E-Flashes

It has come to our attention that some minor aspects of the formatting of the annual data template do not come through when the templates are downloaded. There is a ‘glitch’ in the system that means that borders are present for some cells but not others and that some cells that should be filled in grey are actually white.

Solution:

• Please completely ignore the fact that some cells have borders while others do not. It doesn’t mean anything.
• It is still correct that ‘greyed’ out cells in the annual template means that you do not need to enter any data in these cells. However, due to the formatting problem there are now cells that are white that should be grey. Please check ‘column H’ in your data template which lists the schemes for which data is needed.  

For NPR reporting Water Service Providers only: On Wednesday 28^th DERM advised that the 2010-11 version of the NPR “Auditing Requirements and Audit Report Template” was available and emailed it out to NPR reporting organisations. In relation to the email they sent out please note that SWIM users need to upload their data by the 7^th October to give us time to check the data before sending it onto DERM by 14^th October (as per their deadline). The DERM NPR people will then have about two weeks to perform their checks before the data is finalised and sent off to the NPR. If you are using SWIM you do not need to enter/upload data into the NPR database as SWIM converts the data into the correct format and does this for you. If you have any difficulties, please do not hesitate to contact us.

A SWIM ‘Ask an Expert’ forum has been set up on the qldwater website http://www.qldwater.com.au (qldwater login needed which is different to your SWIM login), go to the “Ask an Expert” page and click on SWIM). We will be listing all the questions that have been sent regarding indicators with their answers. If you have any question regarding SWIM indicators please have a look through this site for an answer. If no answer is available please post your question on the site and we will endeavour to find an answer for you. Other places that you may find answers to your indicator questions include:

• The definitions worksheet in your data template file
• The 2010-11 NPR definitions hand book (which is available from the SWIM website “Help” page (as are some other useful resources for indicator clarification)
• For NPR reporting councils and regarding NPR indicators only, talk directly with the NPR state representatives at DERM (i.e. Nina Polaschek and Ken Aitken)
• Contact Patrick Morgan or David Scheltinga at qldwater

Annual data is due into SWIM by the 7^th October. Please let us know if you are having any trouble meeting this deadline.

The DERM Greentape Reduction Program (see E-Flash #123) has created an e-newsletter. To subscribe go to http://www.vision6.com.au/forms/s/852678e/35278/323013.html.

The first edition contains basic information about the project, consultation process and future directions but links to the useful Greentape Reduction website as follows: http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/environmental_management/greentape-faq.html.

The SEQ Water Grid’s leading-edge Luggage Point Advanced Water Treatment Plant has won the 2011 International WateReuse Project of the Year award – the highest accolade in water recycling innovation. 

SEQ Water Grid spokesperson Barry Dennien said the SEQ Water Grid’s Luggage Point Advanced Water Treatment Plant was awarded the 2011 International WateReuse Project of the Year award due to its innovative technology and processes.

“We are incredibly proud of this achievement and once again it illustrates the high standards of the assets that make up our connected Water Grid in South East Queensland,” he said.

For the full article, please click: http://bit.ly/rfX2tA

As announced in e-flash #133, the National Water Commission has contracted Government Skills Australia to undertake a study and provide recommendations on a national certification framework for potable water treatment plant operators. 

Along with the briefing planned for the qldwater Technical Reference Group Meeting on 21 October, three more sessions have been announced for Townsville (24 Oct), Rockhampton (26 Oct) and Brisbane (27 Oct).

If you are interested in attending, please download the registration form here - http://www.qldwater.com.au/Events. Submission details are included on the form.  

Cairns Regional Council has successfully prosecuted a business that pumped grease and oil directly into the city’s sewerage system. At the order of Cairns Magistrates Court, the owner of a trade waste collection business was fined $15,000 plus legal costs, after Council officers observed waste material being pumped directly into a Council sewer via a hose in February 2010.

It was the first prosecution involving trade waste under the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008 in Queensland and is likely to set a precedent for other councils committed to maintaining best practice sewage treatment methods.

Water samples collected at the time of the contamination showed the highest levels of oil and grease obtained from within Council’s sewer system during the past decade. The fat content can cause the filtration and pump systems to fail, which can result in blockages and localised flooding, posing a significant community health risk.  As the infrastructure is not designed to treat high levels of grease, there is also the risk that it will be released into waterways untreated.

While no significant environmental impact was recorded on this occasion, the successful prosecution should act as a deterrent to other individuals or businesses in the Cairns region and other parts of Queensland.

Plumbing Newsflash #480 was issued to seek public comment on a proposal to mandate the current Non-Mandatory part 1.4 of the Queensland Development Code (QDC 1.4) - Excavation and Piling near Sewers, Stormwater Drains and Water Mains and have the Building and Development Dispute Resolution Committees (BDDRC) hear appeals on these matters. 

QDC NMP1.4 sets out criteria and performance measures for excavation and piling near sewers, stormwater drains and water mains.  This standard can be applied to all classes of buildings and structures on sites containing sewer and stormwater drainage lines and water mains.   We have asked Building Codes Queensland to review the standard in light of the “Building Over Water Infrastructure Guidelines” created by the industry in 2009. The Guidelines are available on our website: http://www.qldwater.com.au/templates_guidelines.  Members must log in first to access this document.

The Department of Local Government and Planning is seeking feedback on this proposal.  Please provide comments by close of business on Friday 4 November 2011.  Email comments to buildingcodes@dlgp.qld.gov.au “Attention: Mandating QDC NMP 1.4”.  qldwater will be collating an industry response.  If you wish to provide comments through this mechanism please forward comments to hgold@qldwate.com.au by COB Friday 28 October.

The newsflash and the QDC 1.4 is available on our website http://www.qldwater.com.au/ReviewDocuments 

Pat Morgan will be leaving qldwater during November to start his medical degree.  While it’s a bit premature to be farewelling him, he has been a great contributor to the project and we will be sad to see him go.

Fortunately we have been able to plan towards his departure for some time and are now calling for expressions of interest in the project officer role, with the view of appointing someone soon to enable a handover period.

The job will not formally be advertised for a couple of weeks, but if you have an interest in working on this growing program or know anyone who would fit the role description, available on our website http://www.qldwater.com.au/swim or by request to 07 3252 4701, please consider expressing an interest by Tuesday 18 October.

All Water Service Providers in Queensland have been asked to submit their annual 2010-11 water data report to SWIM by 7 October.  SWIM is now the main method for Queensland Water Service Providers to submit their annual water data to the Queensland Government, BoM and NPR.  Last year more than 85% of councils reported through SWIM, which is not only providing valuable information to the state and federal governments, but also back to you in the form of your comparative reports.

Every Water Service Provider in Queensland should have received information from qldwater in the past month regarding accessing and using the SWIM system to submit water data.  Please contact qldwater at swim@qldwater.com.au or 3252 4701 if you have any queries regarding your SWIM reporting.

Important:  SWIM annual water data submission is due by 7 October 2011.  If you need an extension please contact us immediately.  Note if you are required to complete BoM reporting or MDB "surface water sourced" reporting, your data is now overdue - please contact us urgently if you need assistance with these reporting requirements. (You will be familiar with BoM reporting if you are required to do it.)

Our long-awaited forums section of the new qldwater web site is now functional.  You can navigate to it by clicking on the “Ask an Expert” link in the blue box on the right hand side of the front page.  (Note you need to be logged in).  Rules have been drafted for the use of the forums and are available here:

http://www.qldwater.com.au/forum_instructions

We have seeded a few topics which commonly come up through enquiries and will add more over the coming weeks.  We will draw attention to particular threads that prove popular through future e-flashes.

Our normal email and phone enquiries act as the catalyst for many longer term qldwater projects.  Please consider linking in to these discussions with your colleagues from across the state – it is open to qldwater members only, we have a wealth of expertise in the industry and collaboration is crucial given our diversity and geographical spread. 

A limited edition Lego water treatment plant kit is on offer to the strongest contributor for the remainder of 2011!

The National Water Commission has contracted Government Skills Australia to undertake a study and provide recommendations on a national certification framework for potable water treatment plant operators.  qldwater is represented on the steering committee for this work, and the whole project must be complete by March 2012.

It would seem clear from early discussions that the Victorian model of a risk-based approach to evaluating plant and then relating that to minimum standards for operators will shape the proposed national model strongly.  Details of the Victorian program are available at http://www.wioa.org.au/operator_resources/documents/DOH-VictorianframeworkSept2010.pdf. 

GSA and its subcontractor are undertaking a round of consultation in September/October. Full details of the consultation are detailed in the letter available on our website:  http://www.qldwater.com.au/Skills_national_initiatives.

A briefing has been arranged for members of qldwater’s Technical Reference Group on the afternoon of 21 October.  It is planned to prepare a report on these discussions for dissemination through a future e-flash.  If you would like to attend this briefing or have specific questions you would like to see raised, please contact Dave Cameron at dcameron@qldwater.com.au or 07 3000 2257. 

GSA initially offered to run up to two sessions outside SEQ, but we have suggested focussing on the TRG which has good representation from across the State.  If you are particularly keen to host such a session in your region, please let Dave know and we will raise with GSA.  The key audience for the first round is operations managers.