Water Supply Level of Service Objectives

Water Supply Level of Service Objectives

A review is being undertaken of SEQ’s primary ‘water security’ planning framework, the level of service (LOS) objectives to allow planning for operation of the bulk water supply system and future upgrades.

The review of the LOS objectives is being undertaken by the Qld Government’s Department of Energy and Water Supply.

According to the previous SEQ Water Strategy 2010

“Benefits of diversification - A dam operated in conjunction with a desalination facility or purified recycled water scheme has the potential to yield a greater supply than the same dam operated in isolation. Desalination facilities and purified recycled water schemes can deliver these benefits as standby facilities— increasing the amount that can be taken from dams when storage levels are high. This mode of operation reduces operating costs and energy consumption.”

The Qld Government’s new 30 year water strategy is being developed in two phases.

Phase 1 was the release of the Queensland's water sector: a 30-year strategy - discussion paper in December 2012 for a three-month public consultation period (now closed).

Phase 2 is the development of the strategy itself.

Climate resistant water sources are important for our economy.  Business can be confident that they will have the necessary water to operate. The community can have confidence that government is planning for potential and highly likely future scenarios where water supply from traditional sources might be less reliable. Water security is about ensuring that there is adequate water supply to meet the needs of the South East Qld (SEQ) community over the long term, including during drought.

In response to Millennium Drought, the SEQ Water Grid was set up in 2007. The $9 billion network carries harvested and manufactured water to 2.6 million people across 21 000 square kilometres. Its treatment facilities and two-way pipes are intended to guarantee water supply security, regardless of climate change and population growth.

Currently costing $76 million a month, the grid operates bulk water infrastructure assets, such as dams, weirs, water treatment plants, and pipelines. It also includes the Gold Coast Desalination Plant (GCDP) and the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme (WCRWS), termed the climate resilient or manufactured water assets.

Planning for bulk water supplies in South East Qld is the responsibility of a statutory authority, Seqwater. The review will be undertaken in consultation with Seqwater and the water service providers. It will inform the Qld Government who will then set the new desired LOS objectives.

The supply of water is capital intensive, requiring significant investment in strategic infrastructure. According to a Qld Audit Office report the combined replacement cost of the grid assets at 30 June 2012 was $6.342 billion and their carrying values were $5.498 billion. A further $2.640 billion in value of assets was transferred to Seqwater on 1 January 2013.

The decision to develop the manufactured water assets was an appropriate response to the severe drought circumstances at the time, and they have provided water security.

However, the Qld Audit Office believes the cost-efficiency of these assets cannot be demonstrated, due to limited comparative benchmarking data and inconsistent operation of the plants in any one mode for a sustained period of time. 

At present, the LOS objectives for South East Qld are outlined in the South East Qld System Operating Plan.

The current LOS objectives state, that the South East Qld bulk water supply system must be able to provide an average urban water allowance of 375 litres per person per day (this includes residential and non-residential demand and system losses) during non-drought times.

This allowance has been in place since 5 March 2010. However, current data on actual water use in South East Queensland shows that average daily demands have been substantially less than this allowance in recent years.

The desired LOS provides users with an indication of what water restrictions may be imposed during droughts and how long restrictions might last for. LOS also outlines other security measures necessary to ensure continuity of essential supplies during drought.

A discussion paper  provides information on water security planning in SEQ, the process of the LOS review and the proposed changes.

The paper seems to focus on issues of quantity and does not address water quality, water reuse or integrated water management.

Department of Energy and Water Supply is seeking feedback. They are particularly seeking feedback about the potential of having more severe water and more frequent water restrictions during drought vs further expenditure on drought response infrastructure.

An additional paper (a consultation regulatory impact statement) will be made available in the coming weeks to provide supplementary information about the considerations made in developing the proposal for the revised LOS objectives.

Comments can be made on the proposed changes to the water security framework until 31 December 2013. The Department of Energy and Water Supply will then consider the submissions made and assess potential implications such as cost, before prescribing the new LOS in mid-2014.

Qld Budget

Qld Budget

The Qld Government Budget paper No.4 provides a consolidation of expense, capital and revenue measures reflecting decisions by the Qld Government since the 2012-13 austerity Budget.

The following is summary of some of the highlights of measures of the Qld Government concerning the Environment.

The Qld Government will provide additional net funding of $1.7m over four years, which together with existing funding will provide a total of $4.6m over four years to coordinate, develop and implement The Queensland Plan: a 30 year vision for Queensland which will inform the Government's response and future policy program.

CSG

The Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR) will undertake a comprehensive review of the State's approach to Coal Seam Gas industry regulation.  The OBPR will develop options for cost recovery.

The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection will receive $3.7m for the regulation and administration of the Coal Seam Gas industry.  A total of $11m for CSG regulation is spread across the following departments:

·  Environment and Heritage Protection

·  Energy and Water Supply,

·  Natural Resources and Mines and

·  State Development, Infrastructure and Planning.

Gladstone Harbour and the Reef

The Qld Government will provide an additional $4m over two years towards the Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership, investigating the hydrodynamic, biogeochemistry, marine biodiversity, water quality, marine toxicology, ecosystem health and decision support and modelling.

The funds are subject to an industry contribution of $1.5m per year (total of $3m) in funding for collaborative action between Government, the community and industry to maintain and continuously improve harbour health.

The Qld budget has increased funding of $2.8m over three years from 2014-15 for the coordination of the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan. The Plan aims to conserve this internationally recognised world heritage site from the impact of poor water quality by promoting land management improvements including the reduction of wasteful run-off of fertilizers, pesticides and soil.

The Federal Government has also progressed an independent and public review of environmental management arrangements and governance of Qld's Port of Gladstone.

The Qld Government will provide funding of $80m over five years from 2013-14 towards natural resource management investment in Qld including initiatives to protect the Great Barrier Reef. 

Incidentally, the Federal Government renewed its commitment to protecting the Great Barrier Reef with the State Party Report on the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

The Federal and Qld Governments are currently progressing draft strategic assessment and program reports and these will be released for public comment in the first half of the year.

Waterways, Resilience and other Measures

There is increased funding of $8m over four years commencing in 2013-14 towards the South East Queensland (SEQ) Healthy Waterways Partnership. This program will provide project funding for water quality improvement and waterway resilience across SEQ including Moreton Bay. Projects will run in partnership with local governments, Healthy Waterways Ltd and SEQ Catchments.

Following on from floods and cyclones, the Qld Government is providing additional funding of $40m towards the Betterment Fund which will support the building of stronger, more resilient infrastructure. The Federal Government is matching the funding provided by the Government so that the total value of the program is $80m.

The Government is providing increased funding of $41.7m over two years for the continuation of the Qld Reconstruction Authority through to 30 June 2014.

The Qld Government is providing additional funding of $3.9m over three years and has approved the reallocation of $0.55m for the establishment of the Community Resilience Team. The team will provide effective coordination, governance and reporting of the whole-of-Government response to the 2012-13 natural disasters and to oversee community resilience activities across Qld.

The Qld Government is providing additional funding of $1m over three years and has approved the reallocation of $0.32m for the appointment of three Disaster Recovery Coordinators. These officers will provide a coordinated approach to the recovery and rebuilding of Qld following the 2012-13 natural disasters.

The Qld Government will provide increased funding of $15.9m over four years from 2013-14 for the implementation of joint park management and maintenance for lands to be declared protected areas under the Cape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution Program. Further funding for this measure was allocated to the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs.

The Qld Government has approved the reallocation of $1.4m in 2013-14 to establish the Building and Construction Compliance Branch with responsibility for monitoring, educating, reporting and ensuring compliance with the Qld Code of Practice for the Building and Construction Industry.

my submission to the Qld Water Strategy

The following is my submission to the community consultation on the Qld Water Strategy, which closes on 29 March 2013, 11.59pm

Queensland's water sector: a 30-year strategy discussion paper


Department of Energy and Water Supply

PO Box 15456

City East Qld 4002



To whom it may concern,





Please find follow a few brief comments addressing the 30 year water strategy discussion paper.



Over the next 30 years, it is increasing likely that rainfall will become more variable and more intense. We are likely to see greater extremes of droughts and flooding rains.



I am concerned about the emphasis in the strategy on "lowest cost". I would like to see a greater emphasis on best value.



There are opportunities for integration of water management that could lead to lower costs.

There is a wholesale move by the Qld State Government towards "light handed" regulation. While I understand the rationale, I am not entirely confident that environmental and public health values can be protected with "light handed" regulation.



That said, I would like to see more demonstration projects and research around new and innovative ways to obtain and deliver water supplies and sewage/trade waste collection and treatment.



The current institutional arrangements for water supply and sewage collection and treatment is not ideal.



I would like to see more vertical integration.



The water sector is currently split horizontally (particularly in SE Qld) along the same lines as the electricity industry into generators and retail/distributors.



This model does not lend itself to integrated water management, across water catchments. In many cases local councils are in a better position to manage the integrated water cycle. Storm water is often neglected as a source of useful water, particularly for industrial reuse, cooling water, irrigation water etc.



I would like to see the retention of the integrity of the regulatory framework (e.g. drinking water quality, environmental protection, public health) while reducing the regulatory burden, by making regulation less prescriptive and move towards performance based or outcome based regulation.



I think water/sewage quality regulation needs to focus on setting criteria that are "fit for purpose".



Self regulation is appropriate when water and sewage treatment plants are run by public sector utilities. I would be very concerned if self regulation applied to private sector (for-profit) utilities.



I think it is entirely appropriate that numerous government departments regulate or have an interest in water and sewerage services including DEWS, Environment, health, natural resources etc.



I think the water business would benefit from geographical catchment based water utilities. In some cases that might been amalgamation of small regional (council utilities). In SEQ, that might mean de-amalgamation of Qld Urban Utilities and Unity Water. Water Utilities should mange the entire water cycle including water supply, stormwater, sewage, trade waste and water recycling.



During the millennium drought (2002-2009), the western corridor water recycling scheme was established. This scheme has never been commissioned for indirect potable re-use.



There would be many benefits from treating sewage effluent for potable reuse.



The advanced water treatment plant at Bundamba could also improve the quality of the effluent that is currently being discharged to the natural environment.



If purified recycled water was used for potable supplies, one would not have to retain so much water in dams. The dams could be operated with lower storage levels and provide greater capacity for flood mitigation.



In terms of innovation, I would like to see the Qld water industry participate in more local projects, to demonstrate the next generation of toilet technologies. As a developed nation, I would like to see us invest in developing technologies that have global implications.



There are 2.4 billion people in the world who lack access to a designated sustainable place to poo. A billion of those people live in Asia/Pacific.



There are a billion people in the world who lack access to adequate drinking water supplies.



The Qld water industry could be developing technologies and service delivery models that meet our own needs. The same technologies may help those in developing communities.



Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the consultation for the 30 year water strategy.



regards,



Rowan Barber