As we usher in 2025, Viridis extends a warm welcome to our clients. We hope that the holiday period was restful, providing you with the energy and focus to tackle the opportunities and challenges of this year. We’re excited to continue supporting our clients and partners in navigating the dynamic landscape of the Australian water industry.
February is an excellent time to review your operational calendar and plan schedules around industry requirements and key events. Consider the following:
Document Reviews: Assess whether your water quality management plans and other critical documents require updates. Regular reviews help maintain accuracy and relevance, aligning with best practices and regulatory expectations.
Audits: Determine if you're scheduled for any regulatory audits this year. Early preparation can help identify areas needing attention and ensure compliance with industry standards. Plan any internal audits, as required.
Training: Are training requirements and records up-to-date. Check that the required competencies are known, and staff have adequate training. Arrange to fill any gaps and ensure currency.
Improvement: Blow the dust of the improvement plan and see if any actions can be knocked off or get the ball rolling on actions that may need planning/additional funding to be implemented.
Emerging Challenges
In 2025, Australian water utilities will need to navigate several emerging challenges beyond their routine operations. Here are some things to consider that may affect your operations:
Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events: Increasing frequency of natural disasters, such as floods and droughts, poses significant risks to water infrastructure and supply reliability.
Net Zero Emissions Targets: Utilities are under pressure to reduce carbon footprints, necessitating investments in clean energy and sustainable practices to meet national net-zero goals.
Technological Advancements: Adoption of smart water management systems and digital transformation initiatives is crucial for operational efficiency and real-time monitoring.
Cybersecurity Threats: As utilities become more digitized, they face increased risks of cyber-attacks, requiring robust cybersecurity measures to protect critical infrastructure.
Water Quality Concerns: Incidents like oil spills and contamination events highlight the need for vigilant water quality monitoring and rapid response strategies.
Community Engagement and Misinformation: Combating misinformation, such as conspiracy theories affecting public perception of water safety measures, is essential for maintaining public trust.
Economic Pressures: Global economic fluctuations can impact funding and investment in water infrastructure projects, necessitating prudent financial planning.
Workforce Challenges: Addressing skills shortages and attracting talent in specialized areas are critical for sustaining operational capabilities.
Regulation
This year brings not only new opportunities but also important updates to regulatory frameworks over the 2023-24 period that shape how we approach drinking and recycled water management.
Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Act 2023 (Cth)
The Water Amendment (Restoring Our Rivers) Act 2023 introduces several reforms that may influence water utilities in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. Key aspects include:
Extended Timeframes for Water Recovery Projects: The Act extends deadlines for water recovery initiatives, such as the Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) projects, providing additional time for planning and implementation.
Expanded Water Recovery Methods: By repealing the 1,500 GL cap on Commonwealth water purchases, the Act allows for increased acquisition of water entitlements, potentially affecting water availability and allocations managed by utilities.
Enhanced Compliance and Accountability: The Act strengthens the role of the Inspector-General of Water Compliance, introducing new powers to ensure adherence to water management regulations, which may impact utilities' operations and reporting requirements. The Water Markets Intermediaries Code will be finalised in 2025 and is designed to regulate the water market.
While the Act primarily focuses on environmental water recovery and sustainable management of the Murray–Darling Basin, these provisions could have operational and compliance implications for water utilities across the affected states. Utilities may need to adjust their water management and reporting practices to align with the new regulatory framework.
NSW Water Industry Competition Act 2006 (NSW)
As of 1 March 2024, significant changes were applied to WICA, including:
Operator and retail licenses are state-wide instead of scheme specific. This streamlines the auditing process, allowing utilities to have one audit which covers all schemes.
Each scheme has a separate scheme approval, this specifies the area of operations, the location of infrastructure, the class and design capacity of infrastructure, and the purpose and staging of the infrastructure.
The registered operator needs an operational approval to start operating the scheme once it has been constructed.
Licences and approvals can be varied, for example if an operator seeks to change the class, number, or scale of schemes or infrastructure it is authorised to construct and operate.
PFAS
In October 2024, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) released draft guidelines proposing stricter limits for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Australian drinking water. These proposed limits are currently under public consultation and are expected to be finalized by April 2025.
The draft guidelines suggest the following maximum concentrations:
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA): Reduced from 560 nanograms per liter (ng/L) to 200 ng/L.
Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS): Lowered from 70 ng/L to 4 ng/L.
Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS): Newly proposed limit of 30 ng/L.
Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS): Newly proposed limit of 1,000 ng/L.
These proposed changes aim to enhance public health protection by aligning with evolving scientific understanding of PFAS toxicity. Monitoring and management of water sources and treated water will be based on risk, however, with the continued attention on these chemicals utilities will be required to understand their catchments and collect a baseline of data. Increase transparency and reporting is to be expected.
In NSW the Select Committee on PFAS Contamination in Waterways and Drinking Water Supplies is holding a public enquiry. The scope of this enquiry covers the following areas:
Extent of Contamination: Assessing the levels and spread of PFAS in waterways and drinking water sources.
Health and Environmental Impacts: Evaluating the potential risks to public health, ecosystems, and the economy.
Regulatory Framework: Reviewing existing policies and regulations and identifying potential gaps.
Remediation Efforts: Examining current strategies for mitigating PFAS contamination and exploring effective remediation technologies.
Community Engagement: Considering the adequacy of public communication and involvement in decision-making processes related to PFAS issues.
Government and Utility Capacity: Evaluating the capacity, capability, and resourcing of government agencies and water utilities to detect, monitor, and respond to PFAS contamination.
International Best Practices: Investigating international standards and practices for water treatment, filtration, and remediation of contaminated sites.
Impact on Water Security: Assessing the implications of PFAS contamination on water availability, drought management, and emergency supply planning.
The outcome of this enquire will potentially impact regulation in NSW and beyond, depending on the findings.
NSW Recycled Water Roadmap
The New South Wales (NSW) Recycled Water Roadmap is a strategic initiative by the NSW Government aimed at expanding water reuse across the state to enhance water security, especially in the face of climate change and increasing demand.
Key Objectives:
Diversify Water Sources: Integrate recycled water as a standard component of NSW's water supply portfolio, reducing reliance on traditional water sources.
Enhance Resilience: Develop water recycling solutions to improve the state's ability to withstand droughts and other climate-related challenges.
Community Engagement: Educate and involve communities in discussions about water recycling, including the potential for purified recycled water for drinking purposes.
While the roadmap sets a long-term vision, its implementation is expected to influence water utilities in the near term. The draft roadmap outlines 14 proposed actions across five key priority areas to address barriers and pave the way for increased and expanded recycled water use in the future, including for drinking and non-drinking purposes, where it is safe, beneficial, and cost-effective.
Safe Drinking Water Regulations (Vic)
The regulatory framework for drinking water is set out in the Safe Drinking Water Act 2003 and the Safe Drinking Water Regulations 2015. These regulations are due to expire to expire in July 2025, potentially leading to updated compliance requirements. The Department of Health is proposing to remake the regulation. A discussion paper was put out with submissions due by 17 December 2024.
This could have significant changes for the water drinking water is regulated in Victoria, the regulations cover the following:
Water Sampling Localities: Guidelines for establishing water sampling localities and the information required in proposals.
Risk Management Plans: Detailed requirements for managing risks to water supply, including the development and implementation of risk management plans.
Water Quality Standards: Specific parameters and limits for various water quality indicators, such as Escherichia coli, total trihalomethanes, and turbidity.
Auditing and Reporting: Obligations for regular auditing of risk management plans and reporting of water quality information to the Department of Health.
Get Involved
Staying informed about industry events is more important than ever. Conferences held across Australia act as premier platforms for providing invaluable opportunities to network, share knowledge, and stay updated on the latest developments in the water industry. Below is a list of key events that you can attend this year:
The following key events are also on:
World Congress on Soil and Water Sciences in Perth on 5th March
National Biosolids Conference in Hobart on 18th March
OzWater'25 organised by the AWA in Adelaide on 20th - 22nd May
IWA Water Efficiency Conference in Melbourne on 16th - 18th September
WaterRA Next Water in Melbourne on 21st - 22nd October
Don’t miss the opportunity to engage with industry leaders and explore innovative solutions that can help you navigate the updated regulatory environment.
Stay in Touch
At Viridis Consultants, we’re committed to helping you thrive amidst these changes. Our team of engineers, scientists, and auditors specialise in drinking, recycled, and wastewater management. From audits, to reviews, to extended support services, we are dedicated to ensuring your operations both meet regulatory requirements and organisational objects. Let us know on all the usual channels if you need any assistance.
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