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 Conference November , Kuching, Malaysia Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and Framework for the Management of Drinking Water Quality Relationship between NSW Health and water utilities Metropolitan utilities Rural and regional utilities Analysis of data from rural and regional supplies Supporting discrete Aboriginal communities

Location of NSW in Australia Water Safety Conference November , Kuching, Malaysia

Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (2004) Water Safety Conference November , 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 Conference November , 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 Conference November , Kuching, Malaysia

Metropolitan water utilities Water Safety Conference November , 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 Conference November , 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 ,000 Most utilities are local governments (councils) A large geographic spread of water utilities A large variation in financial resources among utilities Water Safety Conference November , Kuching, Malaysia

Population Density (people/sq km) in NSW, 2006 census Water Safety Conference November , Kuching, Malaysia

Local Government Areas of NSW reporting to the NSW Health Drinking Water Monitoring Program Water Safety Conference November , Kuching, Malaysia

NSW Health Drinking Water Monitoring Program Water Safety Conference November , 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 Database Water Safety Conference November , 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 Conference November , Kuching, Malaysia

Rate of microbial non-compliance Water Safety Conference November , Kuching, Malaysia

Microbial result compliance Water Safety Conference November , 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 Conference November , 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 Conference November , Kuching, Malaysia

What to do next? Water Safety Conference November , Kuching, Malaysia Maintain relationships between NSW Health and water utilities Continue rolling out the Aboriginal Communities Water and Sewerage Program Provide encouragement for development of management plans - Legally - Practically Improve implementation of the Framework for the Management of Drinking Water Quality Re-develop NSW Drinking Water Database Maintain support for Drinking Water Monitoring Program