crosscurrent The water-sharing plans for Intersecting Streams Unregulated and Alluvial and NSW Great Artesian Basin Shallow Groundwater has commenced. These plans include rules for protecting the environment, water extractions, managing license holders’ water accounts, and water trading in the plan area.
The WA Department of Water has released two reports commissioned by the Swan River Trust. The reports, produced during the second stage of the Trust’s non-nutrient contaminants program, focus on the ecological impacts of contaminants found in the estuary at Claisebrook and Bull Creek.
Owners of certain works, such as dams that exceed their maximum harvestable right capacity, constructed before 1 January 1999 have been able to apply for a water supply work approval and an access license to enable them to become licensed and recognised under the Water Management Act 2000 licensing regime. This amnesty will end on 31 December 2011.
The Water Corporation’s 2010/11 Drinking Water Quality Annual Report shows that drinking water in Western Australia has met all health targets set by the Department of Health. The annual report is published each year and provides detailed water quality information in an open and straightforward manner.
The $7 million Pipeline NSW program will benefit both the environment and farmers, says the NSW Office of Water. The program will deliver dual benefits: saving more water for the environment and providing NSW farmers with a more secure, better quality supply of stock and domestic water.
Goulburn residents will benefit from a secure water supply in times of drought following the completion of the emergency Wingecarribee to Goulburn pipeline. The 81km underground pipeline links the Goulburn water supply system to the Sydney Catchment Authority’s water supply at Wingecarribee Reservoir.
Sydney Water has issued a warning for its customers to be on the lookout for scams where people present as Sydney Water representatives offering free shower head replacements. Customers report they have been targeted by these scams through phone calls and door knocking.
One of Sydney’s most polluted beaches is being cleaned up, with Sydney Water and Randwick City Council starting work on a $2M project at Malabar Beach. Under the joint project, two stormwater pipes that discharge into the beach will be diverted into a Sydney Water pipe that flows out at the old cliff face outfall, well away from the swimming area.
A new stormwater harvesting and reuse project in Geraldton will save more than 745 million litres of drinking water each year by 2014. Senator Don Farrell, Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water, has announced $3 million in Australian Government funding for the City of Greater Geraldton’s Stormwater Harvesting and Efficiency Project. The City has agreed to match the Australian Government’s contribution.
Work is due to begin to provide a vital wastewater service to a growing area of Port Hedland as part of the WA Government’s Infill Sewerage Program. 250 residential blocks will benefit from a connection to the Water Corporation’s wastewater scheme.
The Water Corporation has commenced works on a second wastewater pipeline along Millstream Road to improve wastewater disposal and cater for future growth in Karratha. The project, worth $3.5 million, involves construction of 2.65 kilometres of main and associated infrastructure and will be used to transfer increased wastewater flows from Karratha to the treatment plants.
Western Australia
The WA Water Minister has announced the finalists for the WA Water Awards 2011. The State Government’s awards program aims to showcase WA’s leaders in innovation, leadership and achievement across a range of water industry activities. Entries had been received this year from throughout the state, from the Pilbara to Perth and Mandurah to Margaret River. The WA Water Awards are managed and organised by AWA.
A Murdoch University masters student is investigating whether setting up a pollution trading scheme will help alleviate water quality problems in the Peel-Harvey Catchment. Ophelia Cowell said market-based approaches had been successfully used to manage water pollution in other areas of Australia and she would be working closely with the Peel Harvey Catchment Council and other groups to examine the feasibility of whether such schemes would work in the region.
Three more Western Australian local governments have committed to better use of bore water on recreational spaces and scheme water on council facilities after achieving Waterwise Council status. Coinciding with the National Water Week theme of ‘Healthy Catchments Healthy Communities’, Water Minister Bill Marmion said the Town of Cottesloe and shires of Mundaring and Ashburton had joined 14 other councils endorsed as Waterwise.
Water Corporation has confirmed its commitment to employees of Swan Water Services that their employment continues unchanged into a new Alliance partnership that was announced recently. The Alliance will take over the provision of operations and maintenance services for the water and wastewater networks across Perth from February next year.
The first stage of a trial to install and monitor new smart water meters at 24 households in Kalgoorlie-Boulder has been successfully completed, paving the way for the second phase of the water-saving program. WA Water Minister Bill Marmion said he was impressed with the new meters that were assisting Water Corporation customers to save water and detect leaks.
10 DECEMBER 2011 water
regular features