Dr Paul Byleveld, Mr Sandy Leask

Public health regulation of drinking water in regional New South Wales, Australia

Water Safety Conference 2010

Outline

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and Framework for the Management of Drinking Water QualityRelationship between NSW Health and water utilities

Metropolitan utilitiesRural and regional utilities

Analysis of data from rural and regional suppliesSupporting discrete Aboriginal communities

Location of NSW in Australia

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (2004)

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

defines safe, good quality drinking water

preventive management encompasses all steps in water production from catchment to consumer

helps assure drinking water quality and protects public health

Australian Drinking Water Guidelines guiding principles

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

Greatest risk is from pathogenic microorganisms. Protection of water sources and adequate treatment is essential

Robust multiple barriers appropriate to level of potential contamination must be continuously maintained

Sudden or extreme change in water quality, flow or environmental conditions (eg. extreme rainfall or flooding) should arouse suspicion

Operators must respond quickly and effectively to adverse monitoring signals

Operators must have personal sense of responsibility to supply safe water, and never ignore a consumer complaint

A preventive risk management approach is required to ensure drinking water safety and quality. Testing is just one part of this process.

Framework for the Management of Drinking Water Quality

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

Metropolitan water utilities

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

NSW Health has a clear regulatory program for Hunter Water, Sydney Water, Sydney Catchment Authority

Governed by Operating Licences and Memoranda of Understanding

Operating Licences require NSW Health approval of drinking water/recycled water quality monitoring plans and management plans

System management and monitoring programs follow Australian Drinking Water Guidelines or Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling

Annual audit a condition of Licences

Metropolitan water utilities – Operating Licences, Memoranda of Understanding

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

Sydney Water Corporation (Sydney Water Act 1991)

Five-year drinking water quality management plan

Recycled water management plans

Sydney Catchment Authority (Sydney Water Catchment Management Act 1998)

Water quality risk management framework

Hunter Water Corporation (Hunter Water Act 1991)

Five-year water quality management plan

Waste water and recycling operations plan

Characteristics of supply in country NSW

104 water utilities, 349 supply systems

These systems supply ~1.7 million people

Median supply system population 900 people, range 40-125,000

Most utilities are local governments (councils)

A large geographic spread of water utilities

A large variation in financial resources among utilities

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

Population Density (people/sq km) in NSW, 2006 census

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

Local Government Areas of NSW reporting to the NSW Health Drinking Water Monitoring Program

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

NSW Health Drinking Water Monitoring Program

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

Supports Country water utilities to monitor drinking water with free-of charge laboratory analyses-Analyse routine samples for E. coli and range of inorganic chemical and physical characteristics-Laboratories also provide analysis for extra inorganic and physical characteristics and limited organic chemistry analyses

Encourage water utilities to implement the twelve elements of the Framework for Drinking Water Quality Management. Assists with: - Element 2: Assessing drinking water supply system- Element 5:Verifying drinking water quality- Element 6: Managing incidents and emergencies- Element 7: Employee awareness and training- Element 9: Research and development- Element 10: Documentation and reporting- Element 11: Evaluation and audit

NSW Drinking Water Databasehttp://www3.health.nsw.gov.au/waterqual/samples/register.cfm

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

An internet based, password protected system that allows secure access to drinking

water quality monitoring results

for rural and regional supply systems across

the state

Rate of microbial sampling compliance

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

Rate of microbial non-compliance

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

Microbial result compliance

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

Multivariate analysis of the data identified factors associated with increased rates of E. coli detection:

• Smaller supply population• Lower mean socioeconomic status in population supplied• Watercourses as raw water source• UV as sole disinfection method• Elevated post-treatment turbidity

Some of these are outside the control of water utilities, but some can be managed

Discrete Aboriginal communities

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

Need identified to provide support to discrete Aboriginal communities to operate, maintain and monitor drinking water and sewerage systems

25 year agreement between NSW Government and NSW Aboriginal Land Council

Provides funding for long term program by which water utilities or other service providers support communities

Includes:

- Assessment of risks in systems- Development of management plans- Service agreements between communities and water utilities- implementation of corrective actions and routine tasks under plans- routine monitoring of drinking water supplies - Evaluation of health and social outcomes of program

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

What to do next?

Water Safety ConferenceNovember 2-4 2010, Kuching, Malaysia

Maintain relationships between NSW Health and water utilitiesContinue rolling out the Aboriginal Communities Water and Sewerage ProgramProvide encouragement for development of management plans- Legally- PracticallyImprove implementation of the Framework for the Management of Drinking Water QualityRe-develop NSW Drinking Water DatabaseMaintain support for Drinking Water Monitoring Program