Operational efficiency and cost management are integral to any business, and John Chudzik has helped to successfully deliver both in his 31 years with the Water Corporation.
Operational efficiency and cost management are integral to any business, and John Chudzik has helped to successfully deliver both in his 31 years with the Water Corporation.
Mr Chudzik’s initiative and good judgement have been recognised with his win at this year’s StateWest Achievement Awards in the individual category.
Having worked for the organisation since 1975, Mr Chudzik has risen up the ranks from technical officer in electrical engineering, to his current role as senior engineering associate (electrical) in the Asset Management Division, which he has held since 2003.
A key aspect of his role is providing technical expertise in electrical engineering maintenance, particularly with high voltage equipment, electrical motors and switchgear.
Mr Chudzik also provides support in the operation of electrical plants across the metropolitan area and the state.
In his time at the Water Corporation, Mr Chudzik has ensured significant improvements in performance, while delivering cost savings to the organisation.
One of the projects Mr Chudzik initiated was the substitution of different motors in submersible pumps at the Wanneroo Borefield.
Following the failure of tandem motors in two of the bores, Mr Chudzik suggested installing single motors, saving about $16,000 per site in annual power consumption.
He was also able to obtain cheaper motors to be used as spare motors at the sites, by sourcing from an alternative manufacturer to the pump supplier.
Savings of about $65,000 in capital and operating costs were achieved as a result of this.
Mr Chudzik was also responsible for arranging the manufacture of a new type of motor able to withstand high temperature water, to be used in deep bores where warm water causes stress to electrical motors.
He was able to support local industry in the process by contracting local company SME, ensuring a saving of 40 to 60 per cent on purchase of the motors, as SME were cheaper than their competitors.
Savings of $8000 per site per year have been achieved as a result, and with 32 metropolitan sites, the total saving on motor purchase and running costs is estimated to be between $150,000 and $250,000 per year.
Other recommendations made by Mr Chudzik, such as the utilisation of motorised brush lifting equipment in motors, have become standard technology for the Water Corporation.
On one occasion, Mr Chudzik saved the Water Corporation tens of thousands of dollars in motor repair costs by flying to Malaysia to dispute a claim by a manufacturer, who was refusing to acknowledge warranties on several failed motors.
Mr Chudzik went to the manufacturer’s premises in Malaysia and personally witnessed the dismantling of the motors, which subsequently proved there was no fault on the Corporation’s part, and eliminated the need to purchase a replacement motor outside the warranty, worth $90,000.
On another occasion, innovation allowed Mr Chudzik to keep a pump station running at the Lower South Dandalup Dam following the failure of a power transformer.
Mr Chudzik was able to source a hire transformer quickly and arranged for the transformer to be repaired locally, which is not usually possible, saving $20,000.
The prompt response saved the Corporation $70,000 a day by preventing water loss.
Mr Chudzik was recommended for the StateWest Achievement Award for his outstanding initiative and ability to find solutions to complex operational issues.
