the start of the…
Read MoreDecades of less rainfall have cut replenishing of groundwater to 800-year low in WA
Groundwater is the world’s biggest source of easily accessible freshwater. Despite its importance, we know very little about how this resource is replenished over time. In a world-first study, we have used caves to show the decades-long decline in rainfall in south-west Australia has reduced the replenishment of groundwater in the region to an 800-year low. Read the…
Read MoreNATIONAL NAIDOC WEEK 2023
The 2023 National NAIDOC Week theme is For Our Elders. National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First…
Read MoreNoongar Plant Species list
Kaya (hello)! – how many plant species names do you know of the Aboriginal language group from your part of Australia?
Some beautiful native plants are found in Australia, with many of them being used by Indigenous Noongar people as bushtucker foods or for cultural or medicinal purposes.
Read MoreSave it for summer: Winter Sprinkler Switch-off returns
Households and businesses across Perth, Mandurah and parts of the South-West and Great Southern are being asked to save it for summer during the annual Winter Sprinkler Switch-off. The switch-off is a permanent water efficiency initiative requiring scheme and bore users to turn off garden reticulation from 1 June to 31 August, helping save precious…
Read MoreStormwater Australia National Awards for Excellence 2023
Stormwater Australia held their National Awards for Excellence ceremony on Wednesday 29th March 2023, in conjunction with the NSW Stormwater conference. Urbaqua is proud to announce the Western Australian winners in the following National categories, on their collective effort to support innovative, smart and effective stormwater outcomes for Western Australia. National award for Excellence in InfrastructureWinner – City…
Read MoreTake your dog to work day – 24 June 2022
Otis is our resident puppy and he brings a smile to everyone’s face that enters the office. If you can’t find him at first, just follow his trail. His favourite playthings are cat toys and paper. Otis is very happy about his work arrangement. He enjoys a daily commute and gets to spend time under…
Read MoreHappy Earth Day 22 April 2022 from Urbaqua
Earth Day is here and the theme for 2022 is Invest in Our Planet. Why? Because a green future is a prosperous future. What each of us does today, and how we do it, has a ripple effect on our ecosystems. So, what is happening around the world this week – https://www.earthday.org/ Lets look at…
Read MoreWorld Water Day 2022
World Water Day is held on the 22nd of March every year and is an annual United Nations Observance, started in 1993, that focuses on the importance of water. This year the theme is: Groundwater – Making the Invisible Visible When we talk about water, especially in urban environments we usually focus on surface water…
Read MoreBlue-Banded Bees
Our field scientists were lucky enough to find blue bees buzzing around a couple sites recently, so we thought it would be a great opportunity to share some information about these lesser-known native Australian species. Blue-banded bees (Amegilla species) were spotted at locations in Lancelin and Byford, two very different sites geographically and geologically. The…
Read MoreThe Hottest Summer On Record
As Perth swelters through another heat wave and power bills soar from excessive air conditioner use it’s worth reflecting on just how hot this summer has been and what it means for urban life in this oven of a city. January was hot. Officially the warmest January on record, with a mean maximum temperature of…
Read MoreIts World Wetlands Day – 2 February 2022
(and what a cool date!!) We thought you might like a few little stories about wetlands around us to help spend some time thinking about the topic of the day, so….. Find out what is happening around the world – Value|Manage|Restore|Love|Wetlands Closer to home, ever wondered what Perth was like before it was a City?…
Read MorePERTH’S WILD WEATHER
So far, winter in Perth has felt freezing for most, and we’ve been battered and washed away with a series of storms throughout July and the beginning of August. So, being curious creatures here at Urbaqua, we wanted to investigate! Has this weather been out of the ordinary for Perth? It’s definitely felt a lot…
Read MoreThe pawfect new addition to the team
Urbaqua has welcomed a new pup to the office! 3 month old Bonnie the Pomeranian has started her role under the supervision of the more experienced and significantly larger Mika. Bonnie’s new to the urban water scene but brings a whole heap of energy to the office in a tiny package! Her favourite activities include…
Read More#40under40WA
The WA 40under40 Awards is Western Australia’s pre-eminent program for recognising and celebrating the state’s leading entrepreneurs, innovators, and future business leaders under the age of 40. The awards recognise not only personal determination, commercial drive and business success, but also acknowledges philanthropic and community contributions. This year’s awards also marked the 20th anniversary of…
Read MoreHow do you design a good monitoring program?
One of Urbaqua‘s resident Environmental Engineers, Halinka Lamparski, had the opportunity to present her ideas on just how to do this IN PERSON at the 2021 WA Inland Water Symposium held a couple of weeks ago (17th February 2021 @ Burswood on Swan). The event was organised in partnership by the AWA, ECA and EIANZ…
Read MoreThe great Urbaqua/Coterra water conjunction
Urbaqua has officially expanded its ranks by welcoming in the Coterra water team, headed by Principal Environmental Engineer Rebecca Epworth. Rebecca will also be joining the Urbaqua board as Director. She will also be joined by her now official office dog and talisman, Mika. The Coterra water team brings with them a wealth of experience…
Read MoreWorld Wetlands Day – happy 50th anniversary!
Next Tuesday (2 February 2021) is officially the 50th anniversary of World Wetlands Day – celebrating the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Since 1997, World Wetlands Day has been used to raise public awareness of wetland values…
Read MoreA new start: Happy 2021!
Urbaqua is back in the office and welcomes one and all to 2021! It would be easy to be cynical after one of the most painful years in recent memory, and obviously all our problems are by no means going to magically disappear just because of the change of a digit. However, let us make…
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