Australian Expert Gill to Speak at WaterSmart Meeting
Jim Gill, Ph.D., inaugural chair of Water Australia and past chief executive officer of the Water Corporation of Western Australia, will be the keynote luncheon speaker at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition, Oct. 7-9 in Las Vegas.
In 2009, following 13 years as head 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 Oct. 8.
At the Water Corporation, Gills' achievements 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. His agency also achieved an annual systemwide water use reduction of 45 gigaliters (approximately 12 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.
He holds degrees from the University of Western Australia, University of Cambridge, and Harvard University.
Presented by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 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. After that date, full conference registration is $390. WaterSmart Innovations will be held at the South Point Hotel and Conference Center, at the south end of the Las Vegas Strip.