Dr. Jim Gill, inaugural chairman of Water Australia and past
CEO of the Water Corp. of Western Australia, will be the keynote luncheon
speaker on Oct. 8 at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition, to
be held Oct. 7-9, 2009, in Las Vegas.
Presented by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) in
conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense
Program, WaterSmart Innovations is a non-profit event that serves to broaden
knowledge of innovations in urban water efficiency and water conservation
including products, programs and outreach. More information is available atwww.WaterSmartInnovations.com.
In 2009, following 13 years as CEO, Gill was selected to
chair Water Australia, a joint public-private organization created to
disseminate Australian technology and expertise in water resource management.
As CEO of the Water Corporation, Gill was recognized for
development of innovative programming to reduce water demand and diversify
water resources in Western Australia, countering an enormous reduction in the
yield of traditional surface water sources. The achievements of his tenure
include a desalination plant that uses renewable energy, programs to enhance
water supplies through agricultural irrigation efficiency and a system for
aquifer storage and recovery of treated wastewater. Gill’s agency also achieved
an annual system-wide water use reduction of 45 gigaliters (approximately12
billion gallons).
In 2008, Gill received the International Water Association’s
prestigious Grand Award for mastering the implications of climate change in
Australia, and this year he was made an Officer in the Order of Australia, one
of the nation’s highest honors. He was named Australian Civil Engineer of the
Year for 2006.
Over the course of his distinguished 35-year career, Dr.
Gill has served as Western Australia’s Commissioner of Railways, chairman of
the Water Services Association of Australia, president of the Western Australia
Division of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and chairman of the
WA Division of Engineers Australia.
Dr. Gill holds degrees from the University of Western
Australia, University of Cambridge and Harvard University.
Other organizations collaborating with the SNWA and the EPA
on WaterSmart Innovations include the American Water Works Association,
Alliance for Water Efficiency, GreenPlumbers USA, International Association of
Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, International Center for Water Technology,
Audubon International, Irrigation Association and California Urban Water
Conservation Council. The partnering organizations have a combined 72,000
members.
Major commercial conference sponsors to date include Caroma,
Rain Bird Corp., Parsons, Ewing Irrigation, AECOM Inc., Black & Veatch,
Water Management, Inc. and Hunter Industries, Inc.
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