LAS VEGAS (June 29) – Dr. Jim Gill, inaugural chairman of Water Australia and past CEO of the Water Corporation of Western Australia, will be the keynote luncheon speaker at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition, Oct. 7-9, 2009, in Las Vegas.
In 2009, following 13 years as CEO of the Water Corporation of Western Australia, Gill was selected to chair Water Australia, a joint public-private organization created to disseminate Australian technology and expertise in water resource management. Gill will make his presentation during the conference luncheon on October 8.
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.
About WaterSmart Innovations
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 at www.WaterSmartInnovations.com.
“Early bird” conference registration is available through July 9 at a discounted rate of $330, available through the conference’s Web site, www.WaterSmartInnovations.com. After July 9, full conference registration will increase to $390. WaterSmart Innovations will be held at the South Point Hotel and Conference Center, at the south end of the famed Las Vegas Strip.
Other organizations collaborating with the SNWA and the EPA on WaterSmart Innovations include the American Water Works Association, Alliance for Water Efficiency, Audubon International, GreenPlumbers USA, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, International Center for Water Technology, Irrigation Association and California Urban Water Conservation Council. The partnering organizations have a combined 72,000 members.
Major commercial conference sponsors to date include Rain Bird Corp., Caroma, Parsons, Ewing Irrigation, AECOM Inc., Black & Veatch, Water Management, Inc. and Hunter Industries, Inc.
For more information, visit www.WaterSmartInnovations.com.
Tom Bradley Jr
(702) 822-8365
# # #
