EVENTS IN SEPTEMBER 2001

The Water Directorate is a voluntary association of councils and county councils that operate water and/or sewer businesses in regional NSW. Our monthly newsletter seeks to inform our member councils and all sectors of the NSW Local Government Water Industry of the developments that have taken place regarding technical issues and networking during September 2001 and of coming events. This newsletter is mailed out to General Managers and to Water and Sewer Managers in 121 regional councils in NSW and also to approximately 100 contacts in government departments, councils and private industry across Australia.

MEMBERSHIP FEES

I am very pleased to welcome Young Shire Council as our latest member council. Emma Vickery or myself would be very happy to send membership kits to potential new member councils.

OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL FOR WATER RETICULATION

Financial member councils should note that the O&M Manual template for Water Reticulation is complete and is expected to be mailed to General Managers during the month of September. The manual is the fourth in the series and was again prepared by Albury City Council's Asset Design Services under Daryl McGregor and Colin Johnson, and reviewed by our Technical Sub-committee of Stewart McLeod, Simon Thorn, John Millay, Carl Peterson and Robert Mowle. A CD Rom is included and contains pdf and word versions of the manual. These O&M Manuals have proved to be very practical and valuable tools that can save NSW councils' time and money. A flyer will be sent with next month's newsletter should you wish to purchase additional manuals. The next O&M Manual for Wet and Dry Well Sewage Pumping Stations is planned for distribution in December 2001.

HIGH PRIORITY ACTION LIST

Member councils might like to consider the following list of completed projects with a view to offering suggestions for future projects to be undertaken on behalf of the whole membership: O&M Manual templates for Submersible Sewage Pumping Stations, Chlorination Installations, Sewer Reticulation, Water Reticulation; Effluent and Biosolids Reuse Survey Report; Power of Entry Report; Blue Green Algae Flow Chart; Upgrade of AUS-SPEC Water and Sewerage Specification; Overview of the 1996 Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. At the next meeting in November, the Executive Committee will determine a number of projects to be undertaken over the next 6 months. Please contact your local representative or Gary Mitchell on 02 8267 3010 with your suggestions and comments.

NSW RECYCLED WATER COORDINATION COMMITTEE

In our March 2001 newsletter, we expressed our disappointment that the NSWRWCC had been disbanded. The Water Directorate also wishes to express its disappointment that there is no local government representation on the present inter-departmental committee.

NSW LOAD BASED LICENSING LOAD CALCULATION PROTOCOL AMENDMENT

The Water Directorate recently wrote to the NSW EPA to clarify the amendment process to the LBL Load Calculation Protocol. Member councils should be aware that the Load Calculation Protocol sets out the acceptable methods that licensees may use to calculate their assessable pollutant loads. Any council with appropriate supporting evidence may apply to the EPA to request an amendment to the Load Calculation Protocol. Any council can propose site-specific emission factors or changes to the generic emission factors to reflect new data or new abatement strategies.

However it should be noted that pollutant and critical zone weightings are not dealt with in the Load Calculation Protocol but are listed in the POEO (General Regulation) and are dealt with by the EPA through the statutory process of regulation review.

REASONABLE ENTITLEMENTS

The Executive Committee is interested in receiving feedback from councils on the issue of Reasonable Entitlements as referred to in the DLWC's A Guide to Town Water Entitlements pertaining to the Water Management Act 2000. Your experiences with the method of calculation of Reasonable Entitlements or any related issue would be appreciated. Please contact your local representative or Gary Mitchell on 02 8267 3010.

DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR SEWERAGE SYSTEM OVERFLOWS

Public comments are sought on the National Water Quality Management Strategy (NWQMS) draft Guidelines for Sewerage Systems - Sewerage System Overflows. The NWQMS provides a framework to achieve a nationally consistent approach to water quality management while allowing flexibility to respond to different regional and local circumstances and embracing issues across the whole of the water cycle. This draft is document 15 of the Strategy and has been released for a two month public comment period. This draft document provides national guidelines for use by the community, regulators and sewerage authorities for management of the public health and environmental impacts of sewer overflows. The purpose of the draft guidelines is to develop a national approach to sewer overflow management to minimise their occurrence and impacts on public health and the environment. Copies of the draft guidelines may be obtained from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia (AFFA) by fax on 02 6271 6448, email on nwqms@affa.gov.au or their website www.affa.gov.au and comments are required by 16 November 2001.

NSW HEALTH DRINKING WATER MONITORING PROGRAM

NSW Health has sent a letter to each water supplier authority to advise of the recommended minimum number of samples to be collected under the NSW Health Drinking Water Monitoring Program for 2002. Sample numbers and background information can also be viewed using the NSW Drinking Water Database and following the links to 'Water Supply Authority Information'. Once the allocated number of samples has been confirmed, the corresponding number of NSW Health sample labels will be issued. NSW Health requests that the issued labels be used for all drinking water samples taken from the distribution system, regardless of the laboratory used for the analysis. The Division of Analytical Laboratories and the Greater Murray Public Health Laboratory will provide free testing for the recommended number of samples for indicator bacteria and health-related inorganic chemicals. Any corrections or requests for adjustment, including a short justification, should be directed to the local Public Health Unit by 16 November 2001.

The NSW Health Water Unit has established a new web-site Water suppliers are invited to send comments and feedback by using the 'Contact Us' link on the site. Water suppliers may wish to forward details of their own web-sites so that links can be established.

AMENDMENTS TO NSW BIOSOLIDS GUIDELINES

The NSW EPA has released amendments to the 1997 Environmental Guidelines: Use and Disposal of Biosolids Products. The changes improve protection of grazing animals from contamination with PCBs by reducing two key PCB limits and specifying improved management practices. The changes also achieve improved protection of grazing animals, equipment and workers by ensuring Biosolids Products do not contain unacceptable levels of foreign objects and sharps such as glass, metal and plastics. Copies of the addendum (1 page) may be obtained by contacting the EPA on 131 555, or by e-mailing your request to info@epa.nsw.gov.au

COMMENTS ON AUS-SPEC #1

In keeping with the evolving nature of all AUS-SPEC specifications, any comments or modifications that users of the updated water and sewer specifications have, should be sent to Bill Woodcock on 9928 2544. Purchase enquiries can also be directed to Bill.

CURRENT PROJECT DATABASE

Why not take advantage of the current project database to publicise your projects? The database lists a range of recent or current water and sewerage projects by category and by title. Projects are sourced from member councils and include nominees in the IPWEA Water and Sewerage Best Practice award category in 2000 and the Innovation in Water Supply and Wastewater award category in 2001 as well as projects and photographs that you feel are of interest or helpful to your peers in the local government water industry.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

For further information about membership or any water related issue, please contact Gary Mitchell on 02 8267 3010, or garymi@bigpond.com or Click Here. If you would like any issue to be discussed by the Executive Committee, please contact your local representative or refer it to me.

Gary Mitchell Executive Officer

For more information contact: