After assessing 24,310 nominations, and developing a shortlist of 239 national finalists, the Telstra Best of Business Awards judges have chosen one company as the Queensland winner of the ‘Embracing Innovation’ award, AIS Water.
Based in Brisbane, AIS Water is an award-winning manufacturer of water disinfection technology for commercial and residential swimming pools. The company’s chlorine generators are operating in over 55 countries, in home pools, aquatic facilities, resorts, hotels and municipal pools.
AIS Water’s CEO Elena Gosse said that it was a case of history repeating itself as well as an indication of the company’s ongoing reputation for innovation, having previously won the 2009 Telstra Business Award for innovation.
“The Telstra awards are recognised as one of the most well respected business awards programs in Australia and the application and judging process was rigorous. We were judged over four stages, with each representing an opportunity to revisit the strengths of our company over our 28 years, Elena said.
“I want to dedicate this win to every staff member, past and present, who has contributed to our history of innovation and success, as well as our customers who put the safety of their pool staff and swimmers first by adopting our technology.”
AIS Water was the first in the world to pioneer freshwater pool disinfection technology for commercial swimming pools, by enabling chlorination via electrolysis in water of ultra-low salinity. AIS Water pushed the boundaries of electrolysis, enabling chlorine production in water with TDS levels as low as 1,200ppm to meet water quality swimming competition standards. Additionally, independent research by Griffith University (Brisbane) found that pools traditionally disinfected by traditional liquid or granular chlorine were unbalanced 50% and 80% of the time respectively leading to massive water dumping. Pools treated with AIS Water’s technology were balanced 100% of the time, eliminating the need to dump water.
Elena said, “It’s a common misconception that chlorine is the enemy of swimmers, but the real difference is how the chlorine is introduced into the pool. Our technology provides a simple, safe and smart way of disinfecting water by effectively creating a small chlorine factory next to the pool, thereby negating the need to purchase, deliver, store or handle liquid, granular or gaseous chlorine.”
As well as its long list of awards, AIS Water has National Smart Approved WaterMark and SPASA Climate Care accreditation as evidence of its innovation and sustainability.
AIS Water will go on to compete at a National level at the Telstra Best of Business Awards National Gala Event in Sydney in April 2022 but before that, Elena will celebrate the Queensland win with her staff.
“This is a key milestone in our company’s success and one that is worthy of celebration. We will treat our staff to a special red-carpet event to reflect on our journey and continue our focus on innovation and success for years to come.”