Click to edit Master title style John Valente Manager Water and Sewerage Infrastructure Delivery
Transcript
Click to edit Master title style
John Valente
Manager Water and Sewerage Infrastructure Delivery
Agenda
1. Background information
2. Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Water and
our programs
3. Historical and recent issues affecting water security
4. The Future
Presenter
Presentation Notes
SLIDE 2 Background information about Water and Wastewater Infrastructure in Regional NSW. I’ll tell you a little about DPI Water and what we do. I’ll touch on issues affecting water security in regional NSW and hopefully I will be able to give you a little bit of insight into the future…..
Background
• 92 Local Water Utilities (LWUs) in Regional NSW
• Providing Water &
Wastewater Services to 1.83 million people
• Water and Sewerage asset
replacement cost is approximately $26 billion
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SLIDE 3 Currently in regional NSW there are 92 Local Water Utilities or Councils providing water and wastewater services to about One million Eight hundred and Thirty thousand (1.83 million) people. Our regional water and sewerage asset replacement cost is estimated to be approximately $26 billion dollars. That’s a lot of Infrastructure and a huge investment.
Background
Infrastructure in regional NSW
• 350 water supply systems
• 306 water treatment works
• 395 sewerage treatment works
• 3,900 sewer pump stations
• 116 dams/weirs
• 38,000 + km water mains
• 19,000 + km sewer mains
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SLIDE 4 These assets – the water and wastewater infrastructure assets in regional NSW consists of : 350 water supply systems 306 water treatment works, 395 sewerage treatment works, 3,900 sewerage pumping stations, 116 dams/weirs, More than 38,000 km of water mains, More than 19,000 km of sewer mains – not counting water and sewer reticulations in our towns and villages.
Background
LWUs are required to • Plan • Price • Construct • Manage • Operate and maintain
their water supply & sewerage systems
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Presentation Notes
SLIDE 5 In building and creating all this infrastructure across regional NSW, Local Water Utilities are expected to scope, consult, investigate and plan when it comes to building new infrastructure projects. They are then required to price the project – put it out to tender – award the project to a contractor and then build the project. Very often a third party Project management firm is engaged to represent council through the various stages of the project. This process is timely and tedious and a drain on resources. Later on, I’ll run through this process in more detail and outline typical timeframes for projects from inception to completion.
DPI Water
Department of Primary Industries Water
• DPI Water is responsible for surface and groundwater management and planning to ensure water security for NSW,
• DPI Water ensures the available surface and ground water resources are shared equitably, and that water entitlements and allocations are secure and tradable.
• DPI Water is responsible for the management of NSW’s water resources which is achieved through planning, policy and regulation.
• Best-Practice Management Framework
• Regulation under the Local Government Act of 1993
Presenter
Presentation Notes
SLIDE 6 So now, a little bit about us. DPI Water, previously known as The Office of Water, (which was part of the Department of Water and Energy), is responsible for surface and groundwater management and planning to ensure water security for NSW. We ensure that the available surface and ground water is shared fairly and equitably. We are responsible for the management of NSW’s water resources through planning, policy and regulation through the NSWs Governments Best Practice Management Framework and Regulation under the Local Government Act of 1993. DPI Water therefore plays a major role in monitoring and improving water quality and securing water supply in regional communities in NSW.
DPI Water
Department of Primary Industries Water
• Short-term and Long-term Water Security Improvement Projects for Regional Communities
• Improve Water Quality and Supply to Regional Communities through
• Technical advice and assistance to regional Local Water Utilities in order to deliver appropriate, affordable, cost-effective & sustainable water supply and sewerage services
• Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage (CTWSS) Program
• Regional Water & Wastewater Backlog (RWWB) Program
Presenter
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SLIDE 7 DPI Water is continually working on identifying Short term and Long-term Water security improvement projects for regional NSW. We help improve water Quality and Supply to regional NSW by offering Technical Advice and Assistance through our regional representatives and our technical experts based in Parramatta. Our regional representatives are based in Dubbo, Orange, Tamworth, Albury, Coffs Harbour, Woolongbar, Newcastle and Woolongong. All our teams work with Local Water Utilities, Councils, the Government and other Stakeholders as required. These teams provide technical support and expert advice on planning, pricing, capital works, training, and operation and maintenance. Our goal is to deliver appropriate, affordable, cost effective and sustainable water supply and sewerage services. We also run Infrastructure Programs: we have been running the Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Program since 1996. More recently we have been working with Infrastructure NSW on the Regional Water & Wastewater Backlog Program.
Programs
Country Towns Water Supply & Sewerage Program (CTWSSP)
• Between 1996 and 2016, the NSW Government provided approximately $1.23 billion in funding for regional water & wastewater infrastructure
• Up to 50 % subsidy for projects • More than 450 projects
delivered in 20 years • This program ends on 30 June
2017
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SIDE 8 The Country Towns Water Supply & Sewerage program has been running since 1996 delivering just under $3 billion worth of water security and sewerage infrastructure projects to regional NSW. The NSW Government has contributed $1.23 billion towards these projects. This equates to more than 450 projects that have been delivered in country NSW in 20 years. That’s an average of 23 projects per year. Government contributions or payments were linked to progress on the projects and also to compliance with the NSW Governments Best- Practice Management Framework. This program ends on the 30 of June this year.
Effectiveness of the CTWSS program & BPM Framework
• The Country Town Water Supply & Sewerage (CTWSS) program has been
highly effective in servicing regional NSW communities.
• The program together with the NSW Government’s Best-Practice
Management Framework (BPM) has delivered key outcomes:
– coverage for water supply - 98.0%, 1.81 million population.
– coverage for sewerage – 95.6% (increased from 92.3% in 1996), 1.69
million population.
– achieved efficient water use and limited the real increase in the water
supply Typical Residential Bill (TRB) to 12% over the last 18 years.
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SLIDE 9 The Country Town Water Supply & Sewerage Program has managed to – by utilising the Best Practice Management framework, - deliver some impressive key outcomes in regional NSW: Our coverage for water supply now is accessible to 98.0% of Regional NSWs population – that is 1.81 million out of 1.83 million people in regional NSW. Our coverage for sewerage accessibility is now at 95.6% (increased from 92.3% in 1996) or 1.69 million people in regional NSW. The Country Town Water Supply & Sewerage Program has also managed to achieve more efficient use of water in NSW resulting in significant improvements in water savings across the State. This program has also resulted in limiting The Typical Residential Bill (TRB) for water supply to an increase of only 12% over the last 18 years – that is only 0.67% per annum.
Programs
Regional Water & Wastewater Backlog Program (RWWBP)
• This is a new capital works program
announced in October 2016
• $110 million committed to clear “backlog” of
projects in country towns
• 32 Backlog projects have been approved
Presenter
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SLIDE 10 More recently, we have been working with Infrastructure NSW on the Regional Water & Wastewater Backlog Program . This is a new capital works program announced last year. The NSW government has committed $110 Million towards this program. The Backlog Program consists of projects that were listed on the Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Program in 1996. For various reasons, these projects have not yet been undertaken or won’t be completed by the 30th of June this year. That’s what the “backlog” part of the title means. 32 Backlog projects have been approved since the announcement last year.
Backlog Project locations
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SLIDE 11 On the screen is a map indicating where these Backlog Projects are in located NSW. As you can see, they are spread out throughout the state. From Bourke Shire in the North West, to Eurobidilla shire in the South East to Central Darling Shire and Cobar in the central west and Kempsey on the East Coast to name a few.
Challenges The challenges we have are:
• Ensuring that our water drinking quality remains at a high
standard,
• Capacity to meet water demand for growing populations,
• Drought security,
• Dam safety
• Wastewater treatment.
• Ageing assets
• Skills in regional areas
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SLIDE 12 So, What challenges do we have in the future: At DPI Water: We Make sure that our water drinking quality remains at a high standard in Regional NSW. We Ensure that we plan so that we meet water demand of growing populations in regional NSW. We Plan for and provide for drought periods which are part and parcel of the Australian climate cycle We Monitor and upgrade our dams in order to ensure that they are up to standard We Ensure that our treatment of wastewater is of a high standard enabling acceptable environmental and biosecurity outcomes We Work with water authorities and councils to upgrade or replace aging assets We Assist and provide training to upgrade skills in our regional towns to operate and maintain water & wastewater infrastructure.
Long-term Water Security Improvement Projects for Regional Communities
Key threats to water security • Climate variability / drought • Growth in demand due to increase in population, industry • Environmental flow requirements
Possible Projects • Additional infrastructure such as new dams, enlargement of existing dams,
bores, desalination plants
• Additional infrastructure to link major bulk water dams to major regional towns and piping of inefficient channels
Direct Outcome/Benefits Achieved
• Maintain continuity of water supply to regional towns • Enhance regional development and decentralisation
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SLIDE 13 The Government is focussed on providing short term and long term water security for regional communities. The Key issues that affect our water security in regional communities are issues like climate variability and or drought. We have competing demands for water and environmental flows and we also have fast and relatively significant population increases in certain areas in regional NSW. The type of infrastructure we require to alleviate these issues are dams, pipelines linking dams, piping of inefficient channels, bores and even desalination plants. DPI Water ensures that we have robust planning around Water Security thus ultimately maintaining continuity of water supply to regional towns. With continuity of water supply, regional development and improvement will be secure into the future.
Improve Water Quality to Regional Communities
Key threats to water quality • Addressing of risks outlined in the national drinking water guidelines • Protect waterways & quality of life with modern standards • Potential blue-green algal blooms and associated toxins
Possible Projects • Provision of reticulated water supply & sewerage to high risk towns • Additional infrastructure to manage risk to drinking water quality • Modern critical infrastructure assets for remote communities & LWU’s
facing financial hardship Direct Outcome/Benefits Achieved
• Protection of public health • Minimised environmental risk
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SLIDE 14 The government recognizes that it is imperative that we maintain and continually improve our world class water quality in NSW. The key threats to maintaining our water quality are: As a department, we need to address the risks outlined in the national drinking water guidelines, We need to protect our waterways & quality of life with new and modern standards. There is, of coarse, also always the potential threat of algal blooms and associated toxins that can affect our water. To alleviate these issues, the types of infrastructure required are the provision of Water and Sewer Reticulations to affected towns. New or upgraded Water Treatment Plants and Sewerage Treatment Plants where needed and New modern infrastructure assets where needed. Naturally, by managing our water quality, we protect the health of the people of NSW and minimise environmental risks.
Typical timeframes for small infrastructure projects can be between 2-5 years. Most major infrastructure projects can take up to 10 years from conception to completion
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SLIDE 15 As mentioned earlier, Local Water Utilities are expected to scope, consult, investigate, plan, construct and operate and maintain infrastructure. A projects life cycle consists of about 14 phases from inception through to completion. From a needs analysis, we have feasibility studies, consultation, environmental investigations, yield modelling, funds identification, concept design, final design, bills of quantity, tendering, construction, commissioning. That process takes a lot of time to go through and complete. Typical timeframes for small infrastructure projects can be between 2-5 years. Most major infrastructure projects can take up to 10 years from conception to completion. Fortunately, some of our Local Water Utilities or Councils have already started planning for these projects – some at various stages. For these Councils or Local Water Utilities, the timeframes can be a lot shorter. We can start some projects sooner rather than later.
• Water is a finite resource with extensive competing
demands
• Robust strategic planning is vital
• Collaboration, not just consultation, is required as early
as possible for any proposed project
• The NSW Government recognises the needs in regional
NSW and is here to help
The bottom line………
Presenter
Presentation Notes
SLIDE 16 As I end off today, I’d like to leave you with the following message: Our water supply is a finite resource. There are many competing demands for our water supply and we need to manage it carefully. We need collaborative consultation. We need strategic and vigorous planning on new water and wastewater infrastructure projects in Regional NSW. My team will work with you to help deliver appropriate, affordable, cost effective and sustainable water supply and sewerage services throughout regional NSW. Finally, remember, The NSW Government is here to help. I look forward to meeting you afterwards - I’d now like to hand over to my colleague, Michael Blackmore to briefly tell you about Regulation. Thank you FINNISH
