Operations and Maintenance Manual for Water Supply Service Reservoirs –  
June 2002 - Revised June 2010

Water supply service reservoirs are virtually automatic in operation and usually unattended. Therefore, there is a tendency not to have some form of routine inspection regime for the facility, and subsequently a preventative maintenance program does not exist or is often ignored. To ensure reliable and cost-effective operation of these facilities, an on-going program of systematic inspections, preventative maintenance and equipment overhaul (where applicable) is necessary.

The O&M Manual for Water Supply Service Reservoirs was developed in a template format so that any water authority can easily use it to suit their specific local installations and conditions. The users of this manual will be those local government authorities throughout NSW responsible for the operation and maintenance of water supply service reservoirs. 

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Backflow and Cross Connection Prevention Guidelines

The Backflow and Cross Connection Prevention Guidelines supersede the previous version of this document, originally published by the Water Directorate in November 2002. These revised Guidelines take into account changes to the Plumbing Regulations, the increased installation of urban rainwater tank in NSW and reported operational difficulties associated with backflow prevention devices.
The Water Directorate is confident that this document will assist LWUs to meet NSW legislative requirements to minimise the risk of backflow and cross connection in their water supply systems.

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INTERIM Blue-Green Algae Management Protocols

The INTERIM Blue-Green Algae Management Protocols were released by the Water Directorate in December 2009.  They include the revised NHMRC alert level limits in the DRAFT 2009 Australian Drinking Water Guidelines released at the end of November. At this stage we are unsure if the NSW Algal Advisory Group will adopt the draft NHMRC alert levels for toxic blue-green algae in raw water storages. The Water Directorate will endeavour to update our INTERIM Protocols to reflect any changes to alert levels by the NHMRC or the NSW Algal Advisory Group.

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Section 64 Determinations of Equivalent Tenements, Addendum May 2009

The Section 64 Determinations of Equivalent Tenements Guidelines provides a basis for each Council to set appropriate ET loads for water and sewerage systems for various types of development. The Water Directorate has now developed an addendum for the Guidelines, originally published in January 2005. The addendum includes a summary of data collected from 18 Councils across NSW and analysed by the Western Research Institute. A copy of the original Guidelines is also included for information purposes only.

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Odour Management Guidelines - April 2009

These Guidelines are aimed at providing an overview of the options, techniques and technologies available to sewerage facility operators to mitigate the release of odours from sewerage facilities and the procedures and options available to demonstrate compliance with odour Regulations to Authorities and neighbours of a facility.

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Business Continuity Management Guidelines - December 2008

These guidelines examine programs for risk management, emergency response and crisis management and business continuity planning. They were prepared by MC2Pacific under the review of the Water Directorate's Policy Sub-committee. Each section contains an introduction to the process, templates for completing local plans as well as worked examples and proformas relevant to the sector.

It is intended that the Business Continuity Management Guidelines will provide a template for LWUs to modify to suit their specific local installations and conditions.

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Cutting, Handling and Disposal of AC Pipes Guidelines - March 2008

Originally published in March 2003, these Guidelines have been reviewed and amended to include changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 (under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000), that were gazetted on 25 May 2007. The Water Directorate strongly urges Councils to implement standard operating protocols for the safe handling and disposal of AC pipes and to develop Safe Work Method Statements to identify and address the associated hazards and risks. The review was undertaken by Daryl McGregor, Director of DLM Environmental Consultants, and overseen by members of the Water Directorate’s Water Subcommittee.

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O&M Manual for Water Treatment Plants - January 2008

The O&M Manual for WTPs was developed as a collaborative project between the Water Directorate and the Queensland Water Directorate. It includes 20 treatment processes plus a large number of appendices and is designed to be modified by each organisation to create an O&M Manual document tailored to specific local installations and conditions.

The O&M Manual provides an understanding of how water treatment facilities work and the various requirements that need to be met in the operation and maintenance of these different plants, particularly for local government water utilities.

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Water Loss Management Program Awareness and Education Guidelines - July 2006

These Guidelines are designed to provide a quick overview of an Local Water Utility's existing leakage management performance. To avoid duplication, almost all the data required has already been collected and submitted to the Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability by each LWU and appears in the annual DEUS Water Supply and Sewerage Benchmarking Report. Accompanying these Guidelines is a CD Rom which contains the Water Loss Management Program Workbook.

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STP Buffer Zone Land Use Planning Guidelines - April 2006

This 70 page guideline addresses the growing pressure on councils for development within buffer zones around STPs and adopts a risk based assessment approach for each individual STP. These guidelines complement the Department of Planning’s longstanding Circular No. E3 by determining how buffer zones may vary to suit local conditions.

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Overview of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2004 - January 2006

This document provides a summary of the salient issues in the NHMRC's Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2004. The objectives in preparing this Overview are:

• Provide a concise summary of the ADWG that can be easily understood by water supply authorities and allow them to quickly ascertain their level of compliance with the guidelines.
• Assist water supply authorities with due diligence assessments.
• Provide a comparison with the 1996 ADWGs.

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Operations and Maintenance Manual for Sewage Treatment Plants - September 2005

The O&M Manual for STPs sets the benchmark as our largest publication since the Water Directorate was formed seven years ago. The publication is doubly significant because it is our first joint production with the Queensland Water Directorate.

We consider the O&M Manual for STPs to be a unique document combining a template for producing an O&M Manual for your specific STP with multi treatment process text book information. It also includes troubleshooting advice for operators. Browse the Table of Contents and Overview for more information.

Member councils and purchasers of the manual will need Microsoft Word 2003 and Adobe Acrobat Version 7.0 to view and edit the manual.

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Water and Sewer Meter Reading Guidelines - September 2004

This Technical Guidelines document provides a comprehensive review of best practice meter reading policies and procedures across NSW. Various state and national regulatory and operational standards are reviewed as well as international best practice processes.

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Proforma Tender Documentation Manual for Mechanical and Electrical Infrastructure - February 2004

This document aims to provide consistency and reliability with the delivery of mechanical, electrical and instrumentation servicing of water supply and sewerage infrastructure.

The Water Directorate believes that by facilitating uniformity in the documentation prepared by our member councils the following can be achieved:

• Procurement processes are simplified thereby reducing the demand on Council time;
• Greater exchange of information and knowledge between Councils;
• Improved understanding of contractors to enable more accurate pricing;
• Improvements in the effectiveness and efficiency levels in service delivery; and
• Transfer to automated (computerised) systems.

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Drought Management Guidelines - December 2003

This document is a best practice collation of drought managment plans from councils across NSW, other relevant Authorities, and extensive research. It includes a guide to restriction levels, examples of contingency plans and a checklist for preparing a drought management plan. Overall the document is designed to assist your Council identify various policies and procedures that address the effects of drought.

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Reuse of Sludge and Wastewater at WTPs Guidelines - August 2003

This document looks at many aspects of reusing sludge and wastewater and includes a cost-benefit analysis and survey of current practices by local government in NSW. The Water Directorate is confident that this document will assist local government councils to determine the desirability and viability of reusing sludge and/or wastewater at water treatment plants.

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Operations and Maintenance Manual for Water Pumping Stations – August 2002 - Revised October 2004

This O&M Manual for Water Pumping Stations is presented in a template format so that any Council can easily use it to suit their specific local installations and conditions. The user of this manual will be those local government authorities throughout NSW responsible for the operation and maintenance of water pumping stations.

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Operations and Maintenance Manual for Wet and Dry Well Sewage Pumping Stations - December 2001 - Revised January 2004

This O&M Manual for Wet and Dry Well Sewage Pumping Stations is presented in a template format so that any Council can easily use it to suit their specific local installations and conditions. The user of this manual will be those local government authorities throughout NSW responsible for the operation and maintenance of wet and dry well sewage pumping stations.

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O&M Manual for Water Reticulation – September 2001 – Revised October 2003

This O&M Manual for Water Reticulation is presented in a template format so that any Council can easily use it to suit their specific local installations and conditions. The user of this manual will be those local government authorities throughout NSW responsible for the operation and maintenance of water supply service reservoirs.

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O&M Manual for Sewer Reticulation – July 2001 – Revised November 2003

This O&M Manual for Sewer Reticulation is presented in a template format so that any Council can easily use it to suit their specific local installations and conditions. The user of this manual will be those local government authorities throughout NSW responsible for the operation and maintenance of water supply service reservoirs.

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O&M Manual for Chlorination Installations – April 2001 – Revised April 2003

This O&M Manual for Chlorination Installations is presented in a template format so that any Council can easily use it to suit their specific local installations and conditions. The user of this manual will be those local government authorities throughout NSW responsible for the operation and maintenance of water supply service reservoirs.

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Operations and Maintenance Manual for Submersible Sewage Pumping Stations - December 2000 – Revised January 2003

This O&M Manual for Submersible Sewage Pumping Stations is presented in a template format so that any Council can easily use it to suit their specific local installations and conditions. The user of this manual will be those local government authorities throughout NSW responsible for the operation and maintenance of submersible sewage pumping stations.

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Survey of NSW Local Government Effluent and Biosolids Reuse 2000 - August 2001

This Survey of NSW Local Government Effluent and Biosolids Reuse 2000 provides an opportunity for councils involved or planning to be involved in effluent and biosolids management to benefit from industry experience in reuse and recycling as part of an integral approach to water management.

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