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Operation PADANG ASSIST

07 October 2009
Op Padang Assist water purification plant

Australian Army engineers from the Darwin based engineering regiment (1CER) with the assistance of AusAID have established a water purification plant on the beach of Padang in Indonesia. The facility will convert sea water into 10,000 litres per hour of clean water for up to 75,000 households in the city when it is transferred to twenty 2000 litre water tanks that have been located in the needed areas for residents to access.

Operation Padang Assist commenced on 02 Oct 09 after the Indonesian Government accepted an offer of emergency assistance from Australia following two large earthquakes near the Indonesian Island of Sumatra. The ADF Joint Task Force 629 (JTF629) was established to provide the best possible assistance to the Australian Government response effort in Indonesia.

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Australian Army Engineers work hard to setup the Australian Defence Force's Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit on the coast of Padang.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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The Commander of the Australian Defence Force Contigent, Lieutenant Colonel Neil Sweeney, explains to Padang's deputy mayor, Mr Mahyeldi Ansarullah, the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Sergeant Craig Scott hands the Head of Padang's Water Board, AusAID's Sam Zappia and Major Michael Scott a glass of the first clean water to come from the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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A local gives the thumbs up to Sergeant Craig Nott after trying fresh clean water from the Australian Defence Force's Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Sapper Clinton Billsborough looks over water pipes from the Australian Defence Force's Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Locals clean their catch as Australian Defence Force Engineers inspect the water pipes from the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Locals clean their catch as Australian Defence Force Engineer, Corporal Ash Westerhoff inspects water pipes from the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Sapper Jonathon Tidboald places a water pipe into a staging tank as the first salt water is pumped through the Australian Defence Force's Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Sapper Clinton Billsborough runs up the engine on the Australian Defence Force's Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Sapper Jonathon Tidboald places a water pipe into a staging tank as the first salt water is pumped through the Australian Defence Force's Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Sapper Jonathon Tidboald looks over the staging tank as the first salt water is pumped through the Australian Defence Force's Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit in Padang.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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AusAID's Jason Brown looks over the Australian Defence Force's Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit on the coast of Padang.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Corporal Connor Cuneen tightens a nut on the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit that is supplying much needed clean water to the city of Padang.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Major Brent Maddock explains the reverse osmosis process to a local official as the Reverse Osmosis Water Purifaction Unit begins to pump water.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Deputy Mayor of Padang, Mr Mahyeldi Ansarullah, the Head of Padang's Water Board, AusAID's Sam Zappia and Major Michael Scott toast with the first clean water to come from the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Padang's Deputy Mayor, Mr Mahyeldi Ansarullah, the Head of Padang's Water Board, AusAID's Sam Zappia and Major Michael Scott taste the first glasses of fresh water from the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Sergeant Craig Nott hands a glass of fresh clean water to a local after its conversion from salt water by the Australian Defence Force's Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Sergeant Craig Nott hands a glass of fresh clean water to local children after its conversion from salt water by the Australian Defence Force's Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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Local Indonesian children display their excitement as Sergeant Craig Nott hands them a glass of fresh clean water after its conversion from salt water by the Australian Defence Force's Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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An Australian Defence Force Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit pumps salt water from the ocean and purifies it for the local community of Padang.
This image has been digitally stitched from numerous images.

(Date taken: 07 October 2009)
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