Water Kit - Hunter Water
Water Kit - Hunter Water Water Kit - Hunter Water
Water kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010 Water Kit an education resource for schools
- Page 2 and 3: About this kit Water supply Water c
- Page 4 and 5: links with syllabus Used collective
- Page 6 and 7: contents About Water supply 1.1 1.2
- Page 8 and 9: consider the facts Did you know tha
- Page 10 and 11: 1.2 the importance of catchments Na
- Page 12 and 13: The Hunter Catchment extends far in
- Page 14 and 15: 1.3 history of our water supply no.
- Page 16 and 17: 1.3 history of our water supply no.
- Page 18 and 19: 1.4 the lower hunter’s water supp
- Page 20 and 21: 1.5 drinking water treatment Issues
- Page 22 and 23: Impacts on groundwater quality in t
- Page 24 and 25: 1.7 impacts on catchment water qual
- Page 26 and 27: 1.8 sustainability and water supply
- Page 28 and 29: 1.9 waterwatch- playing an active r
- Page 30 and 31: 1.10 landcare and waterways What is
- Page 32 and 33: influences on water supply in the h
- Page 34 and 35: ainfall patterns and water supply w
- Page 36 and 37: managing water supply sustainably w
- Page 38 and 39: water storage and supply resource l
- Page 40 and 41: intorduction to water conservation
- Page 42 and 43: 2.1 water use and conservation The
- Page 44 and 45: Hunter Water’s move to a pay-foru
- Page 46 and 47: WATER FACTS IN THE HOME Leaking tap
- Page 48 and 49: BEING WATERWISE AT SCHOOL actions 1
- Page 50 and 51: 2.5 water conservation initiatives
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
<strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong><br />
an education resource for schools
About<br />
this kit<br />
<strong>Water</strong><br />
supply<br />
<strong>Water</strong><br />
conservation<br />
Wastewater<br />
conservation<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
Support<br />
material
introduction to water supply<br />
WATER SUPPLY<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> provides water to nearly<br />
500,000 residents, businesses and<br />
industries in the local government areas<br />
of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland,<br />
Cessnock and Port Stephens.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> is collected in three main storage<br />
sources, treated and then supplied to<br />
consumers through an extensive network<br />
of pipes and pumping stations.<br />
Historically, urban water supply has been<br />
guided by the principle of increasing<br />
supply to meet the evergrowing<br />
demands of consumers.<br />
In more recent times, however, there<br />
has been a shift towards finding ways<br />
to manage the community’s demand for<br />
water rather than just increasing supply.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> conservation programs, user-pays<br />
water pricing systems, water recycling,<br />
and improving water supply efficiency<br />
are all part of <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s sustainable<br />
approach to water supply.<br />
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES<br />
This <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong> provides information and<br />
worksheets to help schools integrate<br />
local and regional water issues into their<br />
curriculum. A range of issues are<br />
addressed in this section, including:<br />
• The relationships between the<br />
water cycle, catchments and our<br />
water supply<br />
• The location and features of the<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>’s water storage areas<br />
• Impacts on water quality and<br />
water supply within the Lower<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>’s catchments<br />
• How sustainability principles are<br />
being addressed in the water<br />
supply system<br />
• Opportunities for community<br />
participation<br />
The information and worksheets within<br />
this section can be used collectively,<br />
independently or combined with those<br />
from other sections of the kit.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010 1
links with syllabus<br />
Used collectively, the information and<br />
worksheets from this section address the<br />
following syllabus outcomes:<br />
key learning area stage syllabus outcomes addressed<br />
Human Society and Its Environment 3 ENS3.5 - Patterns of place and location<br />
ENS3.6 - Relationship with places<br />
SSS3.7 - Resource systems<br />
Science and technology 3 PSS3.5 - Products and services<br />
ESS3.6 - Earth and its surroundings<br />
INV3.7 - Investigating<br />
Physical Development, Health and<br />
Physical Education<br />
DMS3.2 - Decision making<br />
PSS3.5 - Problem solving<br />
PHS3.12 - Personal health choices<br />
Geography 4* 4G1 - Investigating the world<br />
4G2 - Global environments<br />
4G3 - Managing global environments<br />
4G4 - Global citizenship<br />
* While Stage 4 focusses on global issues, the kit could be used to<br />
compare the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> with communities/issues outside Australia<br />
Geography 5<br />
5A2 - Changing Australian environments<br />
5A3 - Issues in Australian environments<br />
5A4 - Australia in its regional and global context<br />
Science 5 5.10 - Ecosystems<br />
5.11 - Resource use and conservation<br />
5.13 - Identifying and planning an investigation<br />
5.14 - Performing first-hand investigations<br />
5.15 - Gathering first-hand information<br />
5.16 - Gathering information from secondary sources<br />
5.17 - Processing information<br />
5.18 - Presenting information<br />
5.19 - Thinking critically<br />
5.20 - Problem solving<br />
5.21 - Use of creativity and imagination to solve problems<br />
5.22 - Working individually and in teams<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
1
introduction<br />
WHY STUDY WATER?<br />
<strong>Water</strong> for everyday use is vital, but<br />
too often taken for granted. Students<br />
should study the water cycle, water<br />
management and water conservation<br />
to build an understanding and<br />
appreciation of water issues.<br />
They can then choose the best options<br />
and practices to protect this finite<br />
resource that is the basis of all life<br />
on earth.<br />
HUNTER WATER<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> is often the first contact<br />
point for students researching the local<br />
water cycle. <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> understands<br />
that education about water and<br />
wastewater issues is part of ensuring<br />
healthy, reliable and sufficient water<br />
supplies for our communities, both<br />
now and in the future. As water is<br />
essential to all life, it is vital that we<br />
protect our environment and its<br />
biodiversity to ensure the health of our<br />
waterways and water storages.<br />
THE WATER KIT<br />
The <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong> was commissioned by<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> and developed by The<br />
Wetlands Centre, Australia.<br />
It also involved input from the<br />
Department of Education’s Wetlands<br />
Environmental Education Centre<br />
(Newcastle), teachers from local<br />
schools, and other government<br />
agencies in the <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
The <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong> provides targeted support<br />
to schools and their communities on<br />
water resource management in the<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>. It has been developed to:<br />
• Provide support to schools through a<br />
targeted curriculum-based package<br />
to raise understanding and skills in<br />
sustainable water management<br />
• Proactively respond to primary and<br />
high schools’ needs for local waterrelated<br />
resources<br />
• Acknowledge <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s role<br />
in facilitating water education in the<br />
lower <strong>Hunter</strong> to complement current<br />
water education in schools<br />
• Assist <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> to deliver,<br />
monitor and report on environmental<br />
education programs<br />
The <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong> is unique in its strong<br />
regional content and context. It provides<br />
an opportunity to cultivate a sense of<br />
place whilst developing guidelines on<br />
how we can all contribute to sustainable<br />
water management. It encourages<br />
students to observe, research, think<br />
critically and be open to discussion<br />
and new ideas on local and regional<br />
water issues.<br />
THE WATER KIT FEATURES FOUR<br />
MAIN SECTIONS<br />
1 <strong>Water</strong> Supply<br />
2 <strong>Water</strong> Conservation<br />
3 Wastewater and Stormwater<br />
4 Support Material<br />
The first three sections contain fact<br />
sheets and worksheets that can be used<br />
in a variety of ways. The introduction for<br />
each section outlines learning<br />
opportunities and potential links within<br />
different levels of the curriculum.<br />
The <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong> contains material to<br />
support teachers address syllabus<br />
outcomes across a number of Key<br />
Learning Areas. It also helps integrate<br />
the objectives of the Environmental<br />
Education Policy for Schools (NSW<br />
Department of Education and<br />
Training 2001) with student learning<br />
programs.<br />
The kit has been developed with the<br />
needs of both teachers and students in<br />
mind. The resources target students in<br />
stage four and five, and may be used<br />
directly by students to support their<br />
learning, and by high school teachers as<br />
background information or ideas for<br />
investigating water issues.<br />
There is a wealth of water education<br />
resources available. This <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong> meets<br />
the need for more localised information<br />
rather than duplicating existing<br />
resources. Section 4 of the <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong><br />
outlines a range of other resources<br />
available to schools. It includes<br />
information on websites, and funding and<br />
awards opportunities for schools<br />
interested in sustainable water initiatives.<br />
ENQUIRIES<br />
Enquiries about the <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong> should be<br />
directed to <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s<br />
Communications Unit by calling<br />
1300 657 657.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
2
contents<br />
About<br />
<strong>Water</strong><br />
supply<br />
1.1<br />
1.2<br />
1.3<br />
1.4<br />
1.5<br />
1.6<br />
1.7<br />
1.8<br />
1.9<br />
1.10<br />
>><br />
The <strong>Water</strong> Cycle<br />
The importance of Catchments<br />
History of the <strong>Hunter</strong>’s <strong>Water</strong> Supply<br />
The Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>’s <strong>Water</strong> Supply<br />
Drinking <strong>Water</strong> Treatment<br />
Managing Groundwater Supply<br />
Impacts on Catchment <strong>Water</strong> Quality<br />
Sustainability and <strong>Water</strong> Supply<br />
<strong>Water</strong>watch - Playing an active role<br />
Landcare and <strong>Water</strong>ways<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Supply Worksheets<br />
<strong>Water</strong><br />
conservation<br />
2.1<br />
2.2<br />
2.3<br />
2.4<br />
2.5<br />
2.6<br />
>><br />
<strong>Water</strong> Use and Conservation<br />
Being <strong>Water</strong>wise at Home<br />
Being <strong>Water</strong>wise at School<br />
School <strong>Water</strong> Audit<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Conservation Initiatives<br />
‘Think Twice’ <strong>Water</strong> Saving Campaign<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Conservation Worksheets<br />
Wastewater<br />
conservation<br />
3.1<br />
3.2<br />
3.3<br />
3.4<br />
3.5<br />
3.6<br />
>><br />
The <strong>Hunter</strong>’s Wastewater<br />
Wastewater Treatment in The <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
Raymond Terrace WWTW<br />
Morpeth Wastewater and Wetlands<br />
Stormwater Management<br />
Managing Stormwater with SQIDS<br />
Wastewater and Stormwater Worksheets<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
Support<br />
material<br />
4.1<br />
4.2<br />
4.3<br />
4.4<br />
4.5<br />
4.6<br />
Environmental Websites<br />
Contacting other Organisations<br />
National Grants and Awards<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> Grants and Awards<br />
Glossary<br />
Acknowledgments
1.1 the water cycle<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
More than two thirds of the Earth’s<br />
surface is water, but only 3% of this is<br />
freshwater.<br />
Most of the 3% that is<br />
freshwater is locked up in polar ice<br />
caps, glaciers, the atmosphere and<br />
soil. Only a very small percentage of<br />
freshwater can be found in rivers, lakes<br />
and underground aquifers.<br />
The water cycle takes place around the<br />
world every moment of every day.<br />
Look up and you might see clouds<br />
building or transforming - that’s part of<br />
the water cycle. The rain falling on the<br />
ground or into waterways is part of the<br />
water cycle.<br />
Even theperspiration that you develop<br />
after physical activity joins the water<br />
cycle. These are all part of one amazing<br />
process that transforms water through<br />
different physical states - solid (hail,<br />
snow), liquid (rain), and vapour (mist,<br />
fog, perspiration).<br />
WATER IS IMPORTANT!<br />
There’s no point imagining daily life<br />
without water. The fact is we cannot<br />
live without it. It is crucial for the<br />
survival of all living organisms.<br />
Consider the following facts:<br />
• A human body is around 70%<br />
water. Our muscles have more<br />
water than any other body tissues,<br />
and our brains are 75% water.<br />
• We lose 3 to 3.5 litres of water<br />
in an average day, more in hot<br />
weather or when we exercise. So,<br />
we need to replace water in<br />
our body.<br />
• At most a person could survive<br />
three to four weeks without food,<br />
but less than one week without<br />
drinking water.<br />
• Lose 10% of your body water and<br />
you can barely walk. Lose 20%<br />
and you’re in real trouble. <strong>Water</strong><br />
cools the body, it helps carry<br />
nutrition through the system, and<br />
carries out wastes.<br />
DAILY WATER USE<br />
Think about how you use water<br />
every day.<br />
The table below provides a summary.<br />
where<br />
Home<br />
School<br />
Industry<br />
Agriculture<br />
Recreation<br />
Healthcare<br />
Ecosystems<br />
examples of water use<br />
Cooking<br />
Drinking<br />
Cleaning<br />
Bath and shower<br />
Toilet<br />
Washing cars<br />
Washing clothes<br />
Washing windows<br />
Gardens<br />
Pool<br />
Toilets<br />
Drinking<br />
Cooking<br />
Cleaning<br />
<strong>Water</strong> features and gardens<br />
Keeping fish, turtles, tadpoles<br />
Conducting lab experiments<br />
Making materials eg bricks, timber<br />
Dust minimisation spraying<br />
Mixing materials eg concrete<br />
Stock watering<br />
Irrigating crops and pastures<br />
Washing out dairy sheds<br />
Processing milk products<br />
Processing crops eg cotton<br />
Drinking<br />
Irrigation of sports fields, gardens<br />
Establishing shade trees<br />
Swimming pools<br />
Making sporting equipment, like<br />
goalposts, balls and wooden bats<br />
Cooking<br />
Drinking<br />
Cleaning<br />
Bathing<br />
Sterilising equipment<br />
Surgical operations<br />
Survival and habitat for animals<br />
Survival and growth for plants<br />
Flowing rivers, creeks, streams<br />
Moderator of temperature extremes<br />
Dissolving nutrients for uptake by<br />
plants and animals<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010 1
consider the facts<br />
Did you know that Australia is the<br />
driest inhabited continent on Earth?<br />
Australia’s rainfall and river flows are<br />
the most variable in the world and the<br />
amount of water that we collect from<br />
runoff is one of the lowest. Yet<br />
Australians use more water per<br />
head of population than most other<br />
nations.<br />
The water we use in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>,<br />
like anywhere else in the world, has<br />
been ‘recycled’ for millions of years<br />
Since the amount of water on Earth<br />
does not change (ie no ‘new’ water is<br />
created), conserving water and<br />
keeping it clean is very important.<br />
We therefore need to be aware of when<br />
and where we use water and how we<br />
can reduce our water consumption.<br />
This will help to ensure a plentiful<br />
supply for ourselves, future generations<br />
and our local environment.<br />
WHAT IS THE WATER CYCLE?<br />
The water cycle is driven by the<br />
processes of condensation,<br />
transpiration, precipitation and<br />
surface runoff.<br />
The natural water cycle involves<br />
precipitation in the form of rain, snow<br />
or hail, which results from the<br />
condensation of water vapour in the<br />
atmosphere into clouds. Precipitation<br />
falls over catchments and then flows<br />
(as runoff) into waterways such as<br />
rivers, lakes and wetlands, and then<br />
into the ocean - the Earth’s main water<br />
reservoir.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> can also be absorbed into the<br />
soil and be stored naturally in<br />
underground basins called aquifers.<br />
Eventually, the underground water is<br />
also transported back into the ocean.<br />
Energy from the sun causes the water<br />
at the surface of the oceans, lakes and<br />
rivers to heat up and change from a<br />
liquid to a vapour. This is the<br />
process of evaporation. <strong>Water</strong> is also<br />
able to enter the atmosphere through<br />
the process of transpiration by plants.<br />
Transpiration involves plants taking<br />
water up through their roots and<br />
passing moisture back into the<br />
atmosphere through their leaves.<br />
In the atmosphere, the temperature<br />
falls with increased altitude and hence<br />
the water vapour condenses to form<br />
liquid water droplets, appearing<br />
as mist, fog and clouds. This process<br />
is known as condensation. When the<br />
clouds are saturated the water<br />
droplets join, become heavier and<br />
eventually fall out of the atmosphere<br />
as rain, hail or snow, and the water<br />
cycle continues.<br />
This water cycle diagram shows how water moves around the world<br />
This diagram of the water cycle includes the interruptions and processes that humans undertake to ensure a clean and relia<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010 2
BREAKING THE WATER CYCLE<br />
To supply the water we need for<br />
our homes, farms, industry and other<br />
needs, the natural water cycle must<br />
be intercepted.<br />
Some of the ways in which humans<br />
intercept the natural water cycle<br />
include:<br />
• Extracting water directly from river<br />
systems and underground<br />
aquifers for agricultural uses<br />
• Collecting surface water and<br />
storing it in dams and weirs to<br />
ensure large volumes of reliable<br />
and clean water for the community<br />
• Collecting water in rainwater tanks<br />
for later use in and around our<br />
homes and gardens<br />
Human activities impact on the water<br />
cycle and therefore influence the<br />
quality and quantity of freshwater<br />
available to all other living organisms.<br />
The diagram below shows some of our<br />
interactions with the natural water<br />
cycle. Wastewater treatment could be<br />
considered an extra stage in the urban<br />
water cycle process.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> is responsible for<br />
collecting, storing, treating and<br />
delivering drinking water to the Lower<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>. <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> is also responsible<br />
for collecting and treating wastewater<br />
before returning it to the natural<br />
water cycle.<br />
This diagram of the water cycle includes the interruptions and processes that humans undertake to ensure a clean and reliable water supply<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
3
1.2 the importance of catchments<br />
Natural catchments direct runoff water to creeks, rivers, lakes, aquifiers and the ocean<br />
What is a catchment?<br />
A catchment is the area of land that<br />
supplies surface water to a common<br />
collection point - usually a creek, river,<br />
dam, ocean or aquifier. Typically,<br />
catchments are bordered by high<br />
points like hills or ridges that direct the<br />
flow of water.<br />
Catchments can vary in scale from<br />
the suburb you live in through to entire<br />
regions covering thousands of<br />
square kilometres. Many smaller<br />
catchments can be located within one<br />
large catchment.<br />
Catchments may be completely<br />
natural, or a combination of bushland,<br />
agricultural, industrial and urban areas.<br />
Typical coastal urban catchment land use zones<br />
The types of land use and surfaces<br />
found in a catchment will have a major<br />
effect on the quality and quantity of<br />
water found in the catchment zone.<br />
The quality of our fresh water supplies<br />
depends on the health of our catchments.<br />
HUNTER WATER’S AREA OF<br />
OPERATIONS<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> provides water and<br />
wastewater services to towns and cities<br />
across the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>, Lake Macquarie<br />
and Port Stephens catchments. This area<br />
of operations includes the five local<br />
government areas of Newcastle, Lake<br />
Macquarie, Port Stephens, Maitland<br />
and Cessnock.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s collection, storage and<br />
treatment of water is centred around<br />
the Williams River and adjacent Port<br />
Stephens catchments. The three main<br />
water storages are Chichester Dam,<br />
Grahamstown Dam and the Tomago<br />
Sandbeds.<br />
Chichester Dam is located north of<br />
Dungog. The catchment for Chicester<br />
Dam is within the Barrington Tops<br />
National Park and is a declared<br />
wilderness area. It is one of the most<br />
pristine catchments in Australia, with<br />
large areas unaffected by human<br />
activity. This is reflected in the quality<br />
of the water drawn from the dam.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> released from Chichester Dam<br />
flows into the Chichester River and the<br />
Williams River. The Williams River<br />
catchment is relatively undeveloped<br />
but supports a range of activities and<br />
land uses including agriculture,<br />
residential and urban developments,<br />
recreation and tourism.<br />
Further downstream, near Seaham,<br />
water from the Williams River can be<br />
transferred to Grahamstown Dam via the<br />
Balickera Canal. The Williams River<br />
Grahamstown Dam system is an<br />
important component of the Lower<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>’s water supply.<br />
Grahamstown Dam is the region’s major<br />
urban water supply. It is an off-river<br />
storage with water supplied from its own<br />
catchment and the Williams River.<br />
The third source is underground water<br />
from the Tomago Sandbeds in the<br />
Port Stephens catchment. <strong>Water</strong> from<br />
the sandbeds is extracted by pumps<br />
and sent for treatment at the<br />
Grahamstown/Tomago <strong>Water</strong> Treatment<br />
Plant. Smaller treatment plants at Lemon<br />
Tree Passage, Glovers Hill and Anna Bay<br />
extract water from nearby aquifiers.<br />
The first map shows <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s<br />
area of operations. While the Williams<br />
River catchment is not part of <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong>’s area of operations in terms of its<br />
service to customers, it is of great<br />
importance due to the location of<br />
Chichester Dam.<br />
The following three maps on the<br />
opposite page show the Port Stephens,<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> and Lake Macquarie<br />
catchments. The dashed lines in the top<br />
and middle maps show the boundary of<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s area of operations.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
4
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s area of operations cover five local government areas: Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Maitland and Cessnock<br />
Port Stephens, north-east of the <strong>Hunter</strong> catchment, is part of a catchment that includes Karuah and Myall Lakes sub-catchments<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
5
The <strong>Hunter</strong> Catchment extends far inland. The Williams River catchment lies between the <strong>Hunter</strong> and Port Stephens catchments<br />
Catchments and <strong>Water</strong> Sources<br />
The <strong>Hunter</strong> is one of few regions in<br />
the world with large protected<br />
catchments for its water sources.<br />
Few people live in these catchments<br />
and public access, recreation and<br />
other activities that could impact the<br />
quality of the water supply are<br />
minimised.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> is responsible for<br />
supplying the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> community<br />
with a reliable and healthy supply<br />
of water. <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s water sources<br />
are Chichester Dam, Grahamstown<br />
Dam, Tomago Sandbeds and the<br />
Revegetating with native plants can<br />
reduce riverbank erosion<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
Tomaree Sandbeds.They are all<br />
located in either the Williams River or<br />
Port Stephens catchments.<br />
Management and protection of these<br />
two catchments are essential to the<br />
management of our water supply system.<br />
Catchment Management is an<br />
important means of linking <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong>, government departments,<br />
local councils, industry, farming<br />
and community groups to coordinate<br />
protection of individual catchments.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> works with others to<br />
manage our catchments and sustain our<br />
water sources by controlling feral<br />
animals, revegetating with native plants<br />
and protecting waterways by releasing<br />
environmental flows. <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> also<br />
supports rehabilitation projects, such<br />
as those developed by the Healthy<br />
River Commission.<br />
An Integrated <strong>Water</strong> Resource Plan has<br />
been prepared by <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> to<br />
manage the community’s need for water<br />
and the capacity to supply water, to<br />
achieve sustainable water management<br />
This plan is available from <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s<br />
website at:<br />
www.hunterwater.com.au<br />
What you can do<br />
We all have a responsibility to ensure the<br />
health of catchments. Here are some<br />
simple things you can do to maintain high<br />
quality water in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>:<br />
• Join a local environment group like<br />
<strong>Water</strong>watch or Landcare and learn<br />
how to minimise your impact on<br />
the <strong>Hunter</strong>’s waterways, as well as<br />
participate in rehabilitation activities<br />
• Don’t overuse chemicals,<br />
detergents and cleaners<br />
• Choose environmentally endorsed<br />
products from the supermarket<br />
• Keep sediment and organic matter<br />
out of your local waterways<br />
• Carefully store and dispose of<br />
possible pollutants, like paint, oil<br />
and chemicals<br />
6
Protecting and managing the<br />
catchment<br />
Keeping catchments clean and<br />
healthy will help ensure high quality<br />
watersupplies.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> works with many other<br />
organisations to protect our<br />
catchments and the quality of local<br />
water supplies.<br />
To find out how these organisations<br />
are involved in catchment<br />
management, visit their websites:<br />
• <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
www.hunterwater.com.au<br />
• <strong>Hunter</strong>-Central Rivers<br />
Catchment Management Authority<br />
www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au<br />
• Department of Environment &<br />
Conservation<br />
www.environment.nsw.gov.au<br />
• Department of Infrastructure,<br />
Planning and Natural Resources<br />
www.dipnr.nsw.gov.au<br />
• NSW Department of Primary<br />
Industries<br />
www.agric.nsw.gov.au<br />
• Local community groups such as:<br />
Landcare,<br />
www.landcareaustralia.com.au<br />
<strong>Water</strong>watch,<br />
www.waterwatch.nsw.gov.au<br />
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7
1.3 history of our water supply no.1<br />
Safe Harbour and Good <strong>Water</strong><br />
A large safe harbour, abundant fresh<br />
water, coal deposits and good soil<br />
attracted the first settlers to Newcastle<br />
and the <strong>Hunter</strong>. <strong>Water</strong> was obtained<br />
from streams, public wells and private<br />
storage tanks. Yet rapid growth in the<br />
1860s placed pressure on water<br />
supplies and quality. Droughts also<br />
threatened water supplies and future<br />
economic growth. More secure water<br />
supplies were essential.<br />
The Start Of Treated <strong>Water</strong><br />
Walka <strong>Water</strong> Works was completed by<br />
the Public Works Department in early<br />
1887. The <strong>Water</strong> Board took control in<br />
1892. It is located west of Maitland<br />
on the <strong>Hunter</strong> River and in 1887 had<br />
50,000 potential consumers. A 15<br />
inch pipe 37km long carried water<br />
to Newcastle. Those who could afford<br />
it had pipes and taps installed in their<br />
homes, others collected their water<br />
from public standpipes.<br />
Demand Greater Than Supply<br />
In 1912, just 20 years after the<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Board was formed, the<br />
population supplied with water had<br />
increased five fold. Industry was also<br />
growing rapidly, BHP opened in 1916<br />
increasing water demand. The choice<br />
for a second water source was to<br />
build a dam or extract water from<br />
sandbeds. Many rivers in the<br />
Barrington Tops were studied before<br />
deciding on the Chichester River.<br />
1903<br />
1864<br />
1887<br />
1916<br />
Hard Work and Health<br />
Concerns<br />
Storing and transporting water was<br />
time consuming and difficult. Pollution<br />
also posed a threat to water quality<br />
and public health; in 1878 a Lambton<br />
doctor said it was ‘not water at all, but<br />
mud’. The <strong>Hunter</strong> District <strong>Water</strong><br />
Supply and Sewerage Board was<br />
created in 1892 to provide safe and<br />
reliable drinking water to the public<br />
and industry - which of course was<br />
easier said than done.<br />
A CycleOf Drought and Flood<br />
As Walka had limited storage capacity<br />
the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> was still affected<br />
by floods and drought. A flood in<br />
1893 caused major damage to the inlet<br />
structure and pipeline. Droughts<br />
in 1902-03 and 1905-06, and<br />
continued rapid growth, also raised<br />
the need to develop other water<br />
sources. The ‘hardness’ of <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
River water for domestic chores was<br />
also a cause of concern to local<br />
residents.<br />
Bushrangers and World War<br />
Chichester Dam lies north of Dungog<br />
in an area once known for bushrangers<br />
such as Thunderbolt and Joe<br />
Burn. Work began in 1916 during the<br />
First World War, with more than 1000<br />
men, women and children living in the<br />
construction village at Dusodie.<br />
The dam is surrounded by state forests<br />
which makes it one of the most<br />
protected and pristine catchment<br />
areas in Australia.<br />
1875<br />
1903<br />
1924<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010 8
<strong>Water</strong> From The Mountains<br />
Chichester Dam holds 21,500ML(one<br />
megalitre (ML) is one million litres).<br />
The catchment covers 120km2.<br />
The wall is constructed from<br />
thousands of inter-locking units of<br />
concrete. The 1000mm pipe to<br />
Newcastle is 85km long. After<br />
completion investigations began on<br />
a third source with a view to closing<br />
the Walka <strong>Water</strong> Works, the likely<br />
choice being the Tomago Sandbeds.<br />
More <strong>Water</strong> From<br />
Underground<br />
The Tomago Sandbeds stretch 25km<br />
from Tomago to Port Stephens and are<br />
4km wide. The total catchment<br />
area is 105km2. Sand deposits<br />
underground hold freshwater ranging<br />
from 7m above to 15m below sea<br />
level. <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> extracts up to<br />
16,500 ML per year of raw water<br />
through a system of bores and pump<br />
stations. Extracted water is treated at<br />
the Tomago Treatment Plant.<br />
Production and Consumption<br />
Through the 1950s the <strong>Hunter</strong> kept<br />
growing as a major commercial centre<br />
for coal, steel, manufacturing and<br />
agriculture - serviced by the port of<br />
Newcastle. Growth in water use was<br />
linked to industrial activity; between1939<br />
and 1952 the population suppliedwith<br />
water rose 10% but waterconsumption<br />
jumped by 90%. Demand again placed<br />
pressure on available supply.<br />
1925 1940<br />
1955<br />
Depression and Then<br />
Recovery<br />
The Walka <strong>Water</strong> Works were closed<br />
in 1931 due to the Great Depression<br />
By 1935 the economy had recovered<br />
and in 1936 work began on the<br />
Tomago Sandbeds. The <strong>Water</strong> Board<br />
played a crucial role during World<br />
War II during which time consumption<br />
grew 50%. As a result, the Tomago<br />
Sandbeds changed from a backup<br />
water source to an indispensable<br />
part of the water system.<br />
1937<br />
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9
1.3 history of our water supply no.2<br />
Our Largest <strong>Water</strong> Source<br />
Strong economic and population growth<br />
led to investigations for a new water<br />
source. Another dam near Dungog was<br />
proposed, but Swedish engineers<br />
suggested Grahamstown Moors be<br />
converted into a dam with water diverted<br />
from the Williams River to replenish<br />
supplies as needed. This was a much<br />
easier and less expensive option, work<br />
on the scheme began in 1956.<br />
Rising Wealth and Droughts<br />
With a strong economy living standards<br />
and consumer spending rose steeply<br />
During the construction of the entire<br />
Grahamstown supply system (1956-65<br />
consumption of water rose 62%<br />
Grahamstown was the saviour of the<br />
Newcastle Region in 1964-65 during the<br />
most severe drought since records began<br />
in 1858. It continues to be our most<br />
important water storage source.<br />
Gardens Pools Dishwashers<br />
The warning signs of the 1970s did<br />
not prevent water use rising in the early<br />
1980s. Strong growth in new homes,<br />
pools, dishwashers, larger gardens &<br />
greener lawns sustained rising<br />
water consumption. But instead of<br />
building a another dam at considerable<br />
expense a new approach was<br />
considered - one that saw water as a<br />
valuable and finite resource.<br />
1903<br />
1955<br />
1965<br />
1980<br />
An Off River Storage System<br />
The catchment for Grahamstown Dam<br />
is only 70km2; to maintain water levels<br />
a weir was built on the Williams River at<br />
Seaham - water from the Williams is<br />
diverted along the Balickera Canal into<br />
Grahamstown Dam. The dam holds<br />
131,000 ML covers 2,500 hectares and<br />
is 6m deep. <strong>Water</strong> from Grahamstown<br />
is also treated at Tomago Treatment<br />
Plant, where it is mixed with treated<br />
sandbed water.<br />
Oil, Inflation and Unemployment<br />
During the 1970s western economies<br />
suffered a huge jump in the cost of oil<br />
as supply failed to meet demand. This<br />
resulted in both high inflation and high<br />
unemployment. We realised that<br />
our natural resources were not<br />
unlimited and that we needed to<br />
protect and manage our environment<br />
on a sustainable basis. The high<br />
economic and consumption growth<br />
since the early 1950s was no longer<br />
automatic or sustainable.<br />
Droughts and Tough Decisions<br />
In 1982 the east coast of Australia<br />
suffered it’s worst period of drought<br />
since 1965. The importance and the<br />
limit of our drinking water supplies<br />
became more widely appreciated.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> also raised the idea of<br />
rewarding people for conserving water<br />
and discouraging them from<br />
unnecessary water consumption via a<br />
pricing system that placed a more<br />
accurate value on our water.<br />
1960<br />
1970<br />
1982<br />
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Rewarding <strong>Water</strong> Conservation<br />
A new pricing system for water<br />
use known as ‘user pays’commenced<br />
in July 1982. What it really meantwas a<br />
change in the way water bills were<br />
calculated. For the first time the actual<br />
amount of water used at a property<br />
was the main factor that determined<br />
water charges. <strong>Water</strong> consumption fell<br />
significantly and the need to build<br />
another water source at great expense<br />
was deferred.<br />
How You Can Be <strong>Water</strong>wise<br />
Environmental education strategies<br />
help promote water conservation ideas,<br />
from ways of protecting our catchments,<br />
dams and rivers to saving water around<br />
the home and in the garden. A central idea<br />
stresses that we all benefit from water, and<br />
shouldall help to save and sustain our<br />
community’s water. Together, ‘user pays’,<br />
recycling, new technologies and education<br />
have helped to reduce our overall water<br />
consumption.<br />
Getting More Out Of Our System<br />
Upgrades to the water system include:<br />
a pipeline to Port Stephens to reduce<br />
demand on their sandbeds; a hydro<br />
electric plant at Chichester Dam; new<br />
pumps in the Stockton Sandbeds;<br />
plans to access Stockton Beach<br />
sandbeds during major droughts; and<br />
long-term work to raise the capacity of<br />
Grahamstown Dam by 50%.<br />
1903<br />
1983<br />
1990 2000<br />
RECYCLING WATER FOR INDUSTRY<br />
Growing environmental awareness and<br />
a desire to improve efficiency leads to<br />
a focus on recycling. Drinking water<br />
can be conserved if reclaimed water<br />
from wastewater treatment plants is<br />
used in industrial processes. Today<br />
recycled water is used to generate<br />
electricity, wash coal, fight fires and<br />
water golf courses. <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> is<br />
committed to getting the most from<br />
our existing assets.<br />
1985<br />
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11
1.4 the lower hunter’s water supply<br />
hunter water’s role in water<br />
supply<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> is responsible for supplying<br />
the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> community with a<br />
reliable and healthy supply of water. This<br />
includes urban residents, the commercial<br />
sector and industry in the Newcastle,<br />
Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Cessnock and<br />
Port Stephens local government areas.<br />
Rural communities generally manage their<br />
own water supply by collecting rainwater<br />
in tanks, pumping from groundwater<br />
bores, or pumping from local creeks and<br />
rivers. The water supplies of some towns<br />
are managed by their local council.<br />
Dungog Shire Council, for instance,<br />
purchases bulk drinking water from <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong> and then manages the delivery of<br />
this water to its customers, who pay for a<br />
reticulated water supply.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> operates five water<br />
treatment plants (WTPs), 4,270km of<br />
pipes, 77 reservoirs and 74 pump<br />
stations to supply water to homes,shops,<br />
factories, schools and hospitals. A<br />
strategic control centre provides 24hr<br />
monitoring of system performance.<br />
Where are our water SOURCES ?<br />
Chichester Dam<br />
Chichester Dam is the oldest<br />
operational dam in the <strong>Hunter</strong> and was<br />
completed in 1926. It was constructed<br />
on the Chichester River below the<br />
junction of the Wangat and Chichester<br />
Rivers. The catchment covers an area<br />
of 197km2 and includes extensive<br />
forests and high mountains. The<br />
catchment area is relatively unaffected<br />
by pollution caused by human activities.<br />
The dam was constructed using<br />
hundreds of interlocking units of<br />
concrete. Once one block was finished,<br />
the framework was raised ready for<br />
the next, until its final height of 40<br />
metres was reached. The dam can hold<br />
21,500 megalitres of water.<br />
Grahamstown Dam<br />
Grahamstown Dam has been operating<br />
since 1960 and is the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>’s<br />
major urban water supply. It is an off<br />
river storage with water supplied from<br />
both its own catchment through runoff<br />
and by pumping fresh water across<br />
from the Williams River along the<br />
Balickera Canal. It is the largest water<br />
storage facility in <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s area of<br />
operations and can hold 152,000<br />
megalitres of water.<br />
Tomago Sandbeds<br />
Tomago is a local Aboriginal name<br />
for ‘sweet water’. Since 1939 the<br />
Tomago Sandbeds has supplied water<br />
to the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
The sandbeds retain water, which seeps<br />
through the sand, allowing it to<br />
accumulate in the sand as a layer of<br />
water known as an aquifer. The<br />
catchment area covers130km2 and can<br />
hold 60,000 megalitres of water.<br />
Tomaree Sandbeds<br />
The Tomaree Sandbeds consist of an<br />
unconfined aquifer about 15km2 in<br />
area and exceeds a depth of 6.0 metres<br />
in some places.<br />
The Tomaree Sandbeds<br />
are located between Nelson Bay,<br />
Shoal Bay, Fingal Bay and One Mile<br />
Beach. The sandbeds can hold 16,000<br />
megalitres of water. A pipeline was<br />
built by <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> in 2002 from<br />
Tomago WTP to supplement supply<br />
from the Tomaree aquifier.<br />
HOW TO MEASURE WATER<br />
VOLUMES<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s water sources are<br />
Chichester Dam, Grahamstown Dam,<br />
and the Tomago-Tomaree Sandbeds<br />
- all located in either the Williams River<br />
or Port Stephens catchments<br />
Management and protection of these<br />
catchments is vital to safeguard the<br />
quality and quantity of the water supply.<br />
MEASUREMENT SYMBOL VOLUME EQUIVALENT<br />
Millilitre ml 20mls 1 dessert spoon<br />
Litre L 1000ml 1 litre of milk<br />
Kilolitre kl 1000L 1 very full bath<br />
Megalitres ML 1000kl 0.5 olympic pool<br />
Gigalitre GL 1000ML 500 olympic pools<br />
CHICHESTER DAM GRAHAMSTOWN DAM TOMAGO SANDBEDS TOMAREE SANDBEDS<br />
MAXIMUM CAPACITY 21,500 ML 152,000 ML 60,000 ML 16,000 ML<br />
AVERAGE DAILY SUPPLY 90 ML 60 ML 45 ML 7 ML<br />
MAXIMUM DAILY CAPACITY 90 ML 270 ML 140 ML 24 ML<br />
AVERAGE YEARLY EXTRACTION 33 GL 22 GL 16 GL 3 GL<br />
AREA OF STORAGE 180 hectares 2600 hectares n/a n/a<br />
AREA OF CATCHMENT 197km2 99km2 100km2 16km2<br />
AVERAGE DEPTH 35m 7m 20m 35m<br />
HEIGHT OF WALL 43m 10m n/a n/a<br />
LENGTH OF WALL 254m 4.8km n/a n/a<br />
LENGTH OF SPILLWAY 112m 160m n/a n/a<br />
COMMISSIONED 1925 1960 1939 1949<br />
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12
Main infrastructure of <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s water supply system<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010 13
1.5 drinking water treatment<br />
Issues connected with raw<br />
water sources<br />
Raw water from Chichester and<br />
Grahamstown Dams and the Tomago<br />
Sandbeds contains some natural<br />
impurities that need to be removed<br />
prior to distribution to households,<br />
commercial properties and industry.<br />
The raw water may contain clays, silts,<br />
iron,organic matter, manganese, and<br />
micro organisms. In addition, the natural<br />
pH of the water may need to be<br />
adjusted. <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s WTPs are<br />
located near water sources at Dungog,<br />
Tomago, and Tomaree Peninsula.<br />
They produce high quality drinking<br />
water by treating for the following:<br />
• Clays and silts which cause ‘cloudy’<br />
water and particles can shield<br />
1 . Raw <strong>Water</strong><br />
Micro-organisms from disinfection<br />
• natural organic matter, iron and<br />
manganese which cause taste,<br />
odour and discolouration problems<br />
• High or low pH which cause<br />
corrosion, taste and odour<br />
problems, and ineffective<br />
disinfection<br />
Good drinking water<br />
Drinking or ‘potable’ water should be safe<br />
to use and aesthetically pleasing. It<br />
should be clear and colourless, with no<br />
unpalatable taste or odour.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> is required to treat water to<br />
a standard defined by the National Health<br />
and Medical Research Council and<br />
NSW Health.<br />
The key parameters that must be<br />
2 . Coagulation/Flocculation<br />
tested and treated are listed below:<br />
PARAMETER<br />
Physical<br />
Chemical<br />
Microbiological<br />
COMPONENTS<br />
turbidity, pH, colour<br />
iron, zinc, maganese,<br />
copper, fluoride,<br />
aluminium,chlorine,<br />
lead, trihalomethanes<br />
total coliforms,<br />
faecal coliforms<br />
After treatment it is vital that water is<br />
kept clean in the pipes and reservoirs of<br />
the distribution system; all <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong>’s reservoirs have roofs to prevent<br />
pollution from wildlife, dust or<br />
unauthorised access.<br />
The water treatment process<br />
3 . Sedimentation<br />
Rain, river and runoff water is diverted<br />
and stored in dams, then transported<br />
to water treatment plants. Groundwater<br />
is extracted by pumps and also sent to<br />
treatment plants.<br />
Liquid aluminium sulfate (alum) and/or<br />
polymer is added to the raw water causing<br />
tiny dirt particles in the water to stick together<br />
(coagulate). The particles eventually form<br />
larger, heavier particles called flocs that are<br />
easier to remove by settling or filtration.<br />
The water and floc particles flow into<br />
sedimentation basins where the water velocity<br />
slows causing the heavy floc particles to settle<br />
to the bottom. This floc is called sludge and<br />
is piped to drying lagoons. Some plants use<br />
direct filtration where the floc is removed by<br />
filtration only (there is no sedimentation stage).<br />
4 . Filtration<br />
5 . Disinfection<br />
6 . Fluoridation<br />
<strong>Water</strong> flows through a filter that removes<br />
particles from the water. The filters are made<br />
of layers of sand and gravel, and in some<br />
cases, crushed anthracite. Filtration catches<br />
the suspended particles and improves the<br />
effectiveness of disinfection. The filters are<br />
cleaned by a process called ‘backwashing’.<br />
Disinfection removes bacteria, viruses, and<br />
parasites. Chlorine is very effective at<br />
guarding against possible biological<br />
contamination in the distribution system.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> is fluoridated to improve dental health<br />
as required by the Fluoridation of Public<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Supplies Act 1957.<br />
7 . pH correction<br />
8 . Sludge Drying<br />
Lime is added to adjust the pH and stabilise<br />
the naturally soft water, which minimises<br />
corrosion of water pipes and hot<br />
water systems.<br />
Solids collected during sedimentation and<br />
filtration are removed to drying lagoons.<br />
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1.6 the managing groundwater supply<br />
What is groundwater?<br />
Groundwater is water that has fallen<br />
as rain, infiltrates the soil and becomes<br />
stored under the ground. It commonly<br />
occurs in sandy areas where water can<br />
permeate the soil. Large quantities of<br />
groundwater can often be captured and<br />
stored in underground geological storage<br />
areas known as aquifiers. Farmers and<br />
land owners often search out groundwater<br />
and bring it to the surface using a bore<br />
This water is known as ‘borewater’.<br />
Since groundwater is located underground<br />
and out of sight, it is often difficult to<br />
understand its character. However, studies<br />
have shown that groundwater is critical to<br />
the maintenance of ecosystems,especially<br />
to adjacent wetlands and deep-rooted<br />
native forests that take advantage of the<br />
stored water.<br />
Groundwater forms an important part of<br />
the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>‘s water supply. Aquifers<br />
and borewater have always been<br />
important sources of water for rural users<br />
Recent urban growth has meant that they<br />
are now even more important sources of<br />
drinking water for the Tomaree and<br />
Tilligerry Peninsulas in Port Stephens, and<br />
as a security against drought for other<br />
areas of the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> groundwater sources<br />
There are many small localised aquifers in<br />
the <strong>Hunter</strong>, but three have been identified<br />
as significant sourcesof water:<br />
Tomago,Tomaree and North Stockton<br />
aquifiers.They cover an area of 275km<br />
along a 10 15km wide coastal strip that<br />
extends from the <strong>Hunter</strong> estuary in the<br />
south to Port Stephens in the north.<br />
The volume of water stored in the aquifer<br />
is approximately 60 gigalitres (or 60,000<br />
million litres). This large volume of<br />
groundwater is a valuable source of<br />
back-up water for urban areas.<br />
Of the three aquifiers Tomago is the most<br />
well-known. Tapped into from 1939, the<br />
Tomago Sandbeds are about 100km2<br />
and 18m deep. Across this area, 520<br />
wells draw water up to 26 pump stations.<br />
After being treated at Grahamstown WTP<br />
the water is sent to Newcastle, Lake<br />
Macquarie and Port Stephens.<br />
The Tomaree aquifier supplies water to<br />
the Tomaree Peninsula, whilst the<br />
North Stockton aquifier is maintained<br />
as a drought reserve.<br />
In 2000 new bores were sunk at the northern<br />
end of the Tomago Sanbeds<br />
The Tomago Sandbeds looking north-east<br />
towards Port Stephens<br />
An original map of the Tomago extraction and pumping system<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
15
Impacts on groundwater<br />
quality in the hunter<br />
Groundwater is vulnerable to human<br />
impacts. Even small changes to the<br />
groundwater catchment can create a<br />
slow but significant change to water<br />
quality and quantity over time.<br />
There are a variety of impacts on<br />
groundwater management, including:<br />
• <strong>Water</strong> extraction: overuse of<br />
groundwater can affect the level<br />
of water stocks and potentially<br />
remove the natural buffer between<br />
the aquifer and saline sea water,<br />
allowing a flow of sea water into the<br />
freshwater sandbeds.<br />
• Industrial land use: industrial<br />
development can result in<br />
deforestation, water pollution and<br />
compaction of the sandbeds, and<br />
reduce the storage capacity and<br />
quality of the aquifer.<br />
• Urban development: pesticides<br />
and fertilizers used in urban areas<br />
can infiltrate the soil and move into<br />
the aquifer. Large areas of the land<br />
sealed as roads, roofs, driveways<br />
and paths cause a decrease in<br />
infiltration and thereby reduce<br />
replenishment of groundwater<br />
supplies.<br />
• Sewerage disposal: leaking septic<br />
tanks can seep into groundwater<br />
and cause contamination.<br />
• Mineral and sand mining: can<br />
cause damage to groundwater by<br />
exposing the water to the air. This<br />
begins as a series of chemical<br />
reactions which can result in ‘grey<br />
water’ and increased concentration<br />
of minerals, such as iron.<br />
Managing Groundwater in the<br />
Lower <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
The sustainable management of<br />
groundwater will ensure that this resource<br />
is available for continued human use, and<br />
remain an important factor in sustaining<br />
local ecosystems.<br />
Up until 1991, <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> managed<br />
Tomago Sandbeds to provide water to<br />
Newcastle. Under <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s<br />
management, some groundwater sources<br />
were classified as special areas and<br />
attract a high level of protection. In other<br />
areas licences were necessary to access<br />
a specified volume of water. These<br />
strategies ensured that the quality of<br />
water remained high.<br />
Since 1991 the management of the<br />
sandbeds has been controlled by the<br />
Department of Infrastructure, Planning<br />
and Natural Resources. New legislation<br />
empowered DIPNR to manage the<br />
resource to maximise benefits and<br />
minimise impacts.<br />
The <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> (Special Areas<br />
Regulation came into effect in 2003,<br />
replacing the 1997 regulation. This<br />
regulation gives power to the Director<br />
General to issue directions for the<br />
management, disposal or removal of any<br />
substance that may harm any waters in<br />
the Special Area.<br />
The <strong>Water</strong> Management Licence issued<br />
to <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> under the <strong>Water</strong> Act<br />
1912 is administered by DIPNR. The<br />
licence authorises <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> to take<br />
and use water, and places rules on<br />
extractions from Chichester and the<br />
Williams River, and groundwater from<br />
Tomago and Tomaree Sandbeds.<br />
The licence requires <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s<br />
management of water resources to<br />
follow the principles of sustainability<br />
and to manage its land in order to<br />
protect water quality. Management of<br />
the Sandbeds is guided by the<br />
following principles:<br />
• <strong>Water</strong> levels in the aquifer should<br />
be managed in a way that maintains<br />
the health of wetlands and other<br />
ecosystems<br />
• Unacceptable salt water intrusion<br />
is prevented by maintaining<br />
appropriate water levels<br />
• Unacceptable changes in the<br />
levels of chemical ions in the<br />
groundwater must be prevented<br />
• The amount of groundwater<br />
extracted annually should not<br />
exceed the average annual recharge<br />
(ie the amount of water entering the<br />
aquifer on average each year)<br />
• maintaining a management plan<br />
for the area<br />
Raw water is primarily extracted from the Inner Barrier zone<br />
<strong>Water</strong> from the sandbed is extracted by<br />
sinking bores underground<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
16
<strong>Water</strong> Sharing Plan for the<br />
Tomago, Tomaree and Stockton<br />
Groundwater Sources<br />
It has become necessary to develop<br />
rules about the use of Tomago-<br />
Stockton-Tomaree Sandbeds. These<br />
rules are in the <strong>Water</strong> Sharing Plan<br />
for Tomago, Tomaree and Stockton<br />
Groundwater Sources.<br />
The <strong>Water</strong> Sharing Plan was required<br />
by the NSW Government and developed<br />
by a committee of government,<br />
agriculture, industry, indigenous and<br />
environmental groups. It aims to provide<br />
for the environmental protection of the<br />
groundwater sources and to give direction<br />
on how water will be allocated and shared<br />
among different water users.<br />
The Plan recognises a number of<br />
important issues regarding the<br />
sustainable mangement of the <strong>Hunter</strong>’s<br />
groundwater sources:<br />
• Climatic variability causes<br />
variation in the amount of rainfall<br />
and infiltration which ‘top up’ the<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>’s groundwater<br />
• Residential and tourist<br />
development is placing increased<br />
demand on the water source<br />
• The groundwater supports a<br />
number of ecosystems in the area<br />
ie terrestrial vegetation, wetland,<br />
coastal sand dunes<br />
• The groundwater provides important<br />
flows to rivers and tidal creeks<br />
• The groundwater source areas are<br />
spiritually and culturally significant<br />
to the Worimi aborigines<br />
The extraction of water under these rules<br />
is monitored and reviewed every five<br />
years under the provisions of the <strong>Water</strong><br />
Management Act 2000. The table below<br />
outlines the water requirements and<br />
extraction limits for groundwater sources.<br />
Groundwater Recharge: water<br />
requirements and extraction<br />
limits at start of Plan (ML/year)<br />
Groundwater<br />
source<br />
#Average<br />
annual<br />
recharge<br />
#Environmental<br />
water from<br />
recharge<br />
Landholder<br />
basic rights<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
share<br />
components<br />
Other licenced<br />
share<br />
components<br />
#Extraction<br />
limit<br />
Tomago 35,700 10,700 1,000 25,300 1,300 25,000<br />
Tomaree 8,600 2,600 3,000 3,700 800 6,000<br />
Stockton 20,000 6,000 2,000 0 3,100 14,000<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
17
1.7 impacts on catchment water quality<br />
Catchments and water quality<br />
The <strong>Hunter</strong> is one of few regions in the<br />
world with large protected catchments for<br />
its water sources.Very few people live in<br />
these catchment areas and public access,<br />
recreation and other activities that could<br />
degrade water quality are minimised.<br />
However, the water entering the major<br />
water storage and supply facilities<br />
can still be affected by land uses such<br />
as agriculture, forestry and urban<br />
development.<br />
These land uses can affect water quality<br />
through erosion and sedimentation of soil,<br />
application of pesticides, fertilisers and<br />
other chemicals over the land, and through<br />
high levels of nutrients and bacteria from<br />
animal wastes.<br />
Despite having well-protected water<br />
supply catchments, many factors<br />
impact on the <strong>Hunter</strong> catchment and<br />
may therefore still impact on the water<br />
supply. These can be divided into<br />
human and non-human (or ‘natural’)<br />
impacts on the waterways.<br />
Good vegetation cover on riverbanks reduces<br />
erosion and turbidity<br />
Natural influences oN<br />
catchment water quality<br />
Geology and soil types<br />
Much of the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> floodplain is<br />
underlain by sedimentary rock formed<br />
during the Permian geological period. At<br />
that time brackish swamps with naturally<br />
high salt levels covered the area. This salty<br />
bedrock and associated groundwater<br />
now sit relatively close to the surface.<br />
Erosion can expose the salty rock material<br />
and evaporation and capillary action<br />
combine to bring the salty groundwater<br />
to the surface. Rainfall over these areas<br />
dissolves salts and transports them to<br />
local waterways.<br />
Basalt is naturally high in phosphorus and<br />
is the main geology of the Barrington Tops,<br />
which form the headwaters of the Williams<br />
River catchment. This area includes old<br />
volcanoes and rock formed from basalt<br />
flows and dykes during the Tertiary<br />
geological period. Weathering basalt<br />
and erosion of basaltic soils contributes<br />
phosphorus to waterways.<br />
Vegetation cover<br />
Vegetation coverage maintains cleaner<br />
water by minimising erosion, dryland<br />
salinity and filtering surface water.<br />
The loss of riparian vegetation makes<br />
riverbanks more prone to erosion as<br />
the deep roots that once stabilised<br />
the soil are removed. Erosion of the<br />
riverbank results in increased sediment<br />
in waterways, affecting water quality<br />
parameters such as turbidity and<br />
dissolved oxygen.<br />
Clearing native vegetation is also<br />
a major cause of dryland salinity.<br />
Removing this deep-rooted vegetation<br />
results in salty groundwater rising<br />
towards the surface through<br />
evaporation.<br />
As water flows over land affected<br />
by salinity, it dissolves salts and<br />
transports these into nearby<br />
waterways.<br />
Climate<br />
Climate affects the volume of water in<br />
waterways, either diluting or concentrating<br />
contaminants. Climate can fluctuate<br />
greatly, bringing about major changes in<br />
water quantity in a relatively short period of<br />
time. For instance, during 2001-02 water<br />
flow in the Williams River ranged from<br />
three ML/day to more than 11,000 ML/day.<br />
Human influences oN<br />
catchment water quality<br />
Urban and industrial development<br />
The ongoing development of industry and<br />
expansion of urban areas can have a major<br />
impact on water quality. Large areas of<br />
vegetation are often cleared, soil erosion<br />
increases, and stormwater runoff from<br />
these areas become a major source of<br />
nutrients, litter, heavy metals, and bacteria<br />
entering waterways.<br />
Stormwater pollution<br />
Stormwater can flow at high velocities and<br />
is therefore capable of eroding river and<br />
stream banks and carrying large quantities<br />
of litter. Stormwater can also transport<br />
less noticeable forms of pollution such as<br />
detergents from people washing their cars,<br />
nutrients from garden fertilisers and heavy<br />
metals into the water supply. Plastics and<br />
metals can cause harm to aquatic life and<br />
birds, and the addition of nutrients leads to<br />
algal blooms, some of which may be toxic<br />
eg cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).<br />
Agricultural runoff<br />
Fertilisers and animal wastes contribute<br />
nutrients to waterways. While nutrients<br />
are essential to all life, an excess of<br />
nutrients can bring ill health to waterways.<br />
Nutrients of particular concern are nitrogen<br />
and phosphorus. High concentrations<br />
of these in waterways cause excessive<br />
growth of macrophytes (large water<br />
plants), algae, diatoms and blue-green<br />
algae. Decomposition of these plants can<br />
decrease dissolved oxygen, causing fish<br />
kills and affecting other aquatic life.<br />
Agricultural herbicides and pesticides can<br />
also pollute waterways via runoff, causing<br />
a decline in the health of aquatic plant<br />
and animal life. Vegetation clearing and<br />
land cropping can expose the soil and<br />
accelerate erosion, adding more sediment<br />
and organic matter to the waterway.<br />
Animal waste dissolves in runoff and adds<br />
bacteria and nutrients to the water course.<br />
Recreational activities<br />
Recreational activities, such as boating,<br />
can create soil erosion and be a source of<br />
pollutants such as greases, oils, nutrients,<br />
sediment and litter. Weed seeds can be<br />
transported from one waterway to another<br />
by being carried on boats and their<br />
equipment.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010 18
Monitoring the <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
catchment<br />
The population and diversity of aquatic<br />
life are easily affected by environmental<br />
stresses. Organisations such as <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong>, the <strong>Hunter</strong>-Central Rivers<br />
Catchment Management Authority<br />
(HCRCMA), Landcare and <strong>Water</strong>watch<br />
monitor water quality to keep a check on<br />
the health of waterways and the stresses<br />
they face. <strong>Water</strong> quality monitoring<br />
involves checking for changes in aquatic<br />
(biological) life, as well as physical and<br />
chemical parameters.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> works with the HCRMA,<br />
the Department of Environment and<br />
Conservation, the Department of Planning,<br />
Infrastructure and Natural Resources,<br />
Fisheries, the Department of Primary<br />
Industries, landholders and community<br />
groups to protect our catchments and the<br />
quality of local water supply.<br />
Managing the human impacts<br />
on our waterways<br />
Managing human impacts on local<br />
waterways isn’t just the responsibility of<br />
government and industry. Since we all use<br />
and rely on clean water for our existence,<br />
we all have a role to play.<br />
Obtain expert advice<br />
Contact <strong>Water</strong>watch, Bushcare,<br />
Landcare, Dunecare, Councils, <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong> or the CMA for advice about<br />
water-related issues.<br />
Show others what can be achieved<br />
Set a good example for friends, family<br />
and neighbours by conserving water<br />
and provide encouragement for people<br />
become involved and learn more.<br />
Join a community group<br />
Join a local environmental community<br />
group and play an active and rewarding<br />
role in protecting your environment and<br />
your local catchment area.<br />
Don’t overuse detergents and cleaners<br />
Wash vehicles on the lawn, keep<br />
fertilisers and manure away from gutters<br />
and stormwater drains and use lowphosphorus<br />
detergents.<br />
Choose the right product<br />
Purchase and use environmentally friendly<br />
products, recycle where possible and<br />
properly dispose of waste material.<br />
These measures can reduce wate to<br />
landfill requirements and minimise<br />
pollution entering waterways.<br />
Keep sediment out of our waterways<br />
Stop suspended particles such as salt,<br />
clay, sand and silt entering waterways.<br />
These sediments can reduce light<br />
penetration needed for photosynthesis<br />
and absorb heat, which warms the water<br />
and reduces oxygen levels needed by<br />
aquatic fauna.<br />
Maintain grass and tree cover<br />
Good grass and tree coverage minimises<br />
soil washing into gutters, drains and<br />
waterways.<br />
Keep organic matter out of the<br />
waterways<br />
Ensure organic matter from your property<br />
including leaf litter, animal droppings, lawn<br />
clippings and compost material does not<br />
find its way into gutters, drains or any other<br />
waterways.<br />
Safely store and dispose of pollutants<br />
Dispose of pollutants thoughtfully by<br />
taking them to the appropriate collection<br />
point and ensure that all containers are<br />
secure. Special care should be taken with<br />
sump oil, paints, pesticides, fertilisers,<br />
chemicals and poisons.<br />
Students take a ‘catchment crawl’ along the Williams River<br />
Native grasses prevent sediment from entering waterways<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
19
1.8 sustainability and water supply<br />
Ecologically Sustainable<br />
Development indicators<br />
Addressing sustainability<br />
issues<br />
ESD achievements and how<br />
you can help<br />
Ecologically Sustainable Development<br />
(ESD) is a framework which integrates<br />
environmental, economic and social<br />
decision-making into natural resource<br />
management.<br />
ESD principles have become an<br />
important component for <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s<br />
decisions in managing the Lower<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>’s water supply.<br />
A set of ESD ‘indicators’ or criteria have<br />
been developed for <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> to<br />
monitor and report on progress towards<br />
achieving ecological sustainability for<br />
water supply in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
These indicators include:<br />
• Economic<br />
These relate to the direct and<br />
indirect financial impacts on<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s customers (ie<br />
community, business, industry).<br />
Changes to the water supply<br />
system need to be cost-effective<br />
in terms of pricing and incentives.<br />
• Environmental<br />
These involve impacts on<br />
living and non-living natural<br />
systems - ecosystems, air, land<br />
and water. <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> works<br />
with community, government<br />
and industry to take a holistic<br />
catchment approach to planning<br />
and managing the water supply<br />
system. A catchment-wide<br />
approach is an effective way of<br />
improving the health of waterways<br />
as it integrates the management<br />
of land, vegetation and water<br />
resources, rather than dealing with<br />
these natural resources in isolation.<br />
• Social<br />
These address the impacts on<br />
communities in the <strong>Hunter</strong>. They<br />
include qualitative and quantitative<br />
information on public health and<br />
safety, labour practices and social<br />
issues. To achieve sustainable<br />
water resource management<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> keeps the community<br />
informed of decisions regarding<br />
future water resource management.<br />
This also helps develop community<br />
responsibility for minimising the<br />
collective impact on the water<br />
cycle and water supply system.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
Sustainability can be achieved by<br />
following ESD principles and objectives<br />
that ensure the maintenance of<br />
ecological processes and systems.<br />
To make water supply truly sustainable,<br />
these principles and objectives are<br />
integrated into <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s activities<br />
and operations, for example, captial<br />
works and service delivery.<br />
ESD objectives are mandated in NSW<br />
legislation. The core objectives of the<br />
National Strategy for ESD signed by<br />
Australia’s Government are:<br />
• To ensure a path of economic wellbeing<br />
that safeguards the welfare<br />
of future generations, referred to<br />
as ‘intergenerational equity’<br />
• To enhance the individual and<br />
community well-being within and<br />
between generations, referred to<br />
as ‘intragenerational equity’<br />
• To conserve and protect biological<br />
diversity, ecological processes and<br />
life-support systems<br />
The core aspect of these objectives<br />
is that the present generation needs<br />
to ensure the health, diversity and<br />
productivity of the environment for<br />
the benefit of future generations.<br />
Protecting the <strong>Hunter</strong>’s water supply<br />
is a big part of this challenge. ESD<br />
principles highlight the importance of<br />
educating the current generation about<br />
leaving our waterways and environment<br />
intact for the next generation.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> is working towards using<br />
the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) as its<br />
sustainability reporting framework. This<br />
involves reporting on the organisation’s<br />
overall performance against<br />
environmental, economic and social<br />
indicators.<br />
TBL is not meant to involve three separate<br />
figures - one against each indicator.<br />
Instead, it involves one report that<br />
interlinks these indicators to provide a<br />
more transparent and credible system of<br />
reporting on ESD.<br />
Incorporating ESD principles and<br />
objectives into <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s water<br />
supply system can be a challenging<br />
process. Despite this, there have been<br />
many ESD achievements shared by <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong> and the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> community.<br />
Economic<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>:<br />
• Real savings of 40% in operating<br />
cost per property over the last ten<br />
years. Similarly, prices charged to<br />
customers have been reduced by<br />
about 30% in real terms over the<br />
same period.<br />
• The first Australian water supply<br />
authority to fully introduce the<br />
user-pays principle in water and<br />
wastewater services. As a result,<br />
the total demand on water has<br />
remained relatively constant,<br />
despite population growth.<br />
Your Role:<br />
• Reduce your water bill by<br />
conserving water around the home<br />
and garden<br />
• Don’t plant deep-rooted trees<br />
around water pipes and sewer main<br />
to minimise damage to assets<br />
• Keep pollution out of our waterways<br />
to minimise water and wastewater<br />
treatment costs that are otherwise<br />
passed onto consumers<br />
Student plant trees at Edgeworth<br />
Wastewater Treatment Works<br />
20
Environmental<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>:<br />
• Developed the Integrated <strong>Water</strong><br />
Resource Plan that balances the<br />
community’s demand for water<br />
against water supply capacity,<br />
so that sustainable water<br />
management can be achieved.<br />
• Upgrades wastewater treatment<br />
works to bring significant<br />
improvements in the quality<br />
of effluent discharged into the<br />
environment.<br />
• Re-uses the effluent produced by<br />
wastewater treatment works to<br />
reduce demand on drinking water<br />
supplies.<br />
• Maintains domestic water demand<br />
at 214kL per residence per year.<br />
Average household water use in<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s area of operations<br />
has consistently been amongst<br />
the lowest of the major Australian<br />
water supply authorities.<br />
• Works cooperatively with<br />
community and government<br />
agencies to protect catchments<br />
where raw water is sourced. This<br />
includes revegetation along creek<br />
lines, plantings around water<br />
and wastewater treatment works<br />
to create habitat and improve<br />
biodiversity, and installation of<br />
stormwater devices to manage<br />
pollution (eg litter, grass cuttings)<br />
before it washes into drains,<br />
waterways, harbours and our<br />
beaches.<br />
Your Role:<br />
• Keep rubbish, litter and garden<br />
waste out of stormwater drains<br />
• Safely dispose of chemicals, paints,<br />
grease and oils – use drop-off points<br />
at Council waste management sites<br />
• Install water and energy efficient<br />
appliances - remember energy<br />
production also places a major<br />
demand on water sources<br />
• Get involved in Landcare and<br />
<strong>Water</strong>watch activities to help<br />
improve the health of local<br />
waterways<br />
Social<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>:<br />
• Provides a customer contract<br />
that sets a minimum standard for<br />
customer service.<br />
• Implemented the $300 million<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> Sewerage Project that<br />
expanded the provision of<br />
sewerage facilities to 20,000<br />
properties across the <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
• Co-funds Newcastle University<br />
environmental engineering<br />
programs and research into water<br />
sensitive urban design and macroinvertebrates<br />
as water quality<br />
indicators.<br />
• Promotes community ownership<br />
and responsible use of water<br />
resources through public education<br />
programs at events.<br />
• Carries out community<br />
consultation with residents and<br />
interest groups on a number of<br />
issues, eg sewer pump station<br />
upgrades, sewer transport<br />
upgrades, and water pipeline<br />
augmentations.<br />
• Seeks community input to<br />
water related issues through a<br />
Consultative Forum, community<br />
surveys, public meetings and<br />
focus group sessions.<br />
• Monitors customer satisfaction<br />
through surveys.<br />
Your Role:<br />
• Respond to surveys and attend<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s community<br />
information sessions<br />
• Attend a public education event<br />
on water, such as <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s<br />
Catchment Day held during<br />
National <strong>Water</strong> Week in October<br />
every year<br />
• Report leaks in the water transport<br />
network or pollution of water<br />
supplies<br />
• Join a community or environmental<br />
group that works to improve local<br />
waterways<br />
SOME GROUPS THAT HUNTER WATER WORKS WITH<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
21
1.9 waterwatch- playing an active role<br />
What is HUNTER <strong>Water</strong>watch?<br />
<strong>Water</strong>watch is a national school and<br />
community water quality monitoring<br />
program that promotes environmental<br />
awareness and action.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>watch is coordinated by<br />
the <strong>Hunter</strong>-Central Rivers Catchment<br />
Management Authority with the support<br />
and sponsorship of <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, the<br />
Department of Education and the Natural<br />
Heritage Trust.<br />
There are now more than 100<br />
<strong>Water</strong>watch groups in the <strong>Hunter</strong> region<br />
that participate in a variety of waterfocused<br />
activities.<br />
When you join <strong>Water</strong>watch, your school<br />
or community group becomes part of<br />
an expanding network of people who<br />
care about the environment and want to<br />
help improve water quality and aquatic<br />
habitats of our local waterways.<br />
The key to the success of <strong>Water</strong>watch<br />
is the cooperation between schools,<br />
community groups, councils, catchment<br />
management authorities, water utilities<br />
and industry. All of these groups work<br />
together to ensure that everyone plays a<br />
role in keeping our local waterways clean.<br />
Data and information from <strong>Water</strong>watch<br />
activities can be loaded onto the<br />
NSW <strong>Water</strong>watch website at www.<br />
waterwaterwatch.nsw.gov.au<br />
Students take water samples on the Williams<br />
River Catchment Crawl<br />
<strong>Water</strong>watch activities<br />
Spring and Autumn water bug surveys<br />
Schools and community groups journey<br />
down to their local rivers and creeks<br />
to assess water quality by surveying<br />
water bugs. <strong>Water</strong> bugs, also known<br />
as macroinvertebrates, can be used<br />
as biological indicators. A signal of a<br />
waterway in stress can be the absence of<br />
sensitive water bugs and small numbers<br />
or low diversity of water bugs. Collecting<br />
and identifying water bugs can therefore<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
provide a snapshot of the health of local<br />
waterways.<br />
Apart from <strong>Water</strong>watch and Landcare<br />
groups, schools, property owners,<br />
guides and scouts all participate in<br />
the <strong>Water</strong>watch bug surveys. Anyone<br />
interested in water quality and the health<br />
of the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> catchment can pull<br />
on their gumboots, wade into the water<br />
and get involved.<br />
Visit www.bugsurvey.nsw.gov.au to<br />
get involved in the Spring and Autumn<br />
bug surveys. This site also provides<br />
information on the following:<br />
• Conducting a water bug survey<br />
• A guide to help you identify bugs<br />
• Calculating the health of the<br />
waterways<br />
• Hints on catching and caring for your<br />
bugs<br />
Murder Under the Microscope<br />
Somehow… somewhere… an<br />
environmental crime has been<br />
committed. Working in teams and<br />
researching the evidence, thousands<br />
of students across Australia become<br />
detectives and race against the clock to<br />
crack an environmental murder mystery.<br />
Murder Under the Microscope is an<br />
interactive educational eco-game that<br />
uses satellite technology, the internet,<br />
and interactive television to beam clues<br />
on an environmental crime into the<br />
classroom.<br />
Murder Under the Microscope takes<br />
place annually in Term 2 and is open<br />
to students in Years 5 to 8. It is a great<br />
activity for students to develop skills in<br />
research and problem solving, and to<br />
learn about current environmental issues.<br />
Catchment Crawls<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>watch coordinates<br />
Catchment Crawls that involve students<br />
and teachers investigating the impact of<br />
urbanisation, land use and our way of life<br />
on local waterways and catchments.<br />
During a ‘crawl’ a number of key sites<br />
are visited to conduct litter surveys, drain<br />
stencilling, site and habitat assessments,<br />
water quality monitoring and<br />
macroinvertebrate (water bug) surveys .<br />
The ‘crawlers’ also have the opportunity<br />
to interview and discuss issues with guest<br />
speakers such as <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> staff<br />
and community members. These people<br />
provide in-depth local knowledge about<br />
environmental issues and discuss steps<br />
being taken to resolve any problems.<br />
Catchment Crawls are a practical and<br />
fun way for students and teachers to<br />
learn more about their local environment,<br />
and provides a great day out with handson<br />
learning and development of skills.<br />
Student reports from Catchment Crawls<br />
across the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> are available<br />
by visiting the <strong>Hunter</strong>-Central Rivers<br />
Catchment Management Authority<br />
website:<br />
www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au<br />
Students count bugs during a catchment<br />
crawl of the Williams River<br />
<strong>Water</strong>watch case studies<br />
The following case studies demonstrate<br />
some of the activities of local schools<br />
involved in <strong>Water</strong>watch.<br />
Metford Public School<br />
Metford Public School’s environment<br />
team regularly monitor Melaleuca Ponds<br />
opposite their school. These ponds<br />
connect to Four Mile Creek and the<br />
Tenambit Wetlands. Since becoming<br />
involved in <strong>Water</strong>watch activities, the<br />
environment team have participated<br />
in water bug surveys, Phosphorus<br />
Awareness Day, tree planting and<br />
Clean Up Australia Day, along with<br />
water quality monitoring. Over time<br />
the students have noted changes in<br />
water quality and observed subsequent<br />
changes in the wetland.<br />
A problem for Metford Public School’s<br />
<strong>Water</strong>watchers involved polystyrene<br />
foam washing into the ponds from the<br />
stormwater drainage system each time<br />
it rained. The foam is manufactured in<br />
large blocks and is used on building<br />
sites in the laying of concrete slabs.<br />
22
The Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) was<br />
washing into the wetlands from nearby<br />
residential development as not all could<br />
be caught in the gross pollutant trap<br />
upstream.<br />
After repeatedly cleaning up the<br />
wetlands, Metford Public School worked<br />
with <strong>Hunter</strong>-Central Rivers <strong>Water</strong>watch<br />
Coordinators and Maitland City Council<br />
to inform local manufacturers and Lower<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> local councils of the problems<br />
associated with EPS.<br />
EPS is longer a problem at Melaleuca<br />
Ponds due to the student’s efforts.<br />
Manufacturers have agreed to assist in<br />
cleaning up sites where EPS waste from<br />
building developments is a problem.<br />
Local councils are monitoring building<br />
sites and issuing fines for unsecured<br />
EPS. The result is that EPS no longer<br />
gets into our waterways.<br />
Metford Public School students help to<br />
clean up Melaleuca Ponds<br />
Lambton High School<br />
A group of <strong>Water</strong>watch students from<br />
Lambton High School has helped<br />
Newcastle City Council naturalise a<br />
stormwater entrance to Lambton Park.<br />
The students assisted with re-naming the<br />
creek and attended community meetings<br />
to discuss proposed changes to the<br />
creek. <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> was also involved in<br />
the process.<br />
Since then, students have been testing<br />
the water in Lambton Ker-rai Creek every<br />
fortnight and posting their results on the<br />
<strong>Water</strong>watch website.<br />
As well as water quality monitoring, the<br />
students report rubbish and pollution<br />
incidents at the site, complete water<br />
bug surveys with the assistance of<br />
Council’s ‘Creeks Alive’ team. They also<br />
participate in actions to educate local<br />
residents around Lambton Park to reduce<br />
the amount of material ending up in<br />
stormwater and Lambton Ker-rai Creek.<br />
Based on their work with the local<br />
community, <strong>Water</strong>watch and Newcastle<br />
City Council, Lambton High’s<br />
<strong>Water</strong>watch team made a presentation<br />
in Melbourne as part of the Youth<br />
Challenge – Pathways to Innovation<br />
national competition, and won.<br />
The Lambton High School <strong>Water</strong>watch<br />
team is an excellent example of how<br />
partnerships can be formed between<br />
state and local agencies, schools and<br />
the community to improve our local<br />
environment.<br />
Lambton’s <strong>Water</strong>watch team conduct a<br />
bug survey at Ker-rai Creek<br />
Cessnock West Public School<br />
Cessnock West Public School students<br />
enjoy being outside and learning about<br />
environmental issues - the perfect<br />
reason for <strong>Water</strong>watch activities to be so<br />
popular with these students.<br />
During Autumn and Spring, students<br />
collect household items such as old broom<br />
handles, stockings, foam trays, netting and<br />
coathangers to make nets and other bugcatching<br />
tools. This work is to prepare for<br />
the Autumn and Spring bug surveys.<br />
Students congregate at Black Creek, and<br />
work in groups to collect water bugs along<br />
the water’s edge. The bugs are identified,<br />
sorted, counted and then returned to the<br />
creek once the survey is finished.<br />
Back at school the results are tallied<br />
and submitted to the <strong>Water</strong> Bug Survey<br />
website. The bug surveys have provided<br />
an excellent opportunity for students to<br />
become aware of the health of their local<br />
creek and to appreciate how this may<br />
change with time.<br />
getting involved<br />
Primary schools<br />
Primary schools can become involved<br />
in the Junior <strong>Water</strong>watch program that<br />
includes simple water quality testing,<br />
water bug surveys, and taking part in<br />
Murder Under the Microscope.<br />
High schools<br />
Junior high school students can become<br />
involved in the Junior <strong>Water</strong>watch<br />
program, whilst senior students may be<br />
involved in conducting more complex<br />
water quality testing and analysis, and<br />
water bug surveys.<br />
Community groups<br />
Community groups can form their own<br />
<strong>Water</strong>watch group and conduct water<br />
quality tests and water bug surveys.<br />
Forming a <strong>Water</strong>watch group is a great<br />
way to meet local residents who have<br />
an interest in caring for local waterways.<br />
Results from school and community<br />
water quality monitoring are invaluable in<br />
assessing whether targets for restoring<br />
and maintaining the health of the Lower<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> catchment are being achieved.<br />
If you would like to find out more<br />
contact:<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>watch Coordinator<br />
colin.mondy@cma.nsw.gov.au<br />
Tel: 4930 1030<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
23
1.10 landcare and waterways<br />
What is Landcare?<br />
Landcare is an Australian environmental<br />
movement based on groups of<br />
volunteers who work in their local area<br />
and ‘adopt’ a site to restore or maintain.<br />
Some Landcare groups conduct<br />
education programs but most work is<br />
hands-on work for the environment.<br />
Landcare and waterways<br />
Many Landcare projects near waterways<br />
typically involve revegetation, weeding,<br />
erosion control, water quality testing,<br />
litter control and habitat creation for<br />
native wildlife. The benefits of Landcare<br />
for our waterways are:<br />
Environmental<br />
• Revegetation of riverbanks and<br />
wetlands increases biodiversity and<br />
reduces erosion, which stabilises<br />
the soil and improves soil and water<br />
quality<br />
• Building mounds and swales can<br />
redirect runoff and slow water flow,<br />
thereby reducing erosion<br />
• Reducing weeds and litter improves<br />
the health and amenity of the local<br />
area<br />
• Conducting water quality monitoring<br />
contributes to water quality<br />
databases eg <strong>Water</strong>watch to help us<br />
understand our local waterways and<br />
how we can manage them better<br />
Social<br />
• School students and community<br />
members gain practical skills and<br />
knowledge through being involved in<br />
Landcare and <strong>Water</strong>watch<br />
• People working together on local<br />
environmental problems generates<br />
community spirit<br />
Economic<br />
• Increasing the value of the land by<br />
restoring productivity and improving<br />
its amenity<br />
• Improved health of estuaries and<br />
wetlands help to maintain the<br />
breeding of fish and prawns which is<br />
an income source for the<br />
Lower <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
Partnerships and cooperation<br />
In recent years all levels of government<br />
have begun to understand the<br />
contribution that Landcare groups make<br />
to local communities and environments.<br />
Many Landcare groups contribute<br />
skills and time towards a local project,<br />
while government agencies contribute<br />
financial support.<br />
People are often attracted to Landcare<br />
because projects are in the area that they<br />
live and they can see the direct benefits<br />
of caring for their local area. Landcare<br />
involves people from many different<br />
backgrounds working together. This<br />
cooperation means that resources can<br />
go further and more can be achieved.<br />
organisations that support<br />
Landcare in the <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> has worked in partnership<br />
with Landcare groups in the Lower<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> region for many years. Support<br />
is available to Landcare groups through<br />
an annual sponsorship program that<br />
funds on-ground works to revegetate<br />
and rehabilitate degraded land and<br />
waterways.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> also works directly with<br />
the <strong>Hunter</strong> Region Landcare Network to<br />
provide small grants to Landcare groups<br />
in its area of operations.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>-Central Rivers Catchment<br />
Management Authority<br />
The CMA is working to build links with<br />
community groups, business, industry<br />
and government throughout the region,<br />
ensuring that all interests and concerns<br />
are considered and that the responsibility<br />
for action is shared.<br />
The CMA’s project officers and<br />
Community Support officers provide<br />
direct assistance to landcare and<br />
community groups who help manage<br />
the region’s natural resources. <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong> works directly with the CMA on<br />
catchment management activities in the<br />
Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
Local councils<br />
Local councils are an important source<br />
of technical information and materials<br />
for environmental projects. Councils<br />
have a specific interest in their local<br />
areas and are often a first point of<br />
contact for Landcare groups setting<br />
up new projects. Many Councils<br />
have established grant programs to<br />
support landcare groups to tackle local<br />
environmental issues.<br />
Local schools<br />
Schools can form their own Landcare<br />
group or work cooperatively with a<br />
Landcare group from their community.<br />
For instance, Metford Public School<br />
formed their Landcare group in 1996.<br />
This group works with community<br />
members and are stewards of their local<br />
wetland – Melaleuca Ponds. Teachers<br />
and students regularly carry out water<br />
quality monitoring, litter removal,<br />
revegetation, and raise awareness<br />
in their local community about the<br />
importance of the ponds and working<br />
together to keep them clean.<br />
Holy Family Primary School Landcare<br />
group has established an on-site native<br />
plant nursery and supplies plants to<br />
other Landcare groups in their local area.<br />
Teachers and students have worked<br />
over several years to install a number<br />
of rainwater tanks that feed into an<br />
artificially created wetland on the school<br />
grounds.<br />
Landcare Actions in the <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
There are more than 300 landcare groups<br />
throughout the <strong>Hunter</strong> with a total<br />
membership of nearly 10,000 people.<br />
These groups work on many different<br />
projects - here is a sample of activities<br />
you may be involved in if you join a<br />
Landcare group.<br />
Earthcare Park East Maitland<br />
The Earthcare Park and Education<br />
Centre Landcare group has been<br />
working on the rehabilitation of degraded<br />
bushland and a portion of Tenambit<br />
Wetland since 1996.<br />
Their site activities began with removing<br />
cattle and then by conducting a series<br />
of environmental investigations of the<br />
sites flora, fauna, soils, archaeology and<br />
hydrology. The results helped to highlight<br />
the issues that needed attention.<br />
A plan of action was developed and<br />
funds raised to carry out rehabilitation<br />
and education. Monitoring and<br />
evaluation keeps track of the group’s<br />
outcomes. About 500 hours of volunteer<br />
24
labour is invested on the site annually<br />
and over 5000 native plants have been<br />
established onsite to improve water<br />
quality, habitat and biodiversity.<br />
The group has also been involved<br />
in education initiatives, including<br />
workshops on sustainable land use,<br />
planning and design, permaculture,<br />
bushland regeneration, and local<br />
bushfoods.<br />
Warners Bay Landcare<br />
The Warners Bay Landcare Group<br />
was formed in 1999 with a mission to<br />
protect and improve the aquatic and<br />
terrestrial environments of the Warners<br />
Bay catchment through education and<br />
rehabilitation.<br />
A major project of the group has<br />
been the Warners Bay Riparian Zone<br />
Rehabilitation and Wildlife Corridor<br />
Extension. This project aims to improve<br />
water quality and provide wildlife habitat.<br />
The project has achieved some<br />
impressive outcomes within three years:<br />
• Established 51,239 native plants<br />
on three hectares<br />
• Controlled 4.25 hectares of weeds<br />
• Installed 0.83 kilometres of<br />
protective fencing<br />
• Re-introduced 5,000 native Bass<br />
to North and South Creeks and<br />
Lakelands Wetland<br />
Wollombi Landcare<br />
Most farmers know that willow branches<br />
will grow into trees if they are pushed<br />
deeply into the ground, but few people<br />
know that this technique will produce<br />
similar results if applied to natives.<br />
With the help of Wollombi Landcare<br />
Group, Bill Hicks has perfected a<br />
technique called longstem tubestock<br />
planting to restore and conserve river<br />
systems affected by degradation.<br />
Using native plants, the longstem<br />
tubestock system duplicates all the<br />
advantages offered by willows for<br />
streambank stabilisation. The plants<br />
not only have the ability to restore a<br />
degraded riparian environment, but also<br />
revive the native ecology.<br />
Landholders caring for our waterways<br />
Individual landholders can also care and<br />
protect our waterways. One of the main<br />
environmental issues being addressed<br />
by landholders in the Paterson-Allyn<br />
and Williams River catchments is how to<br />
better look after local creeks and rivers.<br />
Margaret and Gregan McMahon of<br />
East Seaham are landholders who are<br />
implementing a plan to look after the<br />
land that surrounds waterways on their<br />
property. By adopting rotational grazing<br />
and pasture management practices, they<br />
have made significant environmental<br />
improvements to their property in just a<br />
few years.<br />
Reduction in runoff from the farm<br />
has been dramatic. Before the<br />
improvements, even a few centimetres<br />
of rain would see the farm’s dams begin<br />
to fill as the soils absorption rate was<br />
quickly exceeded. Now barely any runoff<br />
reaches the dams.<br />
Practically all rain is absorbed by the<br />
deep, healthy topsoil that now exists,<br />
and this has provided for an abundance<br />
of pasture. The McMahon’s feel they<br />
will be well prepared to handle the next<br />
drought because they are now managing<br />
their property in the best way to handle<br />
Australia’s weather cycles.<br />
The improvements have also had<br />
an almost immediate benefit to their<br />
income, allowing the McMahon’s to<br />
increase the amount of cattle that can be<br />
sustainably carried on the property.<br />
Margaret and Gregan have also<br />
increased the forest cover on the<br />
property by allowing sections to naturally<br />
regenerate. These parts of the farm<br />
have not been removed from grazing<br />
production, but because parts have been<br />
selectively grazed, native plants have<br />
regenerated successfully.<br />
These sections were chosen from a<br />
wildlife habitat perspective, as they link<br />
the small existing strands of forest on the<br />
property to adjacent holdings.<br />
The works that are an excellent example<br />
of how landholders can carry out their<br />
own Landcare activities. It demonstrates<br />
that land can be managed in a way that<br />
is highly productive without impacting<br />
negatively on the environment.<br />
Other landholders in the district are<br />
now undertaking similar works to make<br />
the Paterson-Allyn and Williams River<br />
catchments a healthier place for all.<br />
Getting involved<br />
If you would like to find out more contact:<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> Region Landcare Network<br />
Coordinator<br />
hrln@hunterlink.net.au<br />
Tel: 4955 0792<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
25
influences on water supply in the hunter<br />
worksheet 1<br />
Background<br />
A number of factors affect the<br />
volume of water supply in the <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
They include climatic and weather<br />
conditions, vegetation coverage, and<br />
water demand by humans. Each of these<br />
factors affect the availability of freshwater<br />
by impacting on the water cycle.<br />
Fluctuations in rainfall are strongly<br />
connected with the climate<br />
phenomenon called the Southern<br />
Oscillation, a major air pressure shift<br />
between the Asian and east Pacific<br />
regions. The best known extremes of<br />
this are El Niño and La Niña events,<br />
where rainfall is generally reduced (El<br />
Niño) or increased (La Niña).<br />
El Niño refers to a sequence of<br />
changes in ocean and atmospheric<br />
circulations across the Pacific Ocean<br />
and Indonesian archipelago when<br />
warming is particularly strong, resulting<br />
in altered weather conditions.<br />
Put simply, El Niño brings reduced<br />
rainfall conditions to eastern and<br />
northern Australia, particularly during<br />
winter, spring and early summer. El<br />
Niño events occur about every four<br />
to seven years and typically last for<br />
around 12 to 18 months. They are a<br />
natural part of the climate system and<br />
have been affecting the Pacific Basin<br />
for thousands of years.<br />
The El Niño effect can reduce the<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>’s water supply during the<br />
months that it endures.<br />
RESEARCH Activity<br />
Managing our water supplies is a<br />
complex task. Each of the influences<br />
outlined in the table (overleaf) don’t<br />
operate on their own; they interact to<br />
reinforce or cancel out each other’s effect.<br />
Using the fact sheet Impacts on<br />
Catchment <strong>Water</strong> Quality as a starting<br />
point, research the natural and human<br />
influences on the water cycle. After<br />
doing this, briefly comment on how each<br />
‘influence’ outlined in the table affects<br />
our freshwater supplies in the <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
26
influences on water supply in the hunter<br />
worksheet 1<br />
influence<br />
connection with the<br />
water cycle<br />
INCREASE OR<br />
DECREASE SUPPLY<br />
EL NINO<br />
Ocean temperatures increase with increased evaporation, followed<br />
by extensive cloud cover (condensation).Trade winds move<br />
eastwards away from the east coast of Australia (there is a reversal<br />
of the Southern Oscillation). This cuts off a major moisture source<br />
and precipitation is decreased over the land.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> supplies decrease<br />
DROUGHT<br />
HOT DRY WINDS<br />
LARGE SCALE<br />
VEGETATION<br />
CLEARING<br />
SMART WATER USE<br />
AND WATER<br />
CONSERVATION<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
27
ainfall patterns and water supply<br />
worksheet 2<br />
Background<br />
Australia is one of the driest continents<br />
on earth although rainfall varies greatly<br />
across the continent. Some regions,<br />
such as the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>, receive more<br />
rainfall annually than parts of England<br />
and South America, whilst other regions<br />
receive less than the Sahara Desert.<br />
The Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> catchment has<br />
a varied climate, depending on the<br />
elevation and proximity to the ocean.<br />
Coastal areas and the area around<br />
Barrington Tops receive quite high<br />
rainfall which generally falls between<br />
January and March, and again in midwinter.<br />
The lowest rainfall periods are<br />
spring and summer.<br />
High rainfall variability throughout the<br />
year means that the catchment can<br />
potentially be wet or dry in any month.<br />
This feature has been observed in<br />
measured flows of the Williams River,<br />
which supplies water to Grahamstown<br />
Dam. Importantly it is variability in<br />
rainfall that is the more critical issue for<br />
water supply in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> (and<br />
Australia) than total rainfall.<br />
Activity<br />
The table below provides average<br />
monthly rainfall and corresponding<br />
water storage levels in Chichester<br />
Dam over a three-year period. Using<br />
the data draw a graph that illustrates<br />
the changes in rainfall compared with<br />
the corresponding changes in water<br />
storage levels. Analyse the data<br />
and graph and respond to the<br />
questions (overleaf). On the left make<br />
a rainfall scale of 0 to 275 and on the<br />
right a water level scale from 60 to100.<br />
2002<br />
2003<br />
J F M A M J J A S O N D<br />
J F M A M J J<br />
RAIN<br />
RAIN<br />
49 192 104 49 87 79 11 28 27 15 65 232 32 140 130 131 197 30 34<br />
IN mm IN mm<br />
LEVEL<br />
AS % 90 96 99 100 99 100 96 89 87 81 70 85 LEVEL<br />
93 86 87 93 98 87 85<br />
AS %<br />
A S<br />
37 1<br />
82 75<br />
O<br />
87<br />
70<br />
N<br />
200<br />
65<br />
D<br />
119<br />
95<br />
RAIN<br />
IN mm<br />
LEVEL<br />
AS %<br />
2004<br />
J F M A M J J A S O N D<br />
138 170 235 15 60 12 42 45 71 270 58 93<br />
96 94 100 100 95 87 78 73 66 76 99 97<br />
your graph<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
28
ainfall patterns and water supply<br />
worksheet 2<br />
Questions<br />
1 What trends can you see in annual rainfall patterns, both within each year and between the three years?<br />
2 <strong>Water</strong> restrictions are generally enforced if total water storage levels fall below 60%. Would water<br />
restrictions have been applied at any stage over the three years?<br />
3 If so, when and for how long might the restrictions have lasted?<br />
4 What was the relationship between rainfall and water storage levels?<br />
5 List the other factors that affect water storage and outline how they may affect water storage?<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
29
managing water supply sustainably<br />
worksheet 3<br />
background<br />
The demand for a reliable and safe<br />
water supply brings with it a number<br />
of impacts. Environmental, social and<br />
economic considerations must be<br />
taken into account when managing<br />
water supply. Sustainability can be<br />
achieved by following Ecologically<br />
Sustainable Development (ESD)<br />
principles and objectives that ensure<br />
the maintenance of ecological<br />
processes and systems. The core<br />
objectives of the National Strategy for<br />
ESD are to:<br />
• Ensure economic well-being that<br />
safeguards the welfare of future<br />
generations (‘intergenerational<br />
equity’)<br />
• Enhance the individual and<br />
community well-being within<br />
and between generations<br />
(‘intragenerational equity’)<br />
• Conserve and protect biological<br />
diversity and essential ecological<br />
processes and life-support<br />
systems<br />
This worksheet involves students in<br />
research, reflection and problem-solving<br />
in response to a hypothetical situation<br />
concerning sustainable management of<br />
water supply in the <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
THE CURRENT SITUATION<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> is responsible<br />
for supplying the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
community with a reliable and healthy<br />
supply of water. This includes urban<br />
residents and industry in Newcastle,<br />
Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Cessnock<br />
and Port Stephens. To meet the<br />
water demands of its customers,<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> extracts water from<br />
four main sources: Chichester Dam,<br />
Grahamstown Dam, Tomago Sandbeds<br />
and the Tomaree Sandbeds, located<br />
in either the Williams River or Port<br />
Stephens catchments. The population<br />
of the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> region is steadily<br />
growing, placing extra demand on the<br />
area’s water supplies. Some action<br />
will be needed to meet the additional<br />
demand, but every option has specific<br />
costs and benefits. These options must<br />
be fully considered in terms of ESD<br />
principles if we are to ensure sustainable<br />
management of the water supply.<br />
The hypothetical options<br />
Let’s say there are two main options to<br />
help address the growing demand on<br />
the <strong>Hunter</strong>’s water supplies:<br />
• Introduce widespread and<br />
effective water conservation<br />
measures in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
• Build a dam across the Tillegra<br />
River, on gently sloping land that<br />
is a mix of grazing, dairy, native<br />
forests<br />
The activity<br />
Choose one or both of the hypothetical<br />
options outlined above and get your<br />
group to:<br />
• Discuss how population increases<br />
and lifestyle changes impact on<br />
water supply. Understanding what<br />
causes increased demand can<br />
help in developing preventative<br />
measures to manage demand on<br />
water supplies.<br />
• Identify the major elements of<br />
each hypothetical option. For<br />
example: What kind of measures<br />
to conserve water could be<br />
implemented? What would<br />
construction of a new dam<br />
involve?<br />
• Identify the key stakeholders<br />
associated with the option. For<br />
example: Who would be involved<br />
in the decision-making? Who will<br />
be affected by the option and<br />
therefore need to be consulted?<br />
• Identify the different viewpoints of<br />
stakeholders and assess whether<br />
they would generally be for,<br />
against, or neutral regarding the<br />
option.<br />
• Investigate the possible<br />
environmental, social and<br />
economic impacts of the option.<br />
• Propose possible alternatives<br />
to address conflict surrounding<br />
the option and address (ESD)<br />
principles.<br />
• Convene a public meeting (ie<br />
role play) where the proposal<br />
can be outlined and the views of<br />
the various stakeholders shared.<br />
Classroom consensus could be<br />
sought to determine whether<br />
or not the option has merit and<br />
therefore whether it should be (i)<br />
implemented, (ii) modified, or (iii)<br />
overturned.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
30
managing water supply sustainably<br />
worksheet 3<br />
Useful background material<br />
• Integrated WATER<br />
Resource Plan -<br />
www.hunterwater.comm.au<br />
This plan investigates the range<br />
of options for <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> to<br />
continue to provide a safe and<br />
reliable water supply with the<br />
lowest cost, based on economic,<br />
social and environmental factors.<br />
• www.dams.org<br />
This website for the World<br />
Commission on Dams includes a<br />
detailed report which investigates<br />
and assesses the impacts<br />
associated with development of<br />
new dams.<br />
• www.savewater.com.au<br />
Australia’s leading source on<br />
water conservation. The aim of<br />
this site is to help promote a<br />
more sustainable social, physical<br />
and economic environment by<br />
reducing water consumption and<br />
increasing water efficiency. The<br />
site provides independent expert<br />
advice; a one-stop shop for<br />
information on water conservation;<br />
access to water conservation<br />
products; real life examples of<br />
water conservation in action; and<br />
encourages use of local knowledge,<br />
experience and products.<br />
Wangat Lodge’s<br />
‘Hypotheticals Program’ -<br />
Learning about geographical<br />
issues in context<br />
Nestled in the upper reaches of<br />
the Chichester catchment, Wangat<br />
Lodge offers a range of practical<br />
and educational activities for school<br />
students. The Hypotheticals Program<br />
involves identification and analysis of<br />
contemporary geographical issues<br />
affecting a catchment area in the Lower<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>. The program runs over several<br />
days at Wangat Lodge and incorporates<br />
a program schedule and a range of<br />
complementary activities.<br />
Aim of the Program<br />
The Hypotheticals Program provides<br />
an introduction to the reasoning behind<br />
development projects and the analysis<br />
of their environment and social impacts<br />
in a democratic society.<br />
The program develops self-confidence,<br />
assertiveness, teamwork skills and clear<br />
thinking and judgement in presenting a<br />
viewpoint. A ‘Public Hearing’ requires a<br />
team of students, through research and<br />
evaluation, to present the case for the<br />
development, against the development<br />
or in favour of a compromise solution.<br />
Overview of the Program<br />
• discussion of water supply and<br />
conservation<br />
• working in pro, anti and<br />
compromise groups<br />
• briefings of the development<br />
projects<br />
• consultation with special interest<br />
groups<br />
• field inspections of sites<br />
• slide shows on issues of<br />
sustainable development<br />
• role plays and public hearings<br />
For more information on the<br />
Hypotheticals Program, go to<br />
the Wangat Lodge website<br />
www.wangat.com.au or contact<br />
Wangat Lodge on 4995 9265.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
31
water storage and supply<br />
resource list<br />
1.1 The <strong>Water</strong> Cycle 1.3 History of Our<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Supply<br />
Sources:<br />
We All Use <strong>Water</strong><br />
Australian <strong>Water</strong><br />
Association, 2002<br />
The <strong>Water</strong> Cycle<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002<br />
How Does the <strong>Water</strong><br />
Cycle Work?<br />
Sydney <strong>Water</strong>, 2001<br />
Additional Information:<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
www.hunterwater.com.au<br />
Sydney <strong>Water</strong><br />
www.sydneywater.com.au<br />
Newcastle City Council<br />
www.ncc.nsw.gov.au<br />
Environment Centre of WA<br />
www.ecwa.asn.au<br />
1.2 THE IMPORTANCE OF<br />
CATCHMENTS<br />
Sources:<br />
The <strong>Water</strong> Cycle<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> & Central<br />
Rivers Catchment<br />
Management Authority<br />
www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au<br />
Environmental Report<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2001-02<br />
Additional Information:<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>-Central Rivers<br />
Catchment Management<br />
Authority<br />
www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au<br />
Sydney <strong>Water</strong><br />
www.sydneywater.com.au<br />
Dept. Infrastructure<br />
Planning & Natural<br />
Resources<br />
www.dipnr.nsw.gov.au<br />
Cooperative Research<br />
Centre for Catchment<br />
Hydrology<br />
www.catchment.crc.org.au<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
Sources:<br />
Save and Sustain<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2001<br />
1.4 THE Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>’S<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Supply<br />
Sources:<br />
Environmental Report<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002<br />
A Sense of Place in Maitland<br />
Resource <strong>Kit</strong><br />
Yeend, 2003<br />
Additional Information:<br />
Cooperative Research<br />
Centre for <strong>Water</strong> Quality<br />
& Treatment<br />
www.waterquality.crc.<br />
org.au<br />
National Health and<br />
Medical Research Council<br />
www.health.gov.au<br />
Health <strong>Water</strong> Unit<br />
www.health.nsw.gov.au<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
www.hunterwater.com.au<br />
1.5 DRINKING WATER<br />
TREATMENT<br />
1.6 Managing<br />
Groundwater SUPPLY<br />
Sources:<br />
Groundwater<br />
Management Plan<br />
Dept. Land & <strong>Water</strong><br />
Conservation, 2002<br />
Environmental Report<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2001-02<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Sharing Plan for<br />
Tomago, Tomaree and<br />
Stockton Groundwater<br />
Sources<br />
Dept. Sustainable Natural<br />
Resources, 2003<br />
Additional Information:<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>-Central Rivers<br />
Catchment Management<br />
Authority<br />
www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au<br />
Dept. Infrastructure<br />
Planning & Natural<br />
Resources<br />
www.dipnr.nsw.gov.au<br />
National Centre for<br />
Groundwater<br />
Management<br />
www.groundwater.ncgm.<br />
uts.edu.au<br />
CSIRO Land & <strong>Water</strong><br />
www.clw.csiro.au<br />
1.7 Impacts on Catchment<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Quality<br />
Sources:<br />
Protecting Our<br />
Catchments<br />
www.hunterwater.com.au<br />
A Sense of Place in Maitland<br />
Resource <strong>Kit</strong><br />
Yeend, 2003<br />
We All Use <strong>Water</strong><br />
Australian Association of<br />
<strong>Water</strong>, 2002<br />
Additional Information:<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>-Central Rivers<br />
Catchment Management<br />
Authority<br />
www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au<br />
Dept. Environment &<br />
Conservation<br />
www.environment.nsw.<br />
gov.au<br />
Dept. Infrastructure,<br />
Planning & Natural<br />
Resources<br />
www.dipnr.nsw.gov.au<br />
Dept. Environment &<br />
Heritage<br />
www.deh.gov.au<br />
River Landscapes<br />
www.rivers.gov.au<br />
32
1.8 Sustainability<br />
& <strong>Water</strong> Supply<br />
Sources:<br />
Community and<br />
Environment Report<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002-03<br />
Annual Environmental<br />
Report<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2001-02<br />
Integrated <strong>Water</strong><br />
Resource Plan<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2003<br />
Additional Information:<br />
Dept. Environment &<br />
Heritage<br />
www.deh.gov.au<br />
Institute for Australian<br />
Futures, Sustainable<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Futures<br />
www.isf.uts.edu.au<br />
1.9 <strong>Water</strong>watch - PLAYING<br />
AN ACTIVE ROLE<br />
Sources:<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>watch<br />
Additional Information:<br />
<strong>Water</strong>watch<br />
www.waterwatch.nsw.<br />
org.au<br />
1.10 Landcare AND<br />
WATERWAYS<br />
Additional Information:<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> Region Landcare<br />
Network<br />
hrln@hunterlink.net.au<br />
National Landcare<br />
Facilitators Project<br />
www.landcareaustralia.<br />
com.au<br />
National Landcare<br />
Facilitators Project<br />
www.<br />
landcarefacilitators.<br />
com.au<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
33
intorduction to water conservation<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Supply<br />
The importance of being waterwise and<br />
conserving water becomes clear when you<br />
consider that:<br />
• Cean, fresh water is a finite resource<br />
• Australia is the driest inhabited<br />
continent in the world with very<br />
limited freshwater resources<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> is responsible for providing<br />
reliable and safe water and wastewater<br />
services to residents, businesses and<br />
industry in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>. <strong>Water</strong><br />
conservation measures and water use<br />
regulation are both important ways to<br />
ensure the region will continue to have<br />
access to clean drinking water.<br />
In more recent times our water supply has<br />
come under more pressure from pollution<br />
and drought. Fortunately, there has also<br />
been a growing awareness of the need to<br />
protect our environment and conserve our<br />
water resources - government, industry,<br />
business, schools, the community and<br />
individuals all have a role to play in<br />
managing water in Australia.<br />
Learning Opportunities<br />
This <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong> provides information and<br />
worksheets to help schools integrate<br />
local and regional water issues into<br />
their curriculum. A range of issues are<br />
addressed in this section, including:<br />
• <strong>Water</strong> use across the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
and its environmental, economic and<br />
social impacts<br />
• The importance of regulation and<br />
conservation in protecting water<br />
quality and supply<br />
• The nature of water use in the home<br />
and ways to use it more wisely<br />
• Steps to conserve water at school<br />
and how to conduct a water audit<br />
• <strong>Water</strong> conservation initiatives in the<br />
Lower <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
The information and worksheets within<br />
this section can be used collectively,<br />
independently or combined with those<br />
from other sections of the kit.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
1
Links with THE Syllabus<br />
Used collectively, the information and<br />
worksheets from this section address the<br />
following syllabus outcomes:<br />
key learning area stage syllabus outcomes addressed<br />
Human Society and Its Environment 3 ENS3.5 - Patterns of place and location<br />
ENS3.6 - Relationship with places<br />
SSS3.7 - Resource systems<br />
Science and technology 3 ICS3.2 - Information and communication<br />
PSS3.5 - Products and services<br />
ESS3.6 - Earth and its surroundings<br />
INV3.7 - Investigating<br />
UTS3.9 - Using Technology<br />
Physical Development, Health and<br />
Physical Education<br />
Mathematics 3<br />
COS3.1 - Communicating<br />
DMS3.2 - Decision making<br />
PSS3.5 - Problem solving<br />
PHS3.12 - Personal health choices<br />
WM3.1 - Questioning<br />
WM3.2 - Problem solving<br />
WM3.3 - Communicating<br />
WM3.4 - Verifying<br />
WM3.5 - Reflecting<br />
WM3.6 - Using technology<br />
S3.5 - Data representation<br />
M3.1 - Measurement attributes, units and tools<br />
M3.4 - Capacity and volume<br />
Geography 4* 4G1 - Investigating the world<br />
4G2 - Global environments<br />
4G3 - Managing global environments<br />
4G4 - Global citizenship<br />
* While Stage 4 focusses on global issues, the kit could be used to<br />
compare the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> with communities/issues outside Australia<br />
Geography 5<br />
5A2 - Changing Australian environments<br />
5A3 - Issues in Australian environments<br />
5A4 - Australia in its regional and global context<br />
Science 4 4.4 - Implications of science for society and the environment<br />
4.11 - Natural resources<br />
4.13 - Identifying and planning an investigation<br />
4.14 - Performing first-hand investigations<br />
4.15 - Gathering first-hand information<br />
4.16 - Gathering information from secondary sources<br />
4.17 - Processing information<br />
4.18 - Presenting information<br />
4.19 - Thinking critically<br />
4.20 - Problem solving<br />
4.21- Use of creativity and imagination to solve problems<br />
4.22 - Working individually and in teams<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
2
2.1 water use and conservation<br />
The importance of water<br />
conservation<br />
Achieving and maintaining a sustainable<br />
balance between demand for water and<br />
its use is one of the greatest challenges<br />
facing our community.<br />
The Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> community relies<br />
on <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> to provide a constant<br />
supply of clean, healthy water in a<br />
cost-effective manner with minimal<br />
environmental impact.<br />
Clean, fresh water is a finite resource.<br />
When rain falls from the sky we tend<br />
to think of it as cheap and unlimited,<br />
but this is not the case. Our supplies of<br />
drinking water are limited by:<br />
• Rainfall patterns<br />
• The total capacity of our drinking<br />
water storages<br />
• The amount of rain that falls in the<br />
catchments of these storages<br />
• The volume of water our treatment<br />
plants can process<br />
• Changes in demand for water by<br />
customers<br />
Our raw water supplies must also<br />
be shared with the natural world, ie<br />
environmental flows are required to<br />
ensure the health of local rivers such<br />
as the Williams. <strong>Water</strong> is required to<br />
run through our rivers, replenish our<br />
wetlands and fill up our lakes.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> is used in agriculture, business,<br />
industry, schools, homes and gardens,<br />
and its value becomes more obvious<br />
during periods of drought. When we<br />
see dam levels drop and hear about<br />
the potential for water restrictions, we<br />
realise how important clean and healthy<br />
water is.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s task is to provide<br />
adequate sources of water so that supply<br />
is maintained to residents of the Lower<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> during times of drought. <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong>’s Drought Management Plan<br />
aims to reduce the impacts of drought<br />
to ensure water supply for all essential<br />
purposes. This plan involves limiting the<br />
demand for water during drought.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> use in the LOWER <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong> usually enters the <strong>Hunter</strong> Valley<br />
as rain but occasionally as snow on<br />
the upper peaks around Barrington<br />
Tops. It then flows into our creeks and<br />
rivers or infiltrates the soil. <strong>Water</strong> for<br />
human consumption is stored ‘on-river’<br />
at Chichester Dam and ‘off-river’ at<br />
Grahamstown Dam, the Tomago and<br />
Tomaree Sandbeds. When Chichester<br />
Dam overflows, this water eventually<br />
flows into the Williams River.<br />
In the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>, these three major<br />
storage areas serve a population of<br />
about 500,000 people through 4,200km<br />
of pipes and five water treatment works.<br />
This infrastructure provides us with a<br />
reticulated water supply. The rest of this<br />
water remains in storage or returns to<br />
the water cycle.<br />
Keeping the catchment area clean<br />
protects our drinking water sources.<br />
Fortunately in the <strong>Hunter</strong> many of our<br />
water storage catchment areas are<br />
protected within National Parks.<br />
Of all the potable water consumed in<br />
the <strong>Hunter</strong> 53% is by residents, 15%<br />
by industry and 5% by commercial<br />
interests. Farms and parks use only 1%<br />
of reticulated water, although farmers<br />
capture or redirect rainfall on their<br />
properties by using rainwater tanks and<br />
dams. This is not part of the reticulated<br />
water system.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s Drought Management<br />
Plan includes a scale of water<br />
restrictions as follows:<br />
DAM LEVEL<br />
70% dam<br />
storage:<br />
60% dam<br />
storage:<br />
50% dam<br />
storage:<br />
40% dam<br />
storage:<br />
RESTRICTION<br />
IMPOSED<br />
Public campaign to<br />
encourage voluntary<br />
reduction in water use<br />
Fixed sprinklers<br />
not allowed<br />
Limit on times when<br />
hand held hoses<br />
can be used<br />
No outdoor water use<br />
onserving the Lower<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>’s water<br />
<strong>Water</strong> resources must be managed and<br />
protected so that they are not degraded,<br />
depleted or wasted. Management is also<br />
crucial to ensure that water is available<br />
on a sustainable basis for present and<br />
future generations.<br />
The challenge of managing water in the<br />
Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> is a shared responsibility<br />
between <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> and all other<br />
water users such as community,<br />
industry, schools and government.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> must balance a growing<br />
community’s future use of water with<br />
improving the effectiveness of existing<br />
storage supplies. This is achieved by<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> through:<br />
• The ‘user pays’ price signal<br />
• Promoting efficient use of water<br />
via strategies in the Intergrated<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Resource Plan<br />
• Publicising an annual summer<br />
campaign which seeks community<br />
cooperation to reduce demand for<br />
water in hot weather<br />
• Imposing restrictions on water<br />
uses in stages<br />
• Capitalising on the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>’s<br />
natural advantage of extensive<br />
coastal sandbeds which act like<br />
dams and contains significant<br />
volumes of fresh water<br />
To this end, <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> has prepared<br />
a ten-year plan to conserve water in<br />
the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> region. The plan<br />
commenced in 2003 and is known as<br />
the Integrated <strong>Water</strong> Resource Plan<br />
(IWRP). It aims to conserve 1,000ML of<br />
water over 10 years; the equivalent of 18<br />
months growth in consumer demand for<br />
the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
3<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010
Integrated <strong>Water</strong><br />
Resource Plan<br />
The IWRP considers environmental,<br />
economic and social factors in an<br />
integrated way to find the lowest cost<br />
of providing customers with water in the<br />
future. The IWRP involves a range of<br />
water saving initiatives, including:<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
Educating the<br />
community about the<br />
importance of water<br />
conservation<br />
Monitoring indoor and<br />
outdoor water<br />
consumption data<br />
and trends<br />
A program to<br />
encourage water<br />
efficient practices in<br />
the home and garden<br />
<strong>Water</strong> audits and<br />
Cleaner Production for<br />
business, industry<br />
and schools to reduce<br />
their environmental<br />
impacts<br />
A labelling scheme to<br />
identify water efficient<br />
products such as<br />
front-loading washing<br />
machines and dual<br />
flush toilets<br />
<strong>Water</strong> sensitive urban<br />
design to create low<br />
impact developments<br />
that mimic natural<br />
catchments<br />
A ‘retrofit’ program to<br />
install water saving<br />
showerheads and tap<br />
aerators in homes<br />
Identifying andfixing<br />
leaks by replacing<br />
faulty infrastructure,<br />
especially pipes<br />
Impacts of water use in the<br />
LOWER <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
Economic impacts<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> is the water service<br />
provider for the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>; with<br />
208,000 properties connected to the<br />
water supply network. <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
delivers over 200 million litres of water<br />
per day on average, using assets worth<br />
approximately $2 billion.<br />
The management of water provides<br />
an essential service to industries<br />
and businesses in the region. Every<br />
organisation depends on a safe, reliable<br />
supply of water - many as a primary<br />
input to their production activities eg<br />
steel-making, energy production and<br />
meat processing. The environmental<br />
management of water also provides<br />
economic outcomes.<br />
The sustainable extraction and recycling<br />
of water means that ecosystems<br />
have sufficient water to maintain their<br />
processes and products. This means<br />
that wetlands can continue to provide<br />
flood mitigation, estuaries can continue<br />
to provide nursery areas for aquatic<br />
animals, and forests can continue to<br />
provide wood.<br />
The conservative use of water also<br />
means that the building of new<br />
infrastructure may be delayed, allowing<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> to plan for growth in a<br />
more sustainable way. It can also mean<br />
that the cost of water to consumers can<br />
be kept to a minimum.<br />
Construction work to increase capacity at<br />
Grahamstown Dam<br />
Environmental impacts<br />
The environmental impact of water<br />
use is still not fully understood, but the<br />
impact of modern practices on water<br />
quality and quantity has been enormous.<br />
Deteriorating water quality and depleted<br />
freshwater supplies are amongst the<br />
biggest and most serious environmental<br />
issues facing Australia today.<br />
Fortunately in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>, the<br />
situation is different. An independent<br />
inquiry into the <strong>Hunter</strong> River system<br />
undertaken by the Healthy Rivers<br />
Commission found the Williams River<br />
to be in good condition. The inquiry<br />
set out to examine how river health is<br />
being managed and assessed all of the<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> Rivers’ tributary streams and<br />
watercourses, as well as the contributing<br />
catchment area.<br />
Many new ideas have emerged about<br />
water conservation and use, and<br />
changes in legislation have highlighted<br />
the public concern about these issues.<br />
<strong>Water</strong>ways are now high on the agenda<br />
of commonwealth, state and local<br />
authorities.<br />
Social impacts<br />
The use of water in our society is<br />
fundamental to our well-being. Apart<br />
from the fact that we need water<br />
to live, it can also play a significant<br />
recreational, psychological and spiritual<br />
value in our lives.<br />
Indigenous Australians incorporated<br />
water into many Dreamtime stories -<br />
rivers, lakes and wetlands were often<br />
important places to meet, celebrate or<br />
find food and shelter.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> is essential for drinking,<br />
cooking, cleaning, and bathing. It is<br />
also essential for recreational activities<br />
such as gardening, swimming and<br />
fishing. The recreational value of water<br />
in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> is seen in the<br />
importance that we place on our clean<br />
beaches, rivers and dams.<br />
PRICING Versus Conservation<br />
When a community believes that tap<br />
water is endless and cheap, it can be<br />
hard to convince them that it is a precious<br />
resource not to be wasted. In the Lower<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>, <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> is addressing this<br />
issue through a combination of water<br />
pricing and water conservation initiatives.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> pricing<br />
Regulation in the form of pricing<br />
mechanisms can limit water use. The<br />
‘user pays’ system means that customers<br />
pay for the water they use; customers<br />
that use larger amounts pay more for<br />
water than those who use less.<br />
4
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s move to a pay-foruse<br />
pricing structure has resulted in<br />
a sustained reduction in overall water<br />
consumption in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> conservation<br />
Conservation encourages the<br />
community to use less water through<br />
public relations strategies such as<br />
community education and incentive<br />
schemes.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> launches a water saving<br />
campaign each summer when the<br />
demand for water increases and the<br />
climate conditions can cause water<br />
supplies to decrease. During this time<br />
various methods are used to raise<br />
awareness of the importance of water and<br />
promote simple ways to conserve water.<br />
The promotion of water conservation<br />
is undertaken by <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> at<br />
community events and through<br />
partnering on-ground projects that result<br />
in better management of land and water.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> also subsidises retrofit<br />
programs where water saving devices<br />
are installed in local homes.<br />
Benefits and costs<br />
There are benefits and costs for both of<br />
these management options. For instance,<br />
regulation can be scaled up or down<br />
according to different situations that<br />
affect water use (eg the consumer group,<br />
level of water storage), but it may also<br />
discourage high water use companies<br />
from establishing new facilites in the<br />
Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
Conservation initiatives may prove<br />
effective during low water levels, but<br />
once rain arrives people can slip back to<br />
wasteful water use habits, so changes<br />
may only be temporary. However, simple<br />
things such as fixing leaking taps and<br />
replacing inefficient appliances can<br />
achieve ongoing savings.<br />
Combining pricing and conservation<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> uses both pricing and<br />
conservation measures to reduce water<br />
usage. In terms of regulating prices,<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> implemened its user-pays<br />
system in 1982. This system involves a<br />
small fixed charge based on the size of<br />
the water pipe ($25 per year for standard<br />
20mm residential connections), and a<br />
usage charge based on how much water<br />
is consumed (about $1 per kilolitre).<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> recovers most of its costs<br />
through this pricing structure.<br />
Over the years <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> has slowly<br />
increased water usage charges to<br />
convey a strong conservation message.<br />
Even before the Think Twice campaign<br />
in the summer of 2003-04, <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
customers already used 24% less than<br />
other urban water users in Australia.<br />
Community awareness of water<br />
conservation has been an important<br />
priority for <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, especially since<br />
the introduction of user-pays pricing<br />
which provided an incentive for change<br />
in behaviour. Supported by the IWRP,<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s community awareness<br />
campaign has involved public relations<br />
activities such as media, marketing,<br />
advertising, events promotion,<br />
publications and education.<br />
The challenge now is for <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> to<br />
continue to involve the whole community<br />
in the management of water resources<br />
into the future.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
5
2.2 being waterwise at home<br />
Our water use habits<br />
For most of us water is available at<br />
the turn of a tap. In the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
more than half of the water used is in<br />
households.<br />
The average annual amount of water<br />
used is equivalent to five averagesized<br />
swimming pools (around 210,000<br />
litres per year). About 60% is used in<br />
the laundry, bathroom and kitchen,<br />
with 40% used on the garden.<br />
‘Think twice’ ... saving water is easy<br />
and it can save you money. You<br />
can reduce your household water<br />
consumption by up to 45% by taking<br />
some simple and easy steps to<br />
become water wise.<br />
BEING WATERWISE IN THE HOME<br />
There are many ways to save water in<br />
our homes:<br />
• Turn off taps when not in use eg<br />
don’t leave the tap running while<br />
you clean your teeth<br />
• Fix leaking taps or toilet cisterns<br />
• Only wash full loads of clothes or<br />
dishes<br />
• Check and replace tap washers<br />
regularly<br />
• Install AAA-rated household<br />
appliances<br />
ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY BY SECTOR<br />
• Install water efficient shower roses<br />
• Take shorter showers<br />
• Recycle your grey water (collect<br />
water from the shower, bath and<br />
laundry for your lawn)<br />
• Install a tank to collect rainwater<br />
When these water saving actions are<br />
applied across the community the<br />
demand on our water supplies can be<br />
significantly reduced. It also reduces<br />
the demands on water infrastructure<br />
and the need to build or upgrade<br />
reservoirs, pumping stations and<br />
treatment facilities.<br />
16% Other<br />
1% Education<br />
2% Farms & Parks<br />
2% Hotels<br />
4% Health<br />
53% Residential<br />
5% Commercial<br />
15% Industrial<br />
DOMESTIC WATER CONSUMPTION<br />
24% Outdoor Use<br />
25% Bath & Shower<br />
2% Other<br />
14% Taps<br />
20% Washing Machine<br />
15% Toilet<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
6
WATER FACTS IN THE HOME<br />
Leaking tap<br />
45L per day<br />
Dishwashing hand<br />
12 to 15L per wash<br />
Dishwashers<br />
20 to 60L per load<br />
Washing machines<br />
Front load:<br />
23L per kg dry clothing<br />
Top load:<br />
31L per kg of dry clothing<br />
Hand BASIN<br />
3L per minute<br />
Tap running while<br />
cleaning teeth<br />
5L<br />
Bath<br />
Half full: 60L<br />
Full: 120L<br />
Single flush toilet<br />
12L per flush<br />
good long soak every few days in<br />
summer instead of a short daily<br />
spray, this will make your plants<br />
hardier and grow deeper searching<br />
out moistuer.<br />
• Sweep paths and driveways rather<br />
than using a hose to wash them<br />
down<br />
• Wash your car on the lawn - this<br />
waters the grass and keeps<br />
detergents out of local waterways<br />
• Use tap timers to ensure you don’t<br />
forget to turn off taps, sprinklers<br />
and irrigation systems<br />
• Install a drip system to help avoid<br />
over-watering<br />
• <strong>Water</strong> gardens in the morning<br />
to minimise water loss through<br />
evaporation<br />
• Cover the pool when it is not in use to<br />
reduce evaporation and maintenance<br />
WATER FACTS IN THE GARDEN<br />
Standard<br />
shower rose<br />
20L per minute<br />
Dual flush toilet<br />
Half flush: 4.5L<br />
Full flush: 9L<br />
Hand watering<br />
the garden<br />
600 to 900L every hour<br />
<strong>Water</strong> efficient<br />
shower rose<br />
10L per minute<br />
Sprinkler<br />
Up to 1,500L every hour<br />
BEING WATERWISE IN THE GARDEN<br />
Some ways to be waterwise outside are:<br />
Washing the car<br />
In Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> households about<br />
35% to 50% of drinking water is used<br />
in the garden, even though this is not<br />
an efficient or cost-effective use of<br />
resources. Unlike us, our plants are not<br />
concerned if water tastes unpleasant or<br />
looks discoloured.<br />
Many gardens contain exotic plants<br />
that are not well-suited to the Australian<br />
climate. These plants often require much<br />
more water for survival than natives.<br />
We also tend to water the garden far<br />
more often than we should because we<br />
do not understand what our plants<br />
really need.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
• Choose plants that need less water<br />
- most natives need less water<br />
than exotics and provide food and<br />
shelter for birds and insects<br />
• Mulch your garden to prevent<br />
evaporation and retain water in<br />
the soil - the best mulch is wellrotted<br />
compost, which can prevent<br />
evaporation loss in your garden by<br />
up to 70%<br />
• Use recycled water or tankwater<br />
on your garden<br />
• Give your garden and lawn a<br />
150 to 300L of water<br />
Filling a<br />
swimming pool<br />
20,000 to 55,000L<br />
Mulching<br />
Reduces evaporation<br />
by up to 70%<br />
7
2.3 being waterwise at school<br />
<strong>Water</strong> use in schools<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> supplies about 730<br />
megalitres of water a year to education<br />
facilities like schools, colleges and<br />
The University of Newcastle. This<br />
amounts to 1% of the <strong>Hunter</strong>’s<br />
reticulated water supply. Like other<br />
sectors, schools have a responsibility<br />
to manage their water use in a<br />
sustainable way.<br />
A school water audit and action plan<br />
provides a framework to implement<br />
water wise ideas. Conserving water at<br />
school can offer great savings to the<br />
environment and the school’s budget,<br />
as well as educate students to be<br />
waterwise. <strong>Water</strong> is used in many ways<br />
in schools, and there are ways to save<br />
water in each of these areas.<br />
Managing water use in schools<br />
Since 2004 all NSW Government<br />
schools have been required to develop<br />
a School Environmental Management<br />
Plan (SEMP) as described in the NSW<br />
Environmental Education Policy for<br />
Schools (2001). One of the best ways<br />
to progress this is through a school<br />
environment committee that involves<br />
students, teachers, grounds staff<br />
and parents, with support from local<br />
organisations like councils and<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> use and management is a<br />
focus of the new policy. Completing<br />
a desktop review of water costs and<br />
an audit of water use provides a<br />
snapshot of water usage in the school.<br />
The results can be used to develop<br />
strategies for improved water use and<br />
management that can be incorporated<br />
into the SEMP. Many schools have<br />
carried out water audits and teachers<br />
and studens have put forward<br />
recommendations to encourage the<br />
wise use of water in the school.<br />
water use at school<br />
<strong>Water</strong>ing<br />
ovals, lawns,<br />
shrubs, gardens<br />
Cleaning<br />
paths, windows,<br />
playgrounds<br />
Toilets<br />
flushing toilets<br />
and urinals<br />
Taps<br />
for drinking, washing<br />
and cleaning up<br />
Science labs<br />
for experiments and<br />
cleaning up<br />
Art and design<br />
to mix paint and<br />
clean up<br />
Home economics<br />
for cooking and cleaning<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
8
BEING WATERWISE AT SCHOOL<br />
actions<br />
1 <strong>Water</strong> meter readings<br />
Read the water meter every day for a month and record the results.<br />
This can be done at the beginning and end of each school day -<br />
which will help you to check for leaking pipes or taps (ie you will<br />
be able to detect water use overnight when no one is using taps,<br />
bubblers and toilets).<br />
2 Desktop review<br />
Collect information from as many bills as possible. <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> bills<br />
are issued every four months. Tabulate the amount of water used,<br />
the number of billing days and the cost of the water. Ask the school<br />
administrator to keep future bills for your study.<br />
3 <strong>Water</strong> audit<br />
<strong>Water</strong> audits vary but usually include the following:<br />
• Conduct an inventory of every water fixture in the school (eg taps,<br />
toilets, bubblers, showers) and identify if any of these are leaking.<br />
• Measure the rate of water flow from school taps, you need to<br />
select at least one tap inside and one tap outside.<br />
• Measure the amount of water wasted by a dripping tap and<br />
calculate this over a year. This is best done by using a stopwatch<br />
and a measure to collect the water. Measuring the waste for a<br />
minute is a good point to start from.<br />
4 Stormwater, flooding and drainage<br />
Researching stormwater, flooding and drainage issues can also be a<br />
useful component of a water audit.<br />
5 <strong>Water</strong> saving strategies<br />
Discuss and develop strategies to conserve water across a variety of<br />
water uses in the school.<br />
6 <strong>Water</strong> saving action plan<br />
Develop an action plan that summarises the results of the desk top<br />
review and water audit, and the water saving strategies developed<br />
over the previous steps. The action plan can set targets for the<br />
school to become more water wise and makes recommendations on<br />
how to implement the water saving strategies.<br />
tips<br />
• This will highlight whether there are any leaks. Leaky pipes can<br />
waste 90 litres of water a day and a dripping tap can waste 45 litres<br />
a day.<br />
• The meter readings will also show daily patterns in water use. Large<br />
amounts of water use on weekends should be investigated.<br />
• If you have bills over several years compare water use over time.<br />
Take into account any changes in the number of students enrolled<br />
each year. The data can be used to calculate a figure for water<br />
usage expressed as kilolitres per student per day.<br />
• Results may show a trend but more importantly show how much<br />
money the school is spending on water. This will provide baseline<br />
data so savings can be calculated as waterwise activities begin.<br />
• Identifying the places where water is used will help you locate any<br />
problem areas.<br />
• Identifying leaking taps is critical in a water audit.<br />
• Measuring the amount of wasted water will show you the extent of<br />
the problem. Dripping taps waste more water than people realise.<br />
• Get a map of your school and outline key waterways, drainage lines,<br />
flood prone areas, then discuss how you could manage, reduce or<br />
improve things.<br />
• Students can develop their own strategies to save water including<br />
ideas for individual and group actions.<br />
• Some strategies might require the support or cooperation of other<br />
people eg plumbers. The P&C committee can be involved to help<br />
raise money for the purchase of water saving products eg rainwater<br />
tanks, water efficient showerheads.<br />
• Prioritise the strategies with regard to importance, time and<br />
money. This information feeds into the Action Plan and the School<br />
Environmental Management Plan.<br />
• Ideally involve the whole school community in the action plan.<br />
• Set realistic targets and recommendations.<br />
• Include an education and communication plan to help promote the<br />
plan and ways in which wasteful water habits can be changed.<br />
• Information developed through the action plan can then be included<br />
in the School Environmental Management Plan.<br />
7 Implementation and monitoring<br />
On implementing the action plan, set up procedures for monitoring<br />
and evaluating to see how effective the school has been in meeting<br />
the targets and recommendations set out in your action plan.<br />
• Contact other local schools to find out if they have undertaken<br />
a water audit and how they implemented their action plan. What<br />
difficulties did they face and how did they address these issues?<br />
• Identify areas where the community may be able to help. For<br />
instance, local businesses could be called upon to help the school<br />
purchase water saving products; service clubs could help provide<br />
labour for the installation of these in the school.<br />
• Promote and celebrate achievements.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
9
2.4 school water audit<br />
Why DO A water audit?<br />
Several schools in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
have conducted environmental audits.<br />
Environmental audits are used to<br />
collect data about where schools are<br />
in relation to various environmental<br />
factors such as water, waste, energy<br />
and biodiversity.<br />
A school water audit reveals how much<br />
water the school is using, how much<br />
money the school is spending on water,<br />
where and when water is being used,<br />
and if there are any obvious leaks. A<br />
water audit can help a school identify<br />
dripping taps and running toilets, or<br />
discover that some daily practices are<br />
using more water than they should.<br />
The information gathered through a<br />
water audit can be used to guide water<br />
wise actions that can bring with them<br />
significant water and cost savings.<br />
Kotara High School’s water<br />
audit<br />
Kotara High School was established<br />
in 1968, although it has changed a<br />
great deal over the years. A number of<br />
additional buildings have been added,<br />
the library extended and multi-purpose<br />
centre opened in 1997.<br />
Kotara High is flanked by bushland<br />
that makes up part of the school<br />
grounds. Since 2000 there have been<br />
significant improvements made to<br />
the bushland as a result of various<br />
grant funding and a very effective<br />
environmental project team.<br />
Understanding how the school has<br />
evolved is important as these changes<br />
can have a major impact on the way in<br />
which water is used and how much is<br />
consumed. The expansion of a school<br />
creates greater water demands and can<br />
change the daily patterns of water use.<br />
As a first step toward developing a<br />
School Environmental Management<br />
Plan, Kotara High held an ‘Eco-<br />
Snapshot Day’. The school sought<br />
assistance from <strong>Water</strong>watch to<br />
carry out a full environmental audit<br />
consisting of an air, solid waste,<br />
energy and water audit.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> use in the school<br />
A desktop audit identified the volume<br />
and cost of the water the school was<br />
using. Over four months the school<br />
used a total of 2,298 kL of water or<br />
about 1.5 Olympic swimming pools.<br />
The total bill of $4,333 included fixed<br />
charges, and water and sewer usage<br />
charges. <strong>Water</strong> usage and costs at<br />
Kotara High are similar to that of other<br />
high schools of its size.<br />
Students were involved in reading<br />
the water meter on a regular basis<br />
to determine if abnormal events<br />
such as hidden leaks or illegal use<br />
were occurring. Taps around the<br />
schools (including toilet cisterns and<br />
bubblers) were counted. It was found<br />
that a number of these were leaking.<br />
Students determined that if these<br />
leaks were repaired, environmental and<br />
economic savings could be significant.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> sets wastewater charges<br />
at 50% of water use. This assumes<br />
that half of all water used enters the<br />
wastewater system via toilets, sinks<br />
and bathrooms. <strong>Water</strong> conservation<br />
measures can therefore result in dual<br />
cost savings on a water bill, with water<br />
usage charged at $1.02 per kL and<br />
wastewater charged at 44c per kL.<br />
Students develop water wise ideas<br />
Through their investigations, students<br />
became concerned about the amount<br />
of water being used in the school.<br />
Opportunities to be waterwise in the<br />
school became obvious, such as:<br />
• Educating students about the<br />
value of water<br />
• Promoting simple ways to reduce<br />
water waste<br />
• Encouraging students to turn off<br />
taps properly<br />
• Developing a reporting system for<br />
leaks<br />
• Arranging for a plumber to fix<br />
leaking taps<br />
• Installing automatic taps<br />
The school designed a monitoring and<br />
feedback program so students could<br />
evaluate their progress in becoming<br />
more water conscious. This involved<br />
collecting data on their reduced water<br />
usage, promoting the benefits to<br />
students, monitoring how outcomes<br />
were being maintained, and taking<br />
photos of students conducting water<br />
saving initiatives.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
10
2.5 water conservation initiatives<br />
When introducing new ideas it is<br />
important to test the idea first to<br />
see if it is worthwhile. <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
often works in partnership with other<br />
organisations to investigate water<br />
saving ideas and how well they may<br />
work when applied to the broader<br />
Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> community.<br />
eco-friendly home<br />
An eco-friendly home at Tighes<br />
Hill showcases best practice for<br />
sustainable living. This includes 40,000<br />
litre rainwater storage tanks to supply<br />
all water needed by the family.<br />
The house has water-free composting<br />
toilets. Grey water from washing<br />
machines and showers are used to water<br />
garden areas. Efficient shower roses and<br />
a front loading washing machine have<br />
been installed. Native grasses and trees<br />
have been planted and these have an<br />
advantage of being drought resistant.<br />
The home will save on water and energy<br />
costs and also showcase a sustainable<br />
alternative for Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> residents.<br />
This eco-friendly home is setting a new<br />
benchmark in terms of environmentally<br />
friendly living in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
Berni Hockings at his energy and water efficient<br />
home in Tighes Hill<br />
Kotara Roof to Creek Project<br />
Developed by <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, Newcastle<br />
City Council and The University of<br />
Newcastle, this community project has<br />
involved the installation of rainwater tanks<br />
on individual properties, and changes to<br />
landscaping in public areas of Kotara.<br />
The project aims to conserve mains<br />
water use and to reduce the quantity<br />
and velocity of stormwater runoff leaving<br />
the catchment. The project monitors<br />
mains and rainwater use, and rainfall and<br />
runoff from the catchment. The project<br />
also looks at community attitudes and<br />
behaviour, motivations for installing<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
rainwater tanks and the most effective<br />
and affordable ways of retrofitting<br />
rainwater tanks.<br />
Rainwater tanks replace drinking water<br />
for watering gardens<br />
The ‘Roof to Creek’ project has installed<br />
16 rainwater tanks in Kotara households.<br />
The project involved house-to-house<br />
briefings to advise residents of the<br />
project’s benefits and the involvement<br />
required. Each resident’s yard was<br />
assessed to determine the suitability,<br />
size and location of their respective<br />
rainwater tank.<br />
The project tested the value of rainwater<br />
tanks in addressing a stormwater problem<br />
in the catchment. It is also providing<br />
a testing and verification ground for<br />
research undertaken by the University<br />
into modelling of water flows and rainfall.<br />
The three-year project has also involved<br />
retofitting water efficient devices.<br />
Monitoring, evaluation and education has<br />
taken place throughout the entire project.<br />
family installs rainwater tank<br />
A local engineer has installed a rainwater<br />
tank at his home to supply about 70% of<br />
his family’s water when there is sufficient<br />
rain. In dry times, most of the water comes<br />
from the mains supply. The 4,500 litre<br />
tank supplies water to the toilet, washing<br />
machine and outdoor tap.<br />
The family estimates that an average of<br />
40% of their household water will come<br />
from the tank throughout the year; this<br />
equates to around 80 kL per year. Even in<br />
dry years, the tank will supply a lot<br />
of water.<br />
In order to achieve these levels of mains<br />
water reduction, the rainwater tank had to<br />
be connected to appliances that are used<br />
throughout the year, such as toilets and<br />
washing machines. Less than half of this<br />
amount of this water would be saved if the<br />
tank were only connected for garden use.<br />
If the rainwater tank runs low it can be<br />
‘topped up’ with water from the mains<br />
water supply. This ensures the tank<br />
never runs out of water and the supply of<br />
water to appliances is never disrupted.<br />
The top up is only activated when tank<br />
levels drop significantly. It does not refill<br />
the tank. Instead it ensures the water in<br />
the tank does not drop below a specified<br />
level. Without rain, the tank lasts about<br />
two weeks before the mains top up is<br />
activated.<br />
It takes at least 600 millimetres of rain<br />
per year to generate streamflow into our<br />
Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> reservoirs. Using rainwater<br />
tanks, however, a large proportion of any<br />
amount of rain can be collected via house<br />
roofs. The result is that rainwater tanks<br />
can achieve reduced demand on <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong> reservoirs and other infrastructure<br />
(ie pipes, pumping stations) even in times<br />
of drought.<br />
To monitor how much water could be<br />
supplied from the family’s tank, <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong> installed two water meters at<br />
the home. The university is using the<br />
rainwater tank as part of research into<br />
tank dynamics and their associated health<br />
implications.<br />
The Berghout’s rainwater tank saves 40%<br />
of potable water usage.<br />
Did you know?<br />
• Rainwater tanks come in all shapes<br />
and sizes, from small 600L slimline<br />
tanks to very large 45,000L tanks<br />
for rural use - the typical tank for<br />
residential purposes is 5,000L.<br />
Every 1mm of rain on 1m2 of roof<br />
amounts to 1L of water.<br />
• The size of tank that will suit your<br />
circumstances depends upon the<br />
footprint space available for the<br />
tank, the roof catchment area that<br />
feeds into the tank, rainfall patterns<br />
in your area, and your use of the<br />
collected water.<br />
• Rainwater can be used on the<br />
garden and for water supply to<br />
toilets and cold water taps in the<br />
laundry - this accounts for 60% of<br />
average household water use.<br />
11
2.6 think twice water saving campaign<br />
CAMPAIGN CONCEPT<br />
The average home in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
region uses about 210 kilolitres of water<br />
each year. Each person uses about 205<br />
litres of water a day for domestic purposes<br />
such as washing, cooking and gardening.<br />
The average household consumes 75%<br />
of water within the home and uses 25%<br />
outdoors. During a drought, the use of<br />
water is increased.<br />
The difficult drought conditions that<br />
impacted on NSW during 2002 saw<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> launch a major community<br />
water conservation campaign to coincide<br />
with the start of the summer period. The<br />
campaign was called Think Twice.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> storage levels were about 80%<br />
of capacity at the start of the campaign<br />
and not at levels where restrictions would<br />
normally be introduced (at 60%). Even so,<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> recognised the increasing<br />
effect of the drought and sought to raise<br />
the community’s awareness of the dry<br />
weather conditions and its impact on<br />
water supply.<br />
The ‘Think Twice’ logo was used consistently<br />
across the campaign<br />
Campaign Strategy<br />
The campaign was designed to<br />
emphasise the message that water is a<br />
valuable resource not to be wasted. Public<br />
sentiment remained high during the three<br />
months of the campaign (from December<br />
2002 to March 2003) as eastern Australia<br />
experienced its worst drought in more<br />
than 100 years.<br />
The theme Think Twice … Every Drop<br />
Counts was publicised on local television,<br />
radio and in newspapers, and focused on<br />
everyday activities where the community<br />
could save water:<br />
Clear, simple signage is used at community events<br />
• turn off taps when brushing teeth<br />
• wash cars on lawns instead of<br />
driveways<br />
• sweep down paths instead of using<br />
a hose<br />
• take shorter showers<br />
• reduce sprinkler use on gardens and<br />
lawns<br />
• use mulch on garden beds<br />
• install tap timers<br />
• put trigger nozzles on hoses<br />
• install drip irrigation systems<br />
• water gardens in the morning<br />
To complement this publicity and<br />
further encourage people to use water<br />
efficiently and wisely, interviews were<br />
arranged with local media. Followup<br />
activities involved water saving<br />
competitions at community events and<br />
the promotion of water conservation<br />
messages on fridge magnets,<br />
bookmarks and posters. Messages were<br />
issued on <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s billls, customer<br />
telephone line and website.<br />
Results of the campaign<br />
Survey work conducted by the <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
Valley Research Foundation in March<br />
2003 revealed that two in five people<br />
could recall the Think Twice campaign<br />
messages. 62% of those surveyed saw<br />
the campaign on television, compared<br />
with 35% who read about in newspapers<br />
and 14% who heard it on radio.<br />
These findings confirmed that the<br />
community understood the water<br />
conservation message and that <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong>’s television sponsorship of the<br />
weather segment during the local evening<br />
news was well received.<br />
The community awareness campaign<br />
coupled with much-needed rain in the<br />
Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>’s catchment area during<br />
the summer of 2002-03, enabled water<br />
storages to remain above levels that would<br />
otherwise have activated mandatory water<br />
restrictions as per <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s Drought<br />
Management Plan.<br />
Data revealed that peak daily water<br />
consumption decreased by 50 million litres<br />
or 15% compared to the previous year’s<br />
summer. Combined dam storage levels<br />
rose to a high of nearly 88% in December<br />
2002 after brief but heavy rains, and fell to<br />
74% in early March 2003.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
12
Environmental<br />
• <strong>Water</strong> consumption fell 15% (50<br />
million litres) compared to the<br />
summer of 2001-02 - this is the<br />
equivalent of five million buckets<br />
of water.<br />
• Increased community awareness<br />
and behaviours to reduce water<br />
consumption.<br />
Economic<br />
• This cost effective campaign<br />
prevented and longer term<br />
spending that could be required to<br />
activate <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s Drought<br />
Management Plan.<br />
• A broadening of the community’s<br />
priorities from drinking water<br />
quality to the sustainability of our<br />
water supplies.<br />
campaign outcomeS<br />
The Think Twice campaign was a<br />
cost-effective way to raise community<br />
awareness of the value of water. The<br />
campaign successfully highlighted<br />
ways that consumers could cut back<br />
their water consumption and reduce<br />
their bills.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s public awareness<br />
campaign is an important strategy to<br />
help manage demand for our precious<br />
water resources.<br />
A <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> advertisement to promote<br />
waterwise practices<br />
Sustainability Indicators<br />
Environmental, economic and social<br />
indicators showed that the campaign<br />
had been successful throughout the<br />
Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
• Ability to capitalise on national<br />
media reports on the drought.<br />
Social<br />
• Increased awareness of the<br />
community’s responsibilities in<br />
relation to water conservation.<br />
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13
design a water saving campaign<br />
worksheet 1<br />
Education and community awareness campaigns are often a very effective way of improving people’s understanding and<br />
changing attitudes and behaviours. <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s Think Twice … Every Drop Counts (p.19) campaign raised awareness of<br />
the importance of water and ways in which we can all conserve water.<br />
Questions you need to address<br />
1 TARGET GROUP - Who is your campaign going to focus on? Why?<br />
Perhaps you would like to choose a specific problem or group (ie ‘target audience’), such as:<br />
• kindergarten kids who can’t turn the taps off properly;<br />
• some of your family members who waste water in all sorts of ways;<br />
• grounds and maintenance staff who have to take care of the gardens and grassed areas at your school.<br />
2 TIMEFRAME - How long will your campaign go for and at what time of the year? Why?<br />
3 THEME - What is the main message you will be sending to your target audience?<br />
4 SLOGAN - Can you think of a catchy phrase to describe your theme?<br />
5 STRATEGY - How will you ensure your campaign reaches its target audience and changes their behaviour?<br />
Will you use posters, stickers, pamphlets, TV, radio, newspapers, competitions, prizes in your campaign?<br />
What words, ideas and values will you use to communicate to your audience?<br />
6 REVISION - Think about your timeframe and target audience. Can you get it all done? Do you need to rethink the timeframe?<br />
Do you think your target audience will understand your message and alter their behaviour?<br />
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14
design a water saving campaign<br />
worksheet 1<br />
7 LOGO - Can you think of a picture or symbol that expresses<br />
your campaign? Draw it below. This is called the “logo”<br />
and often reflects the theme. It can be used on stickers,<br />
pamphlets or web pages. If you get a sponsor to help your<br />
campaign, put their logo on the information you give out.<br />
8 BUDGET - How much will it all cost?<br />
Think about all the parts of your campaign and the<br />
timeframe. Make a list of all the things in your campaign that<br />
cost money. You should find out the real cost for these and<br />
then add them up.<br />
ITEM<br />
cost<br />
BUDGET TOTAL:<br />
9 INDICATORS - How will you know your campaign was successful? What things will have changed?<br />
This might include saving money, reducing waste or changes in behaviour, values or technology.<br />
These are called ‘indicators’ and are proof that the campaign worked. List your indicators below.<br />
10 REVIEW - After doing your budget and indicators, perhaps you should look back and review your campaign.<br />
Is anything you would like to change? Do you need more money?<br />
11 RESULTS - Once implemented, you need to see if the campaign is working. Look at your indicators and target audience and work<br />
out how you will measure success (ie water bills, surveys, interviews, improvements)<br />
12 REWARD - If your campaign suceeds, what sort of reward do you think is appropriate for you to receive?<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
15
assessing water conservation schemes<br />
worksheet 2<br />
background<br />
Over time, there have been many ideas<br />
for conserving and managing water<br />
supplies. Some of these ideas have been<br />
around for a long time, and some are<br />
very new.<br />
For example, many older Australians<br />
used rainwater tanks as their main<br />
source of drinking water and grey water<br />
on the garden when they were young.<br />
This was a normal and important way<br />
to save water and use it wisely. Perhaps<br />
we need to go back to some of these<br />
approaches.<br />
To help plan for the future and assess a<br />
variety of ideas a cost-benefit analysis<br />
can be used. A cost-benefit analysis can<br />
be applied to many different situations,<br />
for example, ‘Should I buy a new bike to<br />
get to school or save my money to buy a<br />
car in a couple of years?’. In the case of<br />
water, a cost-benefit analysis is a useful<br />
way of weighing up a range of ideas<br />
on how to save water to create a more<br />
sustainable future.<br />
There are a number of ways to do a<br />
cost-benefit analysis, and also many<br />
ways of presenting the results. Some<br />
are extremely complex, whilst others<br />
quite simple. This worksheet offers an<br />
example of a simple but effective costbenefit<br />
analysis. The ratings that are<br />
assigned to the ‘cost’ and ‘benefit’ are<br />
relative; they are a good way to compare<br />
different proposals but they do not offer<br />
detailed information. Here are a couple<br />
of examples.<br />
HIGH<br />
COST<br />
LOW<br />
HIGH COST/<br />
LOW BENEFIT<br />
Put covers on dams<br />
to reduce evaporation<br />
Stickers to encourage<br />
people to use less<br />
water at home<br />
LOW COST /<br />
LOW BENEFIT<br />
HIGH COST/<br />
HIGH BENEFIT<br />
Supply all homes with<br />
water saving devices<br />
eg showerheads<br />
Turn the tap off while<br />
brushing your teeth<br />
LOW COST /<br />
HIGH BENEFIT<br />
LOW<br />
BENEFIT<br />
HIGH<br />
What is the cost-benefit of everyone turning<br />
the tap off when they clean their teeth?<br />
Low cost / high benefit<br />
Why? It would cost nothing for everyone to turn the tap<br />
off whilst cleaning teeth but it would save lots of water<br />
(especially if you add up all the savings across a whole<br />
community). This option would also mean that your water bill<br />
could be reduced as you use less water.<br />
What is the cost-benefit of chopping down<br />
all the trees so that they won’t use water?<br />
High cost / low benefit<br />
Why? There would be lots of different types of cost to us<br />
(eg economic, environmental, social, cultural). Although<br />
trees use water to grow they also release water back into<br />
the atmosphere through evapotranspiration, returning it<br />
to the water cycle.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
16
assessing water conservation schemes<br />
worksheet 2<br />
cost-benefit exercises<br />
Here are some for you to try. There are no right or wrong answers - it all depends on your point of view, but try and have a reason<br />
for your answer. These were put forward as serious ideas to solve our water problems.<br />
1 Build some more mountains because mountains help make rain<br />
Cost-benefit analysis:<br />
Reasons why:<br />
2 Fix leaking taps at home and at school<br />
Cost-benefit analysis:<br />
Reasons why:<br />
3 Wash cars on the grass<br />
Cost-benefit analysis:<br />
Reasons why:<br />
4 Fix leaking pipes<br />
Cost-benefit analysis:<br />
Reasons why:<br />
5 Build a big pipe to bring water from another country that has lots of water<br />
Cost-benefit analysis:<br />
Reasons why:<br />
6 Plant water-efficient crops that are more suited to the Australian environment<br />
Cost-benefit analysis:<br />
Reasons why:<br />
7 Recycle water from your bathroom onto your garden<br />
Cost-benefit analysis:<br />
Reasons why:<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
17
8 Use wetlands to store stormwater instead of sending it out to sea<br />
Cost-benefit analysis:<br />
Reasons why:<br />
9 Collect saltwater and turn it into freshwater<br />
Cost-benefit analysis:<br />
Reasons why:<br />
10 Cart water by road and rail<br />
Cost-benefit analysis:<br />
Reasons why:<br />
11 Turn the rivers back into the inland before they reach the sea<br />
Cost-benefit analysis:<br />
Reasons why:<br />
12 Tow an iceberg<br />
Cost-benefit analysis:<br />
Reasons why:<br />
13 Make clouds by making dust<br />
Cost-benefit analysis:<br />
Reasons why:<br />
Can you think of ANY OTHERS ?<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
18
water audits - a case study<br />
worksheet 3<br />
Activity<br />
Read Being <strong>Water</strong>wise at School and<br />
School <strong>Water</strong> Audit as background.<br />
In September 2003, Sleepy Hollow Public<br />
School decided to see how much water<br />
they were using and investigate ways of<br />
saving water. They decided to do an audit<br />
to find out what was happening to water<br />
in their school.<br />
The Year 6 students looked at the bills for<br />
the previous three months and calculated<br />
how much water was used per month<br />
by the whole school. Year 5 students<br />
counted all the taps, identified all the<br />
leaks and asked students and staff how<br />
they used the water in the school.<br />
The Year 5 class asked the Principal to<br />
organise for the leaking taps to be fixed.<br />
After this was done the Year 6 students<br />
looked at the bills again.<br />
By doing the water audit Year 5 had<br />
found out that the kindergarten class<br />
washed their brushes outside after<br />
their art lesson every second day. The<br />
children would stand in a long line and<br />
wash each brush one by one under<br />
a fast running tap. The Year 5 class<br />
thought this might be a problem and a<br />
major waste of water. They asked the<br />
kindergarten children if they could think<br />
of another way to clean their brushes.<br />
The kindy kids said they could wash<br />
their brushes in a bucket to see if that<br />
would help.<br />
The Year 6 class looked at the bills<br />
again. This is what they found at<br />
Sleepy Hollow:<br />
water use sleepy hollow public school<br />
80<br />
70<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Usage - Kilolitres<br />
60<br />
50<br />
40<br />
30<br />
20<br />
10<br />
0<br />
JUN<br />
2003<br />
JUL<br />
2003<br />
AUG<br />
2003<br />
SEP<br />
2003<br />
OCT<br />
2003<br />
NOV<br />
2003<br />
DEC<br />
2003<br />
JAN<br />
2004<br />
FEB<br />
2004<br />
MAR<br />
2004<br />
APR<br />
2004<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
19
water audits - a case study<br />
worksheet 3<br />
what did you discover about the results of the sleepy hollow case study?<br />
1 What was the approximate amount of water used for the three months before the audit?<br />
2 When did the Principal get the leaks fixed?<br />
3 What difference did it make?<br />
4 When did the kindergarten children change the way they washed their paint brushes?<br />
5 What difference did this make?<br />
6 What saved more water: getting the leaks fixed or washing the brushes in a bucket instead of under a tap?<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
20
7 Why?<br />
8 How many taps do you think you might have in your school?<br />
9 What sort of things would a water audit at your school reveal?<br />
10 Can you think of any other ways your school could save water?<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
21
desktop water audit<br />
worksheet 4<br />
Ask your principal or school administrator to provide you with copies of the school’s water bills for the last two years. <strong>Water</strong> usage<br />
is stated on the water bill in kilolitres (kL), 1kL equals 1000 litres.<br />
One kL of water costs<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> also sets a figure that estimates how much water from toilets, wash basins and showers enters the wastewater system.<br />
For our school<br />
% is estimated to enter the wastewater system.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Usage Desktop Review<br />
date of the bill water usage kl water usage $ no of days daily average total bill $<br />
1:<br />
2:<br />
3:<br />
TOTALS FOR YEAR:<br />
1:<br />
2:<br />
3:<br />
TOTALS FOR YEAR:<br />
1 Draw a line graph below to show water usage using the data above.<br />
2 Add a new line to show the total cost of the water bills - you’ll need to draw a second scale on the ‘y axis’.<br />
3 Is there a correlation between water usage and the total bill?<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
22
asic water audit<br />
worksheet 5<br />
You can undertake a basic water audit of your school using the table below to record the total number of water outlets and how<br />
many are leaking and at what rate. To avoid double counting it is a good idea to get copies of a map of your school and assign<br />
teams to different zones.<br />
ITEM total slow medium fast other/<br />
comment<br />
Garden Taps:<br />
Basin Taps:<br />
Bubblers:<br />
Showers:<br />
Toilets:<br />
Other:<br />
TOTAL:<br />
EXPERIMENT:<br />
To find out how much water leaking taps and pipes can waste conduct the following experiment:<br />
1 Place 3 measuring jugs under 3 leaking taps (ie slow, medium and fast dripping leaks)<br />
2 Start the Stop Watch<br />
3 Stop the Stop Watch after set time, eg 5 minutes<br />
4 Measure the volume of water collected in millilitres (mL) and divide by 1000 convert to litres<br />
5 Divide the the total number of litres collected by the number of minutes<br />
You now have figures for how many litres of water per minute different leaks waste:<br />
Multiply these by 60 for hourly rates: slow: L/hr medium: L/hr fast: L/hr<br />
Multiply above by 24 for daily rates: slow: L/day medium: L/day fast: L/day<br />
Mutliply above by 365 for yearly rates: slow: L/yr medium: L/yr fast: L/yr<br />
To to see how much money these leaks cost your school each year, divide the yearly litres by 1000 to convert it<br />
to kilolitres, then times this by the cost per kilolitre (this is stated on your water bill).<br />
A slow leak costs $ per year<br />
A medium leak costs $ per year<br />
A fast leak costs $ per year<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
23
asic water audit<br />
worksheet 5<br />
Leaking taps and pipes drip water at different rates - over a whole year the total for each leak can vary from hundreds of litres<br />
to many thousands of litres. The total of water wasted from all leaks is not only a significant amount, it also costs the school<br />
hundreds of dollars. To work out the actual amount of water and money that is wasted every year at your school from ALL leaks<br />
complete the following two tables.<br />
Enter your figures from the previous page into the first table below.<br />
LEAKAGE RATE LITRES PER MINUTE LITRES PER YEAR KILOLITRES PER<br />
YEAR<br />
YEARLY COST<br />
Slow Leak:<br />
Medium Leak:<br />
Fast Leak:<br />
Major Break:<br />
If you have completed the water audit on the previous page, you can now calculate total water loss and costs.<br />
For example, if a slow leak loses 10.5 kL/yr then 30 slow leaks is 30 x 10.5 = 315kL, x $1.01kL = $318.15<br />
Complete the table below using the results of your water audit and your leakage rates from the table above.<br />
Note: calculating the water losses from major breaks can be hard to estimate, as they usually occur for short periods of time. Find<br />
out if there have been any major leaks or breaks at your school in the last 12 months and estimate how much water was probably<br />
lost and the cost of this water.<br />
no. of leaking kl per year total kl total cost<br />
Example 30 10.5KL 315KL $318.15<br />
Slow Leak<br />
Medium Leak<br />
Fast Leak<br />
Major Breaks<br />
- -<br />
TOTAL COST:<br />
To protect the environment and save money, what simple things can be done to reduce or stop this waste?<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
24
environmental audit protocol<br />
worksheet 6<br />
environmental audit protocol for conducting a water audit on the school premises<br />
site description<br />
School Name:<br />
Street address:<br />
Owner of Premises:<br />
Responsible Officer:<br />
Mobile No.:<br />
Audit Team:<br />
Audit Start:<br />
Audit end:<br />
Author:<br />
Report No.:<br />
File No.:<br />
Distribution:<br />
signed:<br />
DATE:<br />
Physical description<br />
School Type:<br />
General Description:<br />
Physical Location:<br />
Strata or Torrens Title:<br />
Relationship to adjacent buildings,<br />
landowners<br />
AUDIT CONSTRAINTS<br />
Are there any constraints that may<br />
affect the ability to carry out this audit?<br />
i.e single water meter for multiple users<br />
prevents identification of high water<br />
users and areas<br />
Are the premises shared by<br />
other occupiers?<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
25
environmental audit protocol<br />
worksheet 6<br />
water activities and devices<br />
Describe activities and<br />
devices that use water<br />
eg washing machines, taps, dishwashers,<br />
toilets, urinals, watering crops gardens ovals,<br />
science labs, home economics, landscaping,<br />
cooling towers<br />
water usage<br />
Describe water usage in qualitative and<br />
quantitative terms, include seasonal<br />
andyearly patterns<br />
if appropriate<br />
water usage trends<br />
Is water usage increasing or decreasing on<br />
the premises?<br />
(attach charts or spreadsheets)<br />
Have activities changed on<br />
the premises in a way that affects water<br />
consumption?<br />
title<br />
1 Are the premises separately metered ? YES NO<br />
2 Have low-flow shower roses been installed ? YES NO<br />
3 Do the toilets have dual flush buttons ? YES NO<br />
4 Are taps fitted with low flow restrictors ? YES NO<br />
5 Are automatic flushing urinals installed ? YES NO<br />
6 If lawn irrigation systems exist, do they have timers ? YES NO<br />
7 Do cooling towers have recycling systems fitted ? YES NO<br />
11 Do rainwater tanks collect rain or stormwater for reuse ? YES NO<br />
9 Is there any grey water reuse on the premises? YES NO<br />
10 Are there any processes that require a tap to run continually? YES NO<br />
If so, please describe them:<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
26
environmental audit protocol<br />
worksheet 6<br />
title<br />
11 Are there any water saving devices on any of the operational facilities ? YES NO<br />
eg solenoid valves that help control water etc<br />
12 Have there been searches in the last three years to check for secret leaks ? YES NO<br />
If yes, what was the result ?<br />
13 Are there areas where a leaking fitting or pipe could go undetected ? YES NO<br />
14 Is there any operational equipment that could be replaced with<br />
equipment that uses less water for the same cost? YES NO<br />
15 Are there any products used on the premises that could be replaced by<br />
products that use less water for a competitive price? YES NO<br />
16 Are there opportunities for students/staff to assist the premises<br />
to save water? If yes, provide details: YES NO<br />
17 Are there opportunities to educate or train staff and students in<br />
water saving techniques? YES NO<br />
18 Are there any leaking taps or fittings? If yes, please describe: YES NO<br />
19 Are there any other issues to be addressed? If yes, please list: YES NO<br />
19 Considering the findings of the audit, are there any opportunities to save<br />
water on these premises in the short or long term? If so, please describe: YES NO<br />
RECOMMENDATIONS ARISING FROM THIS REPORT<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
27
water conservation<br />
resource list<br />
2.1 water use and<br />
conservation<br />
2.4 School <strong>Water</strong> Audit 2.6 Think Twice <strong>Water</strong><br />
Saving Campaign<br />
Sources:<br />
Report on the Williams River<br />
Healthy Rivers Commission of<br />
Inquiry, 1996<br />
2.2 BEING <strong>Water</strong>Wise<br />
at Home<br />
Sources:<br />
Community and<br />
Environment Report<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002-03<br />
Annual Report<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002-03<br />
Integrated <strong>Water</strong><br />
Resource Plan<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2003<br />
Hints on How to be<br />
<strong>Water</strong>wise<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
Sources:<br />
Cleaner Production<br />
Audit Protocol<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2004<br />
2.5 <strong>Water</strong> Conservation<br />
Initiatives<br />
Sources:<br />
Kotara ‘Roof to Creek’ Project<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> Australia, 2004<br />
Community and<br />
Environment Report<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002-03<br />
Sources:<br />
Community and<br />
Environment Report<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002-03<br />
Additional Information:<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> Think<br />
Twice Campaign<br />
www.hunterwater.com.au<br />
Sydney <strong>Water</strong> Every Drop<br />
Counts Campaign<br />
www.sydneywater.com.au<br />
Three Buckets a Day <strong>Water</strong><br />
Saving Campaign<br />
www.medialaunch.com.au<br />
Meat and Livestock<br />
Australia’s <strong>Water</strong><br />
Saving Campaign<br />
www.mla.com.au<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Use It Wisely<br />
www.wateruseitwisely.com<br />
Talking <strong>Water</strong>: an<br />
Australian Guidebook<br />
for the 21st Century<br />
www.hunterwater.<br />
com.au<br />
www.savewater.com.au<br />
2.3 Being <strong>Water</strong>wise<br />
at School<br />
Sources:<br />
Community<br />
Environment Report<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002-03<br />
Annual Report<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002-03<br />
Integrated <strong>Water</strong><br />
Resource Plan<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2003<br />
Hints on How to be<br />
<strong>Water</strong>wise<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
28
introduction to wastewater & stormwater<br />
Wastewater and Stormwater<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> provides wastewater<br />
services to residents, businesses and<br />
industries across the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
Wastewater is transported through a<br />
network of about 4,160km of sewer<br />
pipes and 341 pumping stations to 17<br />
wastewater treatment works. Treated<br />
effluent is discharged to waterways or<br />
reused where it is economical and where<br />
there are environmental benefits for the<br />
community.<br />
Local councils manage the majority of<br />
the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>’s stormwater systems<br />
- while <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> manages some<br />
drains in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and<br />
Cessnock.<br />
Compared with wastewater, the quality<br />
of stormwater is largely unmanaged<br />
and variable. Stormwater is not formally<br />
treated for two reasons: it flows in huge<br />
volumes that would be costly to treat and<br />
it is relatively unpolluted compared to<br />
wastewater.<br />
Wastewater and stormwater are affected<br />
by both human activities and natural<br />
processes. They are also important<br />
resources we can utilise - as we grow to<br />
appreciate the scarcity and great value of<br />
our water resources, strategies for<br />
making use of effluent and stormwater<br />
are being developed. Effluent and<br />
biosolids recycling, residential collection<br />
and use of stormwater and water<br />
sensitive urban design are growing<br />
across the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
Wastewater and stormwater<br />
management are an important step<br />
towards sustainable management of<br />
the region’s water resources: they are<br />
the responsibility of <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, local<br />
Councils, local communities, business<br />
and industry.<br />
Learning Opportunities<br />
This <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong> provides information and<br />
worksheets to help schools integrate<br />
local and regional water issues into<br />
their curriculum. A range of issues are<br />
addressed in this section, including:<br />
• Understanding wastewater and<br />
stormwater and how they can be<br />
sustainably managed<br />
• Environmental, economic and<br />
social impacts of wastewater and<br />
stormwater in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
• Wastewater treatment and how<br />
our personal actions increase or<br />
reduce the volume and impacts on<br />
the process<br />
• Case studies on wastewater<br />
treatment works<br />
• <strong>Water</strong> sensitive urban design and<br />
community action to improve<br />
stormwater quality<br />
The information and worksheets within<br />
this section can be used collectively,<br />
independently or combined with those<br />
from other sections of the kit.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
1
Links with THE Syllabus<br />
Used collectively, the information and<br />
worksheets from this section address<br />
the following syllabus outcomes:<br />
key learning area stage syllabus outcomes addressed<br />
Human Society and Its Environment 3 ENS3.5 - Patterns of place and location<br />
ENS3.6 - Relationship with places<br />
SSS3.7 - Resource systems<br />
Science and technology 3 PSS3.5 - Products and services<br />
INV3.7 - Investigating<br />
UTS3.9 - Using Technology<br />
Physical Development, Health and<br />
Physical Education<br />
COS3.1 - Communicating<br />
DMS3.2 - Decision making<br />
PSS3.5 - Problem solving<br />
PHS3.12 - Personal health choices<br />
Geography 4* 4G2 - Global environments<br />
4G3 - Managing global environments<br />
4G4 - Global citizenship<br />
* While Stage 4 focusses on global issues, the kit could be used to<br />
compare the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> with communities/issues outside Australia<br />
Geography 5<br />
5A2 - Changing Australian environments<br />
5A3 - Issues in Australian environments<br />
5A4 - Australia in its regional and global context<br />
Science 4 4.4 - Implications of science for society and the environment<br />
4.7 - Properties of substances using scientific models and theories<br />
4.11 - Natural Resources<br />
4.12 - Technology<br />
4.13 - Identifying and planning an investigation<br />
4.14 - Performing first-hand investigations<br />
4.15 - Gathering first-hand information<br />
4.16 - Gathering information from secondary sources<br />
4.17 - Processing information<br />
4.18 - Presenting information<br />
4.19 - Thinking critically<br />
4.20 - Problem solving<br />
4.21- Use of creativity and imagination to solve problems<br />
4.22 - Working individually and in teams<br />
Science 5 5.4 - Implications of science for society and the environment<br />
5.7 - Properties of elements, compounds and mixtures related<br />
to scientific models, theories and laws<br />
5.10 - Ecosystems<br />
5.11 - Resource use and conservation<br />
5.13 - Identifying and planning an investigation<br />
5.14 - Performing first-hand investigations<br />
5.15 - Gathering first-hand information<br />
5.16 - Gathering information from secondary sources<br />
5.17 - Processing information<br />
5.18 - Presenting information<br />
5.19 - Thinking critically<br />
5.20 - Problem solving<br />
5.21 - Use of creativity and imagination to solve problems<br />
5.22 - Working individually and in teams<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
2
introduction to wastewater & stormwater<br />
What is wastewater?<br />
We use water for many activities, most<br />
of which contaminate the water in<br />
some way, ie by using detergents to<br />
wash clothes and soap in the bath. This<br />
contaminated water is called wastewater.<br />
It comes from homes, shops, schools,<br />
hospitals and factories. After wastewater<br />
has been treated, it is commonly known<br />
as effluent.<br />
Wastewater is broken down by microorganisms<br />
in an aeration tank<br />
Wastewater Composition<br />
Wastewater contains approximately<br />
99.9% water and 0.1% solids. Expressed<br />
in another way, every 1000kg (or 1000L)<br />
of wastewater contains about 1kg (or<br />
1L) of solids. The solids are organic and<br />
inorganic compounds and are suspended<br />
in the wastewater.<br />
Volatile solids are about 70% of the<br />
wastewater solids and give the water its<br />
unpleasant characteristics. The majority<br />
of the solids - carbohydrates, fats and<br />
proteins - are broken down during<br />
treatment into more stable inorganic<br />
compounds by bacteria and other microorganisms.<br />
Wastewater also contains some<br />
compounds that are resistant to normal<br />
treatment processes, including:<br />
• Organics - fats, oils, grease,<br />
carbohydrates, pesticides,<br />
herbicides, insecticides, phenols,<br />
proteins and surfactants<br />
• Inorganics - chlorides, heavy<br />
metals, nitrogen, phosphorus and<br />
sulphur<br />
• Gases - hydrogen sulphide,<br />
methane and oxygen<br />
Impacts of wastewater<br />
Economic impacts<br />
The economic impacts of wastewater<br />
include the cost of treating and cleaning<br />
wastewater. If care is taken by water<br />
consumers to reduce the waste that<br />
enters the sewerage system, the<br />
wastewater treatment process becomes<br />
less costly - smaller dosages of<br />
chemicals can be used and the treatment<br />
process may be carried out more rapidly.<br />
Another major cost is managing<br />
environmental impacts. For instance,<br />
raw sewage may enter the environment<br />
through leaking pipes or illegal<br />
disposal. Clean up of these sites<br />
includes rehabilitation to address any<br />
contamination, which can be very costly,<br />
such as removing large volumes of soil.<br />
Environmental management costs also<br />
come from the need to protect the<br />
waterways that receive treated effluent.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> works in partnership<br />
with government and community<br />
organisations to revegetate and protect<br />
targeted waterways and to carry out<br />
regular monitoring of effluent discharges.<br />
Environmental impactsLiving<br />
organisms such as plants and animals<br />
(including humans) are linked through<br />
the water and nutrient cycles. A series<br />
of small impacts in one area can<br />
accumulate and potentially result in<br />
large scale negative impacts.<br />
Wastewater can contain high levels<br />
of nutrients such as phosphorus. In<br />
slow flowing waterways nutrients can<br />
become concentrated and cause algal<br />
blooms. These blooms can kill fish and<br />
produce toxins that make the water<br />
unsafe for swimming. Algal blooms<br />
from effluent nutrients are more likely<br />
in rivers than in the ocean.<br />
In the late 1980s <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> began<br />
a major upgrade of its Wastewater<br />
Treatment Works (WWTW), including<br />
improved treatment, disinfection<br />
at inland WWTWs, reusing treated<br />
effluent and situating ocean outfalls<br />
1km offshore. Since completing<br />
these upgrades the impacts on local<br />
waterways have been greatly reduced.<br />
Today, poor water quality at beaches,<br />
rivers, harbours and lakes is usually<br />
caused by polluted stormwater<br />
during heavy rain and flooding, not by<br />
wastewater.<br />
Managing wastewater in the<br />
LOWER <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> uses two main methods<br />
to manage wastewater: treatment and<br />
recycling.<br />
Wastewater treatment<br />
Wastewater must be treated to remove<br />
pollutants before it can be recycled or<br />
released into waterways or the ocean.<br />
This is done to minimise any negative<br />
environmental impacts.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s WWTW use naturallyoccurring<br />
bacteria to break down<br />
wastewater into safer substances. The<br />
further removal of phosphorus may involve<br />
the use of chemicals. The disinfection<br />
stage generally uses ultraviolet light,<br />
chlorine (chlorinated water is later<br />
dechlorinated by using sulphur dioxide), or<br />
natural ultra-violet rays from the sun. The<br />
disinfected effluent is returned to creeks<br />
and rivers. At <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s coastal<br />
WWTWs, saltwater and sunlight further<br />
purify the effluent.<br />
Sludge is dewatered to become a ‘biosolid’ at<br />
Boulder Bay WWTW<br />
The sludge and biosolids produced<br />
during treatment are further treated, then<br />
dewatered and recycled in local industrial<br />
projects. These projects include minesite<br />
rehabilitation, industrial landscaping,<br />
native woodlots and co-composting<br />
facilities.<br />
All recycling of water and biosolids<br />
must comply with guidelines set by<br />
the Department of Environment and<br />
Conservation, and all discharges from<br />
WWTWs are licenced by this department.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
3
These controls specify the quality and<br />
quantity of treated wastewater that can<br />
be released to rivers and the ocean. The<br />
effect of effluent on water quality and<br />
aquatic life is monitored to identify and<br />
respond to any impacts on ecosystems.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> has upgraded all of its<br />
WWTWs over the past 15 years and this<br />
has succesfully reduced the impact of<br />
effluent on our waterways.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> recycling<br />
To meet the principles of sustainability<br />
and address environmental issues,<br />
there have been increased efforts to<br />
develop and implement new systems<br />
for re-using wastewater.<br />
We now have the information and<br />
technology to effectively collect, treat<br />
and re-use water in our homes, offices,<br />
factories and farms.<br />
The benefits of recycling wastewater<br />
include:<br />
• Reduction in the volume of<br />
potable water used for purposes<br />
other than drinking. Recycling<br />
wastewater helps to reduce water<br />
supply and treatment costs, and<br />
reduces the need to build more<br />
dams to cater for increased<br />
water demand.<br />
• Reduction in the volume of<br />
stormwater and effluent discharges<br />
which minimises the impact on<br />
our waterways, and sewerage and<br />
stormwater infrastructure, eg pipes,<br />
pumping stations, wastewater<br />
treatment works.<br />
• Using wastewater as a resource<br />
for productive purposes. This<br />
makes sensible use of the water<br />
and nutrients in wastewater.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
4
3.2 wastewater treatment in the hunter<br />
WHERE ARE THE treatment<br />
works LOCATED?<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> manages 17 WWTW in the<br />
Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>. These WWTWs process<br />
the wastewater of about 500,000 people<br />
every day.<br />
The smallest serves 700 people and the<br />
largest 204,000. Three WWTWs are on<br />
the coast and have offshore outfalls, and<br />
two others link up to Belmont WWTW.<br />
Another three are near Lake Macquarie<br />
and Newcastle Harbour, and nine<br />
WWTWS are inland.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> operates 17 WWTWs<br />
throughout the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
Burwood Beach WWTW is the <strong>Hunter</strong>’s<br />
largest treatment facility<br />
THE Wastewater TREATMENT<br />
PROCESS<br />
The level of treatment in WWTWs around<br />
the world can range from ‘primary’<br />
(filtering and screening) through to ‘tertiary’<br />
processes. Most of <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s<br />
WWTWs operate to a tertiary level.<br />
PRIMARY<br />
1 Screening<br />
Non-biodegradable solids/objects are<br />
removed from wastewater by selective<br />
screening. These screenings are usually<br />
compressed and sent to a landfill site.<br />
2 Grit removal<br />
Grit and sand is separated from the<br />
wastewater in a small vortex tank, which is<br />
designed to permit only the heavier solids<br />
(grit) to settle. The grit is collected, washed<br />
and then sent to a landfill site.<br />
3 Flow balancing and odour<br />
control<br />
Flow equalisation tanks provide a means<br />
of smoothing out fluctuating flows and<br />
limiting the maximum flows entering<br />
the treatment works, especially during<br />
wet weather. The inlet works are usually<br />
covered to contain odours. These odours<br />
are then directed to a soilbed filter.<br />
SECONDARY<br />
4 Biological treatment<br />
Biological processes break down organic<br />
matter into simpler chemical substances<br />
such as carbon dioxide, methane and<br />
nitrates. The processes are carried out by<br />
micro-organisms, which obtain food from<br />
the organic matter in the wastewater.<br />
5 Clarification<br />
Biological solids settle out from the<br />
effluent in large concrete clarifiers (tanks).<br />
The solids are often recycled back to the<br />
bioreactor and the clear effluent flows on<br />
to the disinfection system.<br />
TERITARY<br />
6 Disinfection<br />
Potentially harmful pathogens are killed<br />
through a disinfection process involving<br />
high intensity ultraviolet (UV) lights or<br />
additions of chlorine to the effluent or in<br />
maturation ponds.<br />
7 Discharge effluent<br />
The effluent is either discharged via<br />
pipelines to waterways or may be reused,<br />
eg watering golf courses and woodlots or<br />
by nearby industries.<br />
8 Sludge treatment<br />
The sludge resulting from the settling<br />
process is further treated and then<br />
dewatered to form a biosolid that can be<br />
reused in suitable industrial rehabilitation<br />
projects.<br />
wwtw population communities daily volume<br />
Burwood Beach 204,000 Newcastle, Dudley, Wallsend 43 megalitres<br />
Belmont<br />
Edgeworth<br />
Morpeth<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
91,000 Charlestown, Dudley, Windale, Valentine,<br />
Belmont, Swansea<br />
60,000 Cardiff, Glendale, Elermore Vale, West Wallsend,<br />
Edgeworth<br />
50,000 Beresfield, Thornton, Ashtonfield, Tenambit,<br />
Morpeth, East Maitland<br />
30 megalitres<br />
20 megalitres<br />
20 megalitres<br />
Toronto 34,000 Fassifern, Blackalls Park, Awaba, Rathmines, Toronto 15 megalitres<br />
Boulder Bay 30,000 Salamander Bay, Nelson Bay, Shoal Bay,<br />
Fingal Bay, Anna Bay<br />
Shortland 28,000 Fletcher, Wallsend, Marylands, Shortland,<br />
Sandgate, Hexham,<br />
Farley 26,000 Maitland, Lorn, Oakhampton, Tenambit,<br />
Thornton, Beresfield<br />
15 megalitres<br />
14 megalitres<br />
14 megalitres<br />
5
wwtw population communities daily volume<br />
Cessnock 26,000 Pokolbin, Aberdare, Kearsley 12 megalitres<br />
Raymond Terrace 25,000 Medowie, Heatherbrae, Raymond Terrace 12 megalitres<br />
Kurri Kurri 19,000 Weston, Kurri, Heddon Greta 9 megalitres<br />
Dora Creek* 17,000 Morisset, Wangi, Bonnells Bay, Silverwater, Dora Creek 9 megalitres<br />
Tanilba Bay 6,000 Lemon Tree Passage, Mallabula, Tanilba Bay 5 megalitres<br />
Branxton 5,000 Greta, Rothbury, Lochinvar 1 megalitre<br />
Karuah 2,000 Karuah 0.6 megalitres<br />
Kearsley 1,000 Kearsley 0.3 megalitres<br />
Paxton 700 Paxton 0.1 megalitres<br />
* All effluent from this plant is re-used at Eraring<br />
Power Station<br />
CALCULATING THE POPULATIONS<br />
SERVED<br />
To reflect the true wastewater load on<br />
both catchments and WWTWs, the<br />
populations quoted in the table above are<br />
calculated as the Equivalent Population<br />
(EP). The EP measures the number of<br />
people served in addition to an estimate<br />
of the wastewater produced by business<br />
and industry; converted to population.<br />
For example, you may have 1,000 actual<br />
people in a community plus a school,<br />
shops and a restaurant. In this instance<br />
the EP would be calculated by:<br />
(a) determining the wastewater<br />
flows expected from the school, shops<br />
and restaurant;<br />
(b) converting this flow to the<br />
number of people it would represent if it<br />
was coming from houses;<br />
(c) adding this ‘equivalent’ number<br />
of people to the actual number of real<br />
people in the community. In this case the<br />
EP might be estimated at 1,100 people.<br />
EP is used because without it, the<br />
population numbers on their own do not<br />
match the daily volumes of wastewater<br />
produced, as the daily volumes also<br />
include flows from business and industry.<br />
How you can help with<br />
wastewater<br />
We all have a responsibility to reduce<br />
the impact of our wastewater. You can<br />
help reduce the volume of wastewater<br />
produced and contaminants in<br />
wastewater by following these simple tips:<br />
• Reduce water use in the kitchen<br />
by only using the dishwasher when<br />
its full or washing up items in the<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
sink instead.<br />
• Use the specified amount of<br />
detergent and choose detergents<br />
that are low in phosphorous.<br />
• Minimise your water use in the<br />
bathroom by turning off the tap<br />
when you brush your teeth, taking<br />
shorter showers, use a watersaving<br />
showerhead and use a<br />
dual-flush toilet.<br />
• Wash your hands quickly at school<br />
and don’t leave the tap running or<br />
dripping.<br />
• Choose cleaning products that are<br />
environmentally endorsed - these<br />
aim to have a smaller impact on<br />
the environment.<br />
• Do not dispose of products that<br />
contain chemicals down the sink<br />
or drain. If you have old chemicals<br />
or oils that need to be disposed of,<br />
contact your local council who can<br />
advise you on the best method of<br />
disposal.<br />
• Minimise your water use and<br />
understand where your water<br />
goes after you have used it.<br />
Explain to family and friends<br />
how reducing the amount of<br />
wastewater produced benefits the<br />
environment.<br />
Maximising the Benefits of<br />
Recycled <strong>Water</strong><br />
The Karuah water recycling scheme<br />
began in November 2002 and provides<br />
420 properties in Karuah with a modern<br />
reticulated sewerage system.<br />
The sewerage scheme provides significant<br />
benefit by eliminating poorly performing<br />
septic tanks that had the potential to<br />
overflow and to the Karuah River.<br />
A priority of the design was ensuring<br />
the system’s impact on the local oyster<br />
industry was minimised. This was<br />
achieved by reusing the effluent from the<br />
Karuah wastewater treatment works to<br />
avoid discharge from the plant into local<br />
waterways.<br />
The Karuah plant has been specially<br />
designed to minimise the discharge of<br />
treated effluent off-site. It is predicted that,<br />
on average, there will be no discharge<br />
of effluent off-site for three out of four<br />
years. It is estimated that 98% of effluent<br />
produced by the works will be used onsite<br />
to grow fodder crops and trees.<br />
Sewerage is treated to a secondary<br />
standard in a conventional activated<br />
Irrigating feed crops with recycled water<br />
at the Karuah WWTW<br />
sludge treatment plant. The treated<br />
effluent is then disinfected using ultraviolet<br />
light prior to discharge into a 100 megalitre<br />
effluent storage dam. The effluent is<br />
stored until it can be used to irrigate the<br />
crops and trees.<br />
The effluent reuse area consists of a 100<br />
hectare property containing two centrepivot<br />
irrigators each covering 20 hectares<br />
of fodder crops.<br />
The Karuah water recycling scheme<br />
provides a great example of what can be<br />
achieved in the <strong>Hunter</strong> region to recycle<br />
water in an effective and environmentally<br />
sustainable manner.<br />
6
3.3 raymond terrace WWTW<br />
Raymond Terrace WWTW<br />
Raymond Terrace WWTW serves about<br />
25,000 people in Raymond Terrace and<br />
Medowie.<br />
Control and monitoring<br />
The entire wastewater treatment process is<br />
automatically controlled by a series of<br />
computers that are linked to <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s<br />
main computer system in Newcastle.<br />
Department of Environment and<br />
Conservation licence parameters. <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong> also submits an annual report to<br />
this department to confirm that the facility<br />
has been operating within its licence.<br />
The upgraded Raymond Terrace WWTW<br />
The new Inlet Works is completely covered<br />
to control odour<br />
The original facilities were constructed<br />
in 1980. An upgrade was carried out to<br />
improve the quality of effluent produced<br />
at the facility and cater for the area’s<br />
population growth. To plan for this<br />
upgrade an Environmental Impact<br />
Statement was prepared and publicly<br />
exhibited, with approval for the upgrade<br />
granted by the state government.<br />
The upgraded Raymond Terrace WWTW<br />
is capable of treating an average flow<br />
of over 6.5 million litres per day, with<br />
the capacity to serve a population of<br />
approximately 29,500 people. Provision<br />
has been made in the design of the plant<br />
to allow for an upgrade to 35,000 people<br />
if required.<br />
Benefits of the Raymond Terrace<br />
WWTWThe Raymond Terrace<br />
WWTW was designed and built to<br />
treat wastewater to a high standard<br />
and to have a minimal impact on the<br />
environment. This has been achieved<br />
by collecting wastewater from houses,<br />
business and industry via pipes and<br />
pumping stations, and directing it to the<br />
WWTW. The wastewater is treated to<br />
a high standard, disinfected and then<br />
discharged into Grahamstown Drain<br />
which then flows into Windeyers Creek<br />
and the <strong>Hunter</strong> River.<br />
Where it is economically viable, treated<br />
wastewater is recycled and used in<br />
activities such as the irrigation of golf<br />
courses and for industrial purposes. The<br />
collected residual solids (or dewatered<br />
sludge) are called ‘biosolids’ and are<br />
reused for activities such as minesite<br />
rehabilitation.<br />
To ensure that the facility is operating<br />
efficiently, sampling and testing are<br />
conducted on the holding tanks and<br />
discharge waters. The results are<br />
analysed to ensure the treatment<br />
processes continue to meet the<br />
Wastewater treatment at Raymond Terrace<br />
Inlet Works<br />
The inlet works receive wastewater through four sewer mains. The inlet works<br />
house the step screens and the grit tank.This area is covered and kept under<br />
constant vacuum to contain odours, which are then passed through a soilbed filter.<br />
Soilbed Filter<br />
The organic soilbed filter consists of layers of gravel, soil, peat and bark chips. This<br />
soilbed allows the growth of natural bacteria which breakdown and disperse odours.<br />
Step Screen<br />
Large objects and solids present in the wastewater are removed using two fine<br />
automatic step screens. The bars on the two screens are 5mm apart and can treat<br />
up to 1000 litres per second. The screenings are washed and dewatered and then<br />
disposed to landfill<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
7
Grit Tank<br />
Inorganic grit material in the raw sewerage is removed using centrifugal grit chambers.<br />
The settled grit is dewatered and stored in a 1 cubic metre bin for disposal to landfill.<br />
Bioreactor<br />
A new bioreactor has been constructed to provide the additional non-aerated zones required to enhance the plant for biological<br />
phosphorus removal. The naturally forming bacteria are fed with the wastewater/sewage and then moved to the carousel for<br />
further treatment.<br />
Carousel Tank<br />
The carousel tank provides both aerated zones and unaerated zones.<br />
The suspended solids, organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus are further broken down by naturally occurring bacteria<br />
into simple gaseous and solid particles.<br />
Clarifiers<br />
The wastewater from the bioreactor flows into four clarifiers where the biological solids settle from the clear effluent. The solids are<br />
recycled back into the bioreactor. Clear effluent overflows from the clarifier and flows on to the disinfection system.<br />
DISINFECTION AND DISCHARGE<br />
The clear effluent is subjected to a bank of concentrated ultraviolet light to kill potentially harmful pathogenic organisms. The final<br />
effluent is released into Grahamstown Drain, which then flows into Windeyers Creek and the <strong>Hunter</strong> River.<br />
Sludge TREATMENT<br />
The sludge remaining from the main process is aerobically digested to stabilise the sludge. This reduces odour potential and pathogens.<br />
After digestion the solids are separated from the liquid using a belt filter press and dewatered biosolids are reused in agricultural<br />
and minesite rehabilitation projects.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
8
3.4 morpeth wastewater & wetlands<br />
Wastewater to wetlands<br />
The decommissioned treatment ponds<br />
at the old Morpeth WWTW have been<br />
transformed into a wetland sanctuary for<br />
local and migratory birds.<br />
The original WWTW was constructed in<br />
1940. During 2001 a new $20M treatment<br />
works was constructed to cater for<br />
population growth in the area and reduce<br />
nutrients entering local waterways.<br />
The old plant’s maturation ponds have been<br />
converted to wetlands<br />
The WWTW used a series of shallow<br />
ponds to allow direct sunlight to kill<br />
bacteria in the effluent. The new facility<br />
uses artificial ultraviolet light in a<br />
disinfection tank.<br />
During planning for the new treatment<br />
works, <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> became aware<br />
that the old maturation ponds had<br />
An aerial photo of the new Morpeth WWTW<br />
and wetland sanctuary<br />
become habitat for local and migratory<br />
birds. With this knowledge <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong> committed to retain the open<br />
water ponds and rehabilitate them as a<br />
wetland area for birds.<br />
The rehabilitation project<br />
Over 100 tonnes of concrete and soil<br />
waste were recycled on-site instead of<br />
being disposed to landfill. This recycling<br />
involved the creation of beaches, islands<br />
and shallow ponds to attract a variety of<br />
wading birds.<br />
The rehabilitated wetlands generated<br />
great interest among bird watchers<br />
and the local community. A team of<br />
environmental workers and <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
employees planted hundreds of native<br />
trees and shrubs around the wetland. The<br />
aim was to recreate a ‘natural’ wetland<br />
ecosystem.<br />
High quality treated effluent from the<br />
new plant is only pumped into the<br />
wetlands when natural water levels fall<br />
too low to sustain the ecosystem. This<br />
constant source of water has supported<br />
the survival of local and migratory birds<br />
during periods of drought.<br />
Treating wastewater at Morpeth<br />
Morpeth WWTW serves about 50,000<br />
people who live and work primarily in<br />
Morpeth, Metford, Thornton, Tenambit,<br />
Ashtonfield, Beresfield and East Maitland.<br />
The WWTW has the capacity to treat an<br />
average flow of 14 million litres per day,<br />
or about 60,000 people. The facitility has<br />
the capacity to be upgraded to serve<br />
80,000 people in the future - subject to<br />
planning approval.<br />
The new plant was built to minimise<br />
impacts on the surrounding environment.<br />
Wastewater is collected from houses and<br />
industry via pipes and pumping stations,<br />
and treated to a high standard that<br />
includes a disinfection stage.<br />
The final treated effluent is recycled where<br />
possible or otherwise discharged into<br />
the <strong>Hunter</strong> River. During dry conditions<br />
some effluent is diverted to the wetland<br />
ponds. Recycled wastewater is used to<br />
irrigate golf courses and woodlots. The<br />
remaining sludge (solids) is treated and<br />
dewatered to become biosolids, and<br />
reused in agricultural activities and mine<br />
rehabilitation on the site.<br />
Protecting the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> catchment<br />
By 2006 all of <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s WWTWs<br />
will have been completely upgraded.<br />
The focus of these upgrades, which in<br />
turn reduces negative impacts on local<br />
waterways where effluent is discharged.<br />
In achieving higher levels of treatment<br />
however, some trade-offs have had to be<br />
made, including:<br />
• higher costs for construction and<br />
operation of new plants compared<br />
to older plants<br />
• more atmospheric emissions from<br />
power stations associated with<br />
higher power usage at plants<br />
• increased transport needs through<br />
recycling greater quantities of<br />
biosolids<br />
A water quality report on the <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
River indicated that lowering nitrogen<br />
and phosphorus levels in effluent would<br />
protect and improve downstream water<br />
quality. Levels of nitrogen have been<br />
reduced from 15 to 7 milligrams and<br />
levels of phosphorus reduced from 6 to 3<br />
milligrams per litre.<br />
Reductions in phosphorus and nitrogen<br />
beyond this, however, were considered<br />
to be of little impact as Morpeth WWTW<br />
only contributes 2% to 3% of the total<br />
nutrient load in the river.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
9
3.5 stormwater management<br />
What is stormwater?<br />
Stormwater is runoff produced by rainfall<br />
that flows into drains or directly into<br />
waterways, wetlands and eventually the<br />
ocean. In urban areas, rain that falls on<br />
houses or runs off paved areas such<br />
as driveways, roads and footpaths, is<br />
carried away through a system of pipes<br />
separate from the wastewater system -<br />
this is called the stormwater system.<br />
Stormwater management<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s role in the management<br />
of stormwater is to maintain stormwater<br />
channels and culverts in the Newcastle,<br />
Lake Macquarie and Cessnock local<br />
government areas. This includes<br />
preventing the accumulation of rubbish.<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s stormwater infrastructure<br />
comprises large scale, concrete trunk<br />
drainage systems constructed to collect<br />
and transport large urban stormwater<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> helps councils manage<br />
stormwater in the shaded areas<br />
flows into receiving waters. The<br />
stormwater infrastructure controlled<br />
by local councils includes the street<br />
drainage (inlet pits and pipes) that<br />
drains into this system, and the<br />
less formalised ‘natural’ channels<br />
throughout areas upstream and<br />
sometimes downstream of <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong>’s systems.<br />
The majority of <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s<br />
stormwater assets are located within<br />
the Newcastle area, in the major urban<br />
catchments of Throsby Creek and<br />
Cottage Creek. Stormwater treatment<br />
structures in the Throsby Creek system<br />
include a sediment trap with floating<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
boom at Tighes Hill and trash racks in<br />
Lambton and Adamstown.<br />
In Lake Macquarie, <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
operates stormwater assets in the<br />
Winding Creek catchment, and in<br />
Cessnock stormwater assets are<br />
situated through the urbanised<br />
sections of Black Creek.<br />
Stormwater pollution<br />
There are three main types of<br />
stormwater pollution that are<br />
discharged to our waterways:<br />
• litter, eg cigarette butts, cans,<br />
paper, plastic bags<br />
• chemicals, eg detergents, oil,<br />
fertilisers<br />
• organic materials, eg leaves,<br />
garden clippings, animal<br />
droppings<br />
Stormwater treatment<br />
Unlike wastewater, stormwater is not<br />
treated at a wastewater treatment<br />
plant. This means its quality is largely<br />
unmanaged and variable. In some<br />
situations it passes through pollution<br />
traps, usually located at the end of the<br />
stormwater pipe system.<br />
However, pollution traps only filter large<br />
pieces of litter from the water. These<br />
traps do not remove dissolved solids,<br />
nutrients, sediment, greases and oils<br />
that are often found in stormwater.<br />
Since <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s upgrade of<br />
wastewater treatment works in the<br />
Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>, the major cause of poor<br />
water quality at beaches is polluted<br />
stormwater after heavy rainfall.<br />
We can all help reduce the volume of<br />
stormwater entering waterways and<br />
minimise its pollution. It is more cost<br />
effective to prevent stormwater pollution<br />
than to have to deal with it once it has<br />
occurred.<br />
What affects stormwater<br />
pollution?<br />
The volume and severity of stormwater<br />
pollution is affected by:<br />
The timing and<br />
intensity of<br />
rainfall<br />
building density<br />
and land uses<br />
within the<br />
catchment area<br />
the extent of<br />
vegetation cover<br />
the cleanliness<br />
of streets<br />
Activities that cause<br />
stormwater pollution<br />
Some examples of activities that can<br />
cause stormwater to become polluted<br />
are:<br />
Stormwater impacts<br />
local practices, eg<br />
street sweeping<br />
and chemical use<br />
washing cars in<br />
the street lets<br />
detergents enter<br />
drains and<br />
waterways<br />
dropping litter<br />
where it will be<br />
swept into drains<br />
the next time it<br />
rains<br />
cleaning paint<br />
brushes into<br />
street drains<br />
Environmental impacts<br />
Since stormwater is not treated before<br />
it enters local waterways, it is often<br />
very polluted and can have many<br />
adverse impacts.<br />
10
Some of the environmental impacts<br />
associated with stormwater include:<br />
• Sediment in the water reduces<br />
light penetration and affects the<br />
photosynthesis of plants.<br />
• When green waste (grass<br />
clippings, leaf litter) decays in<br />
water it uses up oxygen, reducing<br />
the oxygen available to aquatic<br />
plants and animals.<br />
• Sediment makes waterways<br />
cloudy and can suffocate fish by<br />
clogging their gills.<br />
• Litter obstructs waterways and<br />
can release toxins into the water<br />
when it breaks down. It impacts<br />
on the health of birds, fish and<br />
other aquatic animals and plants.<br />
Animals can mistake floating<br />
plastic objects for food and<br />
ingesting the object can cause<br />
suffocation.<br />
• The appearance of our waterways<br />
is affected by stormwater<br />
pollution, making them less<br />
enjoyable and attractive for both<br />
locals and visitors.<br />
The social and economic impacts of<br />
polluted stormwater are often flowon<br />
effects from the environmental<br />
impacts. They include:<br />
Economic impacts<br />
• Organisations that manage<br />
stormwater, such as <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong> and local Councils, must<br />
contribute increased funds for<br />
clean-up efforts and installation of<br />
pollution traps.<br />
• <strong>Water</strong> that has been polluted<br />
cannot be readily used by the<br />
community for local projects or in<br />
the home.<br />
High quality drinking water<br />
continues to be used for tasks<br />
such as watering the garden.<br />
Stormwater would offer a more<br />
sustainable and cost-effective<br />
alternative to using potable<br />
water, if it was relatively free from<br />
contaminants.<br />
Social impacts<br />
• People are less likely to visit or<br />
enjoy local waterways if they<br />
are polluted.<br />
• Social activities such as surfing,<br />
rowing and water skiing can<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
become threatened by high water<br />
pollution levels.<br />
Prevention of stormwater<br />
pollution<br />
Many local Councils have put<br />
stormwater pollution traps at the end of<br />
stormwater drains. These help reduce<br />
waste entering creeks, rivers and<br />
wetlands. Pollution devices are regularly<br />
emptied and their contents disposed of<br />
at local landfill sites. However, pollution<br />
traps cannot remove all stormwater<br />
contaminants. The most effective way<br />
to reduce stormwater pollution is to<br />
prevent it occurring in the first place.<br />
Examples of pollution devices:<br />
artificially<br />
constructed<br />
wetlands<br />
oil and litter<br />
booms<br />
gross<br />
pollutant<br />
traps<br />
trash traps<br />
sediment traps<br />
Three ways to prevent<br />
stormwater pollution<br />
Litter disposal<br />
Make sure that litter cannot blow or fall out<br />
of garbage bins or recycling containers.<br />
Washing cars<br />
Wash cars on the grass to prevent soapy<br />
water from entering gutters. The nutrients<br />
in detergents contaminate waterways and<br />
can lead to algal blooms.<br />
Dog droppings<br />
Place dog droppings in the bin to prevent<br />
bacteria and nutrients from entering local<br />
waterways.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Sensitive Urban<br />
Design (WSUD)<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Sensitive Urban Design refers to the<br />
integration of water cycle management -<br />
drinking water, stormwater, wastewater,<br />
waterway health, recycling - into urban<br />
planning and design. WSUD aims to<br />
address the principles of Ecologically<br />
Sustainable Development.<br />
Figtree Place<br />
A number of development projects<br />
that incorporate WSUD have been<br />
completed in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong> over the<br />
last decade. These projects demonstrate<br />
the practicalities of WSUD, and provide<br />
the opportunity to monitor and assess<br />
their performance as a water management<br />
scheme. One such project is Figtree Place<br />
in Newcastle.<br />
Figtree Place is a 27 unit community<br />
housing project in Newcastle<br />
Figtree Place is a community housing<br />
development of 27 units. It incorporates<br />
on-site stormwater harvesting and storage<br />
in underground aquifers.<br />
The WSUD objective is to retain<br />
stormwater on-site and reduce potable<br />
water consumption. The site is designed<br />
to contain all runoff for rainfall events up to<br />
and including a 1 in 50 year flood event.<br />
The stormwater from roof surfaces is pretreated<br />
in sediment traps prior to storage<br />
in underground rainwater tanks. Runoff<br />
from roads and other impervious surfaces<br />
at the development is filtered through the<br />
base of a dry detention basin and then<br />
stored in underground aquifers.<br />
The stored stormwater is pumped from<br />
the aquifer and used to irrigate garden<br />
beds and open spaces, and wash vehicles<br />
at the adjacent bus depot. Harvested<br />
stormwater is also used to supply hot<br />
water to each unit for indoor use. Overall<br />
the water management scheme reduces<br />
the demand on high quality potable water<br />
by about 60%.<br />
11
3.6 managing stormwater with sqids<br />
Lake Macquarie City Council<br />
has designed an Adopt-a-SQID<br />
program to engage the community in<br />
environmental monitoring, reporting<br />
and community education.<br />
SQID - Stormwater Quality<br />
Improvement Device - refers to a<br />
constructed stormwater treatment<br />
device such as a wetland, retention<br />
basin, sediment/silt trap or a gross<br />
pollutant trap.<br />
Objectives for adopt-A-SQID<br />
Three main objectives helped to<br />
guide the design of the Adopt-a-SQID<br />
program:<br />
• Encourage Lake Macquarie<br />
residents to get to know how<br />
their local SQID works through<br />
environmental monitoring and<br />
reporting<br />
• Educate the community about<br />
protecting stormwater and local<br />
waterways so that groups can<br />
implement education programs<br />
tailored to water quality issues in<br />
their own sub-catchments<br />
• Identify how effectively<br />
SQIDs were working, so the<br />
environmental quality and health<br />
of downstream waterways could<br />
be improved<br />
How can you adopt-a-SQID?<br />
The main aspects of the program<br />
involve water quality monitoring and<br />
education activities.<br />
Across Lake Macquarie 29 Adopt-a-<br />
SQID groups have been formed with<br />
about 750 participants. Volunteers<br />
attended training sessions on<br />
stormwater issues, occupational health<br />
and safety, water quality monitoring<br />
and community education.<br />
Schools and community groups<br />
such as Landcare have also become<br />
involved with the project. Volunteers<br />
are trained to deliver community<br />
education with the support of staff<br />
from Council and <strong>Water</strong>watch.<br />
The community education activities<br />
undertaken by local SQID groups<br />
included drain stencilling and<br />
participation in local community events<br />
to promote the program.<br />
To activate the Adopt-a SQID program<br />
and maintain its momentum, various<br />
resources were developed:<br />
• a workshop to share data and ideas<br />
• a webpage at www.lakemac.com.au<br />
• group manuals to guide monitoring,<br />
reporting and education activities<br />
• site signage to raise awareness<br />
of stormwater issues and their<br />
management<br />
• promotion of local water bug<br />
surveys to the broader community<br />
• educational posters such as the<br />
Adopt-A-Squid as previewed<br />
Adopt-A-Squid poster<br />
What can be achieved by<br />
adopting a SQID?<br />
A community survey indicated that the<br />
Adopt-a-SQID program has helped<br />
improve understanding and behaviour<br />
among residents in the catchment.<br />
SQID groups continue to be recruited<br />
by Council, and these groups provide<br />
training for new and interested people<br />
in the local community. The Adopt-a<br />
SQID program has been a success<br />
and become the central focus of Lake<br />
Macquarie City Council’s stormwater<br />
education program.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
12
investigating wastewater treatment<br />
worksheet 1<br />
1 Use the internet and factsheets in Section 3 of this <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong> to discover the meaning of the following<br />
wastewater terms:<br />
a) Vortex:<br />
b) Effluent:<br />
c) Disinfection:<br />
2 What does ML mean?<br />
3 Which wastewater treatment works in the <strong>Hunter</strong> region:<br />
a) serves the largest population?<br />
b) serves the smallest population?<br />
c) treats the smallest volume of water on a daily basis?<br />
4 Calculate the volume of water (in litres) treated per person per day for each of the <strong>Hunter</strong>’s wastewater<br />
treatment works (WWTW):<br />
wastewater treatment works<br />
litres of wastewater treated per person per day<br />
Belmont:<br />
Burwood:<br />
Morpeth:<br />
Karuah:<br />
Shortland:<br />
5 Consider the communities that each WWTW services and suggest some reasons for any major differences<br />
in the volumes of wastewater treated:<br />
6 The main reason for treating wastewater is to ensure that it has a minimal impact when it is released into<br />
the environment. The treatment process uses naturally occurring bacteria to decompose carbohydrates,<br />
proteins and fats. As as a result, methane and carbon dioxide gases are released.<br />
a) Identify a potential environmental impact of the process of wastewater treatment:<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
13
) Suggest strategies that might be used to reduce this impact:<br />
c) Identify the main environmental costs and benefits of wastewater treatment in the <strong>Hunter</strong>:<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
14
the drain is just for rain<br />
worksheet 2<br />
Stormwater drains collect stormwater and transport it through pipes and canals to a variety of sites in the local area. Some<br />
stormwater first flows into stormwater detention ponds, where the water slows down and allows some pollutants to settle out<br />
In the end all stormwater is discharged to local creeks, rivers or wetlands.<br />
Depending on the size of your school grounds it may have a large number of stormwater drains, with a network of stormwater<br />
pipes buried beneath the ground that links each of the drains. This stormwater drainage system helps to keep the ground’s<br />
surface free from large puddles of water or muddy areas during wet weather.<br />
1 Before this investigation take a guess at how many drains there are in your school:<br />
.<br />
2 Go into your school grounds and take notes on the stormwater system for your school.<br />
Investigate how many drains there are and what state they are in.<br />
Are they clogged with rubbish? Are they located in sensible positions or do they create a potential hazard?<br />
types of drains number description<br />
Small round drains at the<br />
bottom of down pipes of roofs<br />
Long thin drains running<br />
across paths or playgrounds<br />
Small square drains in<br />
concrete areas<br />
Large square drains with<br />
a grate across the top<br />
Open drains that may be<br />
grassed or concrete lined<br />
Large drains built into<br />
the gutters in roads<br />
Other drains<br />
3 How many stormwater drains are there in your school grounds?<br />
Is this what you expected?<br />
4 Next time it rains, observe and describe what happens to the stormwater:<br />
Is the stormwater flowing into the drains or just making puddles?<br />
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15
Does it transport rubbish down into the drain and out to sea?<br />
How can you improve the school grounds to improve the environment?<br />
5 If you could capture some of this stormwater in a tank, how would you use it?<br />
6 Is stormwater from your school grounds likely to be polluted? If so, by what kinds of pollutants?<br />
7 What are the options for minimising pollution of stormwater in your school grounds?<br />
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16
stormwater in your school<br />
worksheet 3<br />
Stormwater is water that falls as rain and then flows across the ground and into gutters, drains and<br />
stormwater pipes. When it rains at school it falls on the roofs of buildings, concrete or asphalt paths and<br />
playgrounds or on grassy areas like playing fields. But what happens to it next?<br />
1 Use the space below to draw a map showing your school’s buildings, playgrounds, gardens, ovals etc.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
17
stormwater in your school<br />
worksheet 3<br />
2 Use a coloured pencil to show all the places where stormwater flows around your school. Use thick<br />
arrows to show heavy flows of water and thin arrows to show light flows of water.<br />
3 Does some of the stormwater form pools in your school grounds? If so, shade the affected areas in blue.<br />
4 Use a brown pencil to show where stormwater leaves the school. Does it flow onto the road or go down<br />
drains?<br />
5 What does the stormwater look like as it leaves your school? Is it clean and clear water, or muddy water<br />
with rubbish? Give your stormwater a rating from 1 to 10 and place numbers around the school (1 being the<br />
least polluted areas and 10 for the most most polluted areas).<br />
6 Does the stormwater in your school cause any damage? For instance, does it cause any erosion or flow into<br />
buildings? Mark any damaged areas in red.<br />
7 What could be done to improve the quality or reduce the volume of stormwater at your school?<br />
8 Research: Find out where the stormwater goes once it leaves your school grounds. How does it get to the<br />
sea? Which creeks or rivers does it flow down? What sort of pollutants does it pick up along the way? And<br />
where does it all end up?<br />
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improving wastewater<br />
worksheet 4<br />
1 Using the fact sheet Managing Stormwater with SQIDS, outline the key elements of the SQID initiative:<br />
a Formal title of this initiative:<br />
b<br />
The names of the organisation/s involved:<br />
c<br />
The aims of the project:<br />
d<br />
The benefits of the project for the community:<br />
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improving wastewater<br />
worksheet 4<br />
2 Investigate a local person, community group or government organisation that is working to improve our<br />
local waterways or water systems. Identify what work they are doing, how many people are involved in the<br />
project and what benefits this work will bring to the local community and environment.<br />
To get started, do a search on the internet for the following websites:<br />
www.hunterwater.com.au <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> www.lakemac.com.au Lake Macquarie City Council<br />
www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au <strong>Hunter</strong>-Central Rivers CMA www.portstephens.nsw.gov.au Port Stephens Council<br />
www.wetlands.org.au The Wetlands Centre www.maitland.nsw.gov.au Maitland City Council<br />
www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au Newcastle City Council www.cessnock.nsw.gov.au Cessnock City Council<br />
a<br />
What is the project?<br />
b<br />
What organisations/individuals are involved?<br />
c<br />
What are the aims of the project?<br />
d<br />
How are these aims being achieved?<br />
e<br />
List the benefits of the project to the local community and local environment:<br />
benefits to the local community<br />
benefits to the local environment<br />
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20
wastewater treatment<br />
resource list<br />
3.1 The <strong>Hunter</strong>’s<br />
Wastewater<br />
Sources:<br />
Australian Museum<br />
www.amonline.net.au<br />
Burwood Beach WWTW<br />
brochure<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> Community and<br />
Environment Report<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002-03<br />
Sydney <strong>Water</strong><br />
www.sydneywater.com.au<br />
Additional Information:<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
www.hunterwater.com.au<br />
Port Stephens Council<br />
www.portstephens.nsw.<br />
gov.au<br />
Dept. Health<br />
www.health.nsw.gov.au<br />
CRC for Waste Management<br />
and Pollution Control<br />
www.crcwmpc.com.au<br />
Melbourne <strong>Water</strong><br />
www.melbournewater.com.au<br />
Environment Protection<br />
Authority (Vic)<br />
www.epa.vic.gov.au<br />
Environmental Protection<br />
Agency (Qld)<br />
www.epa.qld.gov.au<br />
3.2 Wastewater<br />
Treatment in<br />
the <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
Sources:<br />
Annual Report<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002-03<br />
Belmont WWTW brochure<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002<br />
Shortland WWTW<br />
brochure<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002<br />
Burwood Beach WWTW<br />
brochure<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002<br />
Karuah WWTW brochure<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, 2002<br />
A Sense of Place in Maitland<br />
Yeend, 2003<br />
3.3 Raymond Terrace<br />
WWTW<br />
3 . 4 M o r p e t h W a s t e w at e r<br />
. and wetlands<br />
3.5 Stormwater<br />
Management<br />
Sources:<br />
Melbourne <strong>Water</strong><br />
www.education.melbourne.<br />
com.au<br />
www.wsud.melbournewater.<br />
com.au<br />
Additional Information:<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
www.hunterwater.com.au<br />
Newcastle City Council<br />
www.ncc.nsw.gov.au<br />
Lake Macquarie City Council<br />
www.lakemac.com.au<br />
Port Stephens Council<br />
www.portstephens.nsw.gov.<br />
au<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Sensitive Urban Design<br />
in the Sydney Region<br />
www.wsud.org<br />
Dept Environment and<br />
Conservation<br />
www.environment.nsw.gov.au<br />
Environment Protection<br />
Authority (Vic)<br />
www.epa.vic.gov.au<br />
Stormwater Industry<br />
Association<br />
www.stormwater.asn.au<br />
Commonwealth Department<br />
of Environment and Heritage,<br />
Urban Stormwater Initiative<br />
www.deh.gov.au<br />
3.6 Managing stormwater<br />
with SQIDs<br />
Additional Information:<br />
Lake Macquarie City Council<br />
stormwater management<br />
www.lakemac.com.au<br />
Stormwater Quality<br />
Improvement Devices<br />
www.stormwater.org.au<br />
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21
support material<br />
This section contains useful<br />
information about contacts, grants and<br />
publications for teachers and students<br />
looking to delve deeper into water<br />
issues in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
This section can be used to set<br />
research projects, start environmental<br />
initiatives in your school or plan<br />
field trips.<br />
We also suggest that it is used to<br />
store brochures, worksheets and other<br />
resources that you collect or develop<br />
during your studies.<br />
4.1 environmental<br />
websites<br />
4.2 CONTACTING OTHER<br />
organisations<br />
4.3 NATIONAL GRANTS AND<br />
AWARDS<br />
4.4 HUNTER GRANTS AND<br />
AWARDS<br />
4.5 GLOSSARY<br />
4.6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
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4.1 environmental websites<br />
AUSTRALIAN WEBSITES:<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
www.hunterwater.com.au<br />
Information on water resources and<br />
management issues in the Lower<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>, including the role of <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
<strong>Water</strong> in conserving water as follows:<br />
• <strong>Water</strong>-related news for the<br />
Lower <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
• Environmental news and initiatives<br />
• Facts on the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>’s<br />
water supply<br />
• Information on how to<br />
conserve water<br />
• Services and contact options for<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
• Corporate reports and community<br />
newsletters<br />
Sydney water<br />
www.sydneywater.com.au<br />
This site includes the popular ‘Every<br />
Drop Counts’ curriculum material.<br />
Follow the links to ‘Saving <strong>Water</strong>’<br />
and ‘In Schools’. The document is<br />
downloadable and ideal for Stage 3.<br />
WATER SERVICES ASSOCIATION OF<br />
AUSTRALIA<br />
www.wsaa.asn.au<br />
This is the peak body of Australian<br />
urban water utilities. Its members<br />
provide water and wastewater services<br />
to about 14 million Australians.<br />
Australian <strong>Water</strong> Association<br />
www.awa.asn.au<br />
Provides information about<br />
responsible management of water and<br />
its related resources.<br />
HUNTER <strong>Water</strong>watch<br />
www.waterwatch.nsw.org.au<br />
<strong>Water</strong>watch is a student friendly site<br />
committed to helping communities<br />
care for their local catchments. It is a<br />
storage portal for data collection and<br />
allows schools and community groups<br />
to store information about the water<br />
quality of their local waterway.<br />
It also showcases an extensive library<br />
and includes a <strong>Hunter</strong> component.<br />
WATERAID AUSTRALIA<br />
www.wateraid.org.au<br />
<strong>Water</strong>aid Australia is an international<br />
non-government organisation dedicated<br />
to the provision of safe domestic water,<br />
sanitation and hygiene education of the<br />
world’s poorest people.<br />
WATER ON THE WEB<br />
www.ncc.nsw.gov.au<br />
Sponsored by <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, Newcastle<br />
City Council’s <strong>Water</strong> on the Web<br />
site provides a local perspective on<br />
urban water management issues and<br />
initiatives.<br />
Eco’tude<br />
www.powerhousemuseum.com<br />
Run by the Powerhouse Museum<br />
this site will help you work out the<br />
environmental footprint of your school.<br />
It also has background information and<br />
hints for sustainable living.<br />
Savewater.com.au<br />
www.savewater.com.au<br />
This site aims to create a more<br />
sustainable environment by promoting<br />
the minimisation of water use. It<br />
provides information on ways to save<br />
water and advocates water efficient<br />
products.<br />
<strong>Water</strong>wise on the Farm<br />
www.agric.nsw.gov.au<br />
Information and links relating to water<br />
developed by NSW Agriculture and<br />
specifically designed to help farmers<br />
minimise water use.<br />
Department of the Environment<br />
and Heritage<br />
www.ea.gov.au<br />
This site aims to promote, support<br />
and implement water conservation<br />
and ecologically sustainable use of<br />
our inland waters. It has information<br />
on wetlands, rivers, groundwater and<br />
freshwater creeks.<br />
Irrigation in Australia<br />
www.irrigation.org.au<br />
This site has been developed by the<br />
Irrigation Association of Australia to<br />
provide information on the irrigation<br />
industry and practices in Australia.<br />
Australian Virtual Engineering<br />
Library<br />
www.avel.edu.au<br />
This site covers Australian engineering<br />
and information technology resources.<br />
Caring For Our Natural<br />
Resources: <strong>Water</strong><br />
www.dipnr.nsw.gov.au<br />
The NSW Department of Infrastructure,<br />
Planning and Natural Resources<br />
information storehouse about water<br />
resources and water management<br />
in NSW.<br />
Centre for Ecological<br />
Economics & <strong>Water</strong> Policy<br />
Research<br />
www.une.edu.au<br />
Formerly the Centre for <strong>Water</strong> Policy<br />
Research, it was established in 1987 as a<br />
national focus for research into Australia’s<br />
water and water-related resources. The<br />
website includes an water policy portal<br />
and contains technical information and<br />
recent research.<br />
Cooperative Research Centre for<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Quality AND Treatment<br />
www.waterquality.crc.org.au<br />
The Centre focuses on issues relating<br />
to water quality management and<br />
health risk reduction, from catchment<br />
and reservoir management and water<br />
treatment to the distribution of drinking<br />
water to consumers’ taps. Includes<br />
links to other resources.<br />
Ozestuaries Database<br />
www.ozestuaries.org<br />
Contains data collected in an<br />
Australian Geological Survey<br />
Organisation National Land and <strong>Water</strong><br />
Resources Audit on the condition of<br />
Australian estuaries in 2000.<br />
State of the Environment<br />
Reporting<br />
Most local and state government<br />
websites will have State of the<br />
Environment reports with information<br />
relevant to your catchment and water<br />
resources.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
2
International WEBSITES:<br />
Ecoschools - England<br />
www.eco-schools.org.uk<br />
An abundance of information and<br />
games relating to environmentally<br />
sustainable practices.<br />
Hydrology Web<br />
www.hydroweb.com<br />
This site has numerous links to<br />
hydrology and hydrology related<br />
resources.<br />
<strong>Water</strong>Web<br />
www.waterweb.org<br />
Promotes the sharing of information<br />
concerning water and the earth’s<br />
environment. It focuses on providing<br />
technical information for organisations<br />
that are involved in water research,<br />
conservation, and management. The<br />
website provides an extensive database<br />
of water and environmental websites.<br />
US <strong>Water</strong> News<br />
www.uswaternews.com<br />
An electronic journal covering topics<br />
on water quality, water supply and<br />
conservation.<br />
Saving <strong>Water</strong> - Seattle<br />
www.savingwater.org<br />
This useful site also has an informative<br />
and fun game for primary school<br />
students called ‘Bert and Phil’s water<br />
buster game’.<br />
USGS <strong>Water</strong> Resources of the<br />
United States<br />
www.water.usgs.gov<br />
US Geological Society’s National<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Information Centre disseminates<br />
water resource information to all levels<br />
of government, academia, the private<br />
sector and the general public.<br />
Universities <strong>Water</strong> Information<br />
Network<br />
www.ucowr.siu.edu<br />
This site includes a directory of water<br />
resource experts, information on the<br />
National Institutes for <strong>Water</strong> Resources,<br />
databases, archives and links.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> in the School<br />
www.waterintheschool.co.uk<br />
A step-by-step guide for those serious<br />
about obtaining baseline data and<br />
creating a management plan to reduce<br />
water use in schools.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Environment Federation<br />
www.wef.org<br />
This organisation has a vision of<br />
preservation and enhancement of the<br />
global water environment. Their site<br />
contains several resources including<br />
the newsletter, ‘This Week Worldwide’,<br />
a weekly compilation of water quality<br />
issues being discussed around the world.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Research Network<br />
www.nml.uib.no<br />
The University of Bergen, Norway, the<br />
Norwegian Research Council, and the<br />
Government of the Netherlands have<br />
collaborated to produce a database of<br />
research, researchers, and institutions<br />
dealing with fresh water issues all over<br />
the world. This site invites researchers<br />
to submit information about their water<br />
research projects.<br />
The World’s <strong>Water</strong><br />
www.waterworld.org<br />
Provides up-to-date water information,<br />
data, and web connections to<br />
organisations, institutions, and individuals<br />
working on a wide range of global<br />
freshwater problems and solutions.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
3
4.2 contacting other organisations<br />
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS<br />
www.abs.gov.au<br />
AUSTRALIAN GREENHOUSE OFFICE<br />
www.greenhouse.gov.au<br />
jane.harriss@greenhouse.gov.au<br />
Jane Harris - Manager Communications<br />
T 6274 1859<br />
AWABAKAL ENVIRONMENTAL<br />
EDUCATION CENTRE<br />
www.awabakal-e.schools.nsw.<br />
edu.au<br />
awabakal-e.school@det.nsw.edu.au<br />
Sue Saxby, Teacher<br />
T 4944 7203<br />
CESSNOCK CITY COUNCIL<br />
www.cessnock.nsw.gov.au<br />
council@cessnock.nsw.gov.au<br />
T 4993 4100<br />
COASTCARE<br />
christ@huntercouncils.com.au<br />
Chris Tola, Regional Coastcare<br />
Facilitator<br />
T 4978 4026<br />
CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS<br />
AUSTRALIA<br />
www.cva.org.au<br />
newcastle@cva.org.au<br />
Leonie Koshoorn<br />
Regional Manager Newcastle<br />
T 4926 2103<br />
DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT &<br />
CONSERVATION<br />
www.dec.nsw.gov.au<br />
Sustainability Programs DIVISION<br />
michaeld.mcfadyen@environment.nsw.<br />
gov.au<br />
T 4908 6844<br />
National Parks & Wildlife Service<br />
www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au<br />
T 4984 8200<br />
DEPT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, PLANNING<br />
AND NATURAL RESOURCES<br />
www.dipnr.nsw.gov.au<br />
T 4929 4346 Newcastle<br />
T 4937 9300 Maitland<br />
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT &<br />
HERITAGE<br />
www.deh.gov.au<br />
T 6274 1111<br />
DUNGOG SHIRE COUNCIL<br />
www.dungog.nsw.gov.au<br />
shirecouncil@dungog.nsw.gov.au<br />
T 4992 1224<br />
EARTHCARE PARK & EDUCATION<br />
CENTRE<br />
www.earthcare.asn.au<br />
Amanda Burns<br />
T 4934 9838<br />
ECOEDGE NETWORK INC.<br />
cmanhood@lakemac.nsw.gov.au<br />
Craig Manhood<br />
T 4921 0245<br />
ECOHOME<br />
ecohome@dodo.com.au<br />
67A Hobart Road, Lambton<br />
Birgit Walker<br />
T 49 574 717<br />
ECONETWORK - PORT STEPHENS INC.<br />
econet@nelsonbay.com<br />
Darrell Dawson<br />
T 4981 0170<br />
FISHERIES NSW<br />
www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au<br />
T 4927 6548 Newcastle<br />
T 4982 1311 Port Stephens Research<br />
Station<br />
GREENING AUSTRALIA - HUNTER<br />
REGION<br />
www.ga.org.au<br />
gahunter@hunterlink.net.au<br />
James Felton-Taylor, Project Manager<br />
T 4950 0055<br />
HUNTER BIODYNAMIC GROUP INC<br />
hmccall@onaustralia.com.au<br />
Helen McCall<br />
T 4938 5308<br />
HUNTER BIRD OBSERVERS CLUB<br />
www.hboc.org.au<br />
Tom Clarke, Secretary<br />
T 4951 3872<br />
HUNTER-CENTRAL RIVERS CATCHMENT<br />
MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY<br />
www.hcr.cma.nsw.gov.au<br />
hcr@cma.nsw.gov.au<br />
T 4930 1030<br />
HUNTER COUNCILS<br />
www.huntercouncils.com.au<br />
admin@huntercouncils.com.au<br />
T 4978 4040<br />
HUNTER ENVIRONMENT LOBBY INC.<br />
Jan Davis, President<br />
info@calli.com.au<br />
T 6571 1208<br />
HUNTER REGION BOTANIC GARDENS<br />
hrbg@idl.net.au<br />
Brian Hanks, Marketing Officer<br />
T 49871 655<br />
HUNTER REGION LANDCARE<br />
NETWORK INC<br />
hrln@hunterlink.net.au<br />
Julie Maccallum, Executive Support<br />
Officer<br />
T 4955 0792<br />
HUNTER WATER<br />
brock.harrison@hunterwater.com.au<br />
Brock Harrison, Communications<br />
Officer<br />
T 4979 9645<br />
LAKE MACQUARIE CITY COUNCIL<br />
www.lakemac.com.au<br />
council@lakemac.nsw.gov.au<br />
T 4921 0333<br />
Rachel Honnef, Environmental Officer<br />
rhonnef@lakemac.nsw.gov.au<br />
T 4921 0259<br />
LAKE MACQUARIE LANDCARE<br />
NETWORK<br />
www.lakemac.com.au<br />
iro2@kooee.com.au<br />
Glenn Hamilton, Community Support<br />
Officer<br />
T 4959 5080<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
4
LOWER HUNTER CENTRAL COAST<br />
REGIONAL<br />
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT<br />
STRATEGY<br />
www.lhccrems@nsw.gov.au<br />
enviro@huntercouncils.com.au<br />
Meredith Laing, Director<br />
T 4978 4022<br />
MAITLAND CITY COUNCIL<br />
www.maitland.nsw.gov.au<br />
Duncan Jinks, Environmental Health<br />
Officer<br />
duncanj@maitland.nsw.gov.au<br />
T 4934 9700<br />
MAITLAND LANDCARE<br />
amandab@maitland.nsw.gov.au<br />
Amanda Burns, Landcare Coordinator<br />
T 4934 9838<br />
NATIONAL PARKS ASSOCIATION NSW<br />
www.npansw.org.au<br />
hunter@npansw.org.au<br />
Ernie Walpole, President<br />
T 4957 4209<br />
NATIVE ANIMAL TRUST FUND<br />
www.users.bigpond.com/natf<br />
natf@bigpond.com<br />
T 0500 502 294<br />
Grants & Sponsorship<br />
mdillon@ncc.nsw.gov.au<br />
Maretta Dillon<br />
T 4974 2849<br />
<strong>Water</strong><br />
smorley@ncc.nsw.gov.au<br />
Su Morley<br />
T 4974 2847<br />
PORT STEPHENS COUNCIL<br />
www.portstephens.nsw.gov.au<br />
council@portstephens.nsw.gov.au<br />
T 4980 0255<br />
SOCIETY OF FROGS AND REPTILES<br />
sofar@hunterlink.net.au<br />
Robert Wood, Secretary<br />
T 4952 6483<br />
STATE FORESTS NSW<br />
www.forest.nsw.gov.au<br />
carmenp@sf.nsw.gov.au<br />
Carmen Perry, Education Officer<br />
T 4927 0977<br />
SURFRIDER FOUNDATION<br />
www.surfrider.org.au<br />
christola@kooee.com.au<br />
Chris Tola, Director<br />
M 0414 648 848<br />
Jenny Robinson, Education Manager<br />
T 4969 1500<br />
UNITED RESIDENTS GROUP FOR<br />
ENVIRONMENT<br />
urgelakemac@iprimus.com.au<br />
Peter Morris, President<br />
T 4965 9649<br />
WATERWAYS AUTHORITY<br />
johnf@waterways.nsw.gov.au<br />
John Fisher, Manager<br />
T 4940 0198<br />
WETLANDS ENVIRONMENTAL<br />
EDUCATION CENTRE<br />
www.wetlands-e.school.nsw.<br />
edu.au<br />
wetlands-e.school@det.nsw.edu.au<br />
Christine Prietto, Teacher in Charge<br />
T 4955 8673<br />
YAMULOONG INC<br />
www.yamuloong.com.au<br />
contact@yamuloong.com.au<br />
Sean Gordon, CEO<br />
T 4943 6877<br />
While this list of contacts is not<br />
exhaustive, it is a good starting point for<br />
your school water program.<br />
NATURE CONSERVATION COUNCIL<br />
NSW<br />
www.nccnsw.org.au<br />
ncc@ncc.nsw.org.au<br />
Brooke Flanagan, Executive Officer<br />
T 9279 2466<br />
NATURE WATCH DIARY PROJECT PORT<br />
STEPHENS<br />
www.geocities.com/<br />
liveattentively<br />
Kevin McDonald, Regional Coordinator<br />
kevinmcdonald@hotkey.net.au<br />
T 4988 6471<br />
NEWCASTLE CITY COUNCIL<br />
Environmental Education<br />
Mim Buchorn / Fran Beilby<br />
lduff@ncc.nsw.gov.au<br />
fbeilby@ncc.nsw.gov.au<br />
T 4974 2848<br />
THE WETLANDS CENTRE<br />
www.wetlands.org.au<br />
twc@wetlands.org.au<br />
Tara Ure, CEO<br />
T 4951 6466<br />
THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY<br />
www.wilderness.org.au<br />
newcastle@wilderness.org.au<br />
Claire Dunn, Branch Coordinator<br />
T 4929 4395<br />
TOCAL AGRICULTURAL CENTRE<br />
www.tocal.nsw.edu.au<br />
tocal@agric.nsw.gov.au<br />
Cameron Archer, Director<br />
T 4939 8888<br />
TREES IN NEWCASTLE<br />
tin@bravo.net.au<br />
Gordon Patrick, Manager<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
5
4.3 national grants & awards<br />
agency project focus amount contact details<br />
Australian Government<br />
Capital Grants Projects<br />
Often working with P&C Associations, these help<br />
schools with major capital works programs.<br />
Eureka Awards<br />
Australia’s pre-eminent Science Awards:<br />
Up to $1,000,000<br />
www.dest.gov.au<br />
Sustainability Education Prize<br />
Encourages excellence in the design, implementation<br />
and evaluation of sustainability education programs.<br />
$10,000<br />
Australian Museum<br />
Schools Science Prize<br />
Encourages secondary school students with a<br />
passion for science and for communicating ideas<br />
to tell a scientific story via a short video piece. The<br />
idea is to communicate a scientific concept in a<br />
way that is accessible and entertaining to the public<br />
as a whole while painlessly increasing their science<br />
knowledge.<br />
$11,000<br />
T 9320 6039<br />
www.austmus.gov.au<br />
Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences Prize<br />
Design of a webpage by Year 10-12 students<br />
(other years may be considered) that demonstrates<br />
excellence in the investigation and study of Planet<br />
Earth and the interrelationships of its physical and<br />
biological systems.<br />
$11,000<br />
Australian <strong>Water</strong><br />
Association<br />
Banksia Environment<br />
Foundation<br />
Dept of Environment<br />
and Conservation<br />
Dept of Environment<br />
and Conservation<br />
Dept of Environment<br />
and Heritage<br />
Dept of Prime Minister<br />
and Cabinet<br />
Keep Australia<br />
Beautiful<br />
Australian Junior <strong>Water</strong> Prize<br />
Individuals or small groups of senior high school<br />
students carry out an innovative water science<br />
project.<br />
Banksia Awards<br />
This recognises and reward individuals, community<br />
groups, businesses and government organisations<br />
for leadership and excellence in protecting Australia’s<br />
environment, and the ecological services it provides.<br />
Eco Schools Grants<br />
Small grants to help schools develop and implement<br />
environmental management projects.<br />
Environmental Trust<br />
Designed to support community groups to<br />
undertake environmental restoration and<br />
rehabilitation and environmental education<br />
throughout NSW.<br />
Environmental Education Grants Program<br />
Funds activities which support the community’s<br />
capacity to protect the environment, especially where<br />
this will act as a catalyst for national change.<br />
Australian Communities <strong>Water</strong> Fund<br />
Provides community grants to support the wise use<br />
of water through practical on-the-ground work.<br />
Environmental Programs<br />
Grants and programs for community and school<br />
education projects, including Tidy Towns Awards,<br />
Metropride Awards, Clean Beach Challenge and<br />
Waste Watchers.<br />
Cash prize T 9413 1288<br />
www.awa.asn.au<br />
Prize money is<br />
set each year<br />
T 03 9684 4667<br />
www.banksiafdn.com<br />
Up to $2,500 T 8837 6093<br />
www.epa.nsw.gov.au<br />
$5,000 to $100,000 T 8837 6093<br />
www.epa.nsw.gov.au<br />
No maximum limit.<br />
In recent years grants have<br />
ranged between $3,000 to<br />
$45,000<br />
Up to $50,000<br />
Variety of grants<br />
and awards<br />
www.deh.gov.au<br />
www.dpmc.gov.au<br />
T 9633 3380<br />
www.kabnsw.org.au<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
6
agency project focus amount contact details<br />
National Landcare Awards<br />
Presented biennially to groups and individuals<br />
involved in Landcare practices. There are specific<br />
categories for schools. Groups and individuals must<br />
first compete in their respective State awards.<br />
Landcare Australia<br />
Awards<br />
Landcare Education Award<br />
Recognises excellence in raising awareness,<br />
knowledge and understanding of Landcare amongst<br />
students and/or the community, and implementing<br />
Landcare practices on its own property or within the<br />
local community.<br />
No cash prizes; but high level<br />
of promotion and recognition<br />
T 1800 151 105<br />
www.landcareaustralia.<br />
com.au<br />
Rivercare Award<br />
For a community-based group that has made a<br />
significant contribution to sustainable management,<br />
rehabilitation and conservation of a waterway.<br />
Landcare Australia<br />
Funding<br />
Australia Post Grants<br />
Mitre 10 Schools Grant<br />
Bi-Lo Schools Grant<br />
Bundaberg Rum <strong>Water</strong>ways Grant<br />
Up to $3,300<br />
$500<br />
$500<br />
$5,000<br />
T 1800 151 105<br />
www.landcareaustralia.<br />
com.au<br />
Mercy Foundation<br />
Environmental Grants for Schools<br />
Run annually, schools may apply for funds to assist<br />
in environmental education and site rehabilitation<br />
activities.<br />
Up to $1,000 T 9699 8726<br />
www.mercyfoundation.<br />
com.au<br />
Natural Heritage Trust<br />
University of NSW<br />
Volvo<br />
Envirofund Grants<br />
A comprehensive grant scheme delivered at many<br />
different levels and often linked to local environmental<br />
issues. Community groups and schools that have<br />
established their own incorporated group are eligible.<br />
Sustainable Living Competition<br />
Annual competition that rewards high school<br />
students for sustainable living projects undertaken<br />
in the classroom, individually or by entire school<br />
communities.<br />
Volvo Adventure Award<br />
This international award recognises environmental<br />
achievements by young people and encourages<br />
environmental activism across the world.<br />
Up to $50,000 T 1800 065 823<br />
www.nht.gov.au/<br />
envirofund<br />
Over $30,000 in prizes T 9385 4979<br />
www.sustainableliving.<br />
com.au<br />
See website<br />
www.volvoadventure.<br />
org<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
7
4.4 hunter grants & awards<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
agency project focus amount contact details<br />
Community Grants<br />
Awarded annually as a contribution to community<br />
based ‘grass roots’ activities. Examples include<br />
school environmental awards, school water audits,<br />
rainwater tanks, promotional materials, <strong>Water</strong>watch<br />
testing kits, ‘Catchment Crawls’ and open days.<br />
Up to $1500<br />
T 4979 9647<br />
Cessnock City Council<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> Central Rivers<br />
Catchment<br />
Management Authority<br />
Landcare Assistance Fund<br />
Administered by the <strong>Hunter</strong> Region Landcare<br />
Network, grants are for environmental or catchment<br />
management projects by Landcare and Landcare<br />
associated groups.<br />
Community Grants<br />
This scheme is open to schools and encourages the<br />
implementation of sustainable living practices.<br />
Education Grants<br />
Up to $1,500<br />
Negotiable T 4993 4234<br />
T 4930 1030<br />
Up to $25,000<br />
Lake Macquarie City<br />
Council<br />
Environmental Education Grants<br />
Offers support to schools, including grants for<br />
schools that have an environmental program linked<br />
to the curriculum.<br />
Up to $3,000<br />
T 4921 0259<br />
School Environment Awards<br />
Recognises and prizes for environmental initiatives.<br />
$300 or $500<br />
Maitland City Council<br />
School Environment Program<br />
Each year financial and in-kind support is offered<br />
to eligible school projects in the Maitland Local<br />
Government Area.<br />
Negotiable T 4934 9838<br />
Newcastle City Council<br />
Newcastle Environmental Achievement Awards<br />
These awards invite entry from <strong>Hunter</strong> schools,<br />
environment and community groups who<br />
demonstrate excellence in environmental<br />
management.<br />
$500 or $1000<br />
T 4974 2848<br />
Environmental Small Grants Program<br />
This program is funded by Environmental Levy<br />
monies, and<br />
is for community programs, not schools.<br />
Total funding pool<br />
of $50,000<br />
T 4974 2836<br />
Port Stephens Council<br />
Grants<br />
These are offered at the beginning of each year.<br />
Schools<br />
are invited to apply for grants of up to $300 for their<br />
environmental programs.<br />
T 4980 0170<br />
Environmental Prizes<br />
At the end of the year the Council awards prizes for<br />
both small and large schools in different categories.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
8
4.5 glossary<br />
Aerate<br />
To charge or treat with air or gas.<br />
Algal bloom<br />
Rapid growth of algae in surface waters<br />
often due to increases in temperature<br />
and nutrients such as nitrogen and<br />
phosphorus.<br />
Amplification<br />
Enlargement or increase in capacity.<br />
Aquifer<br />
Underground geological formations<br />
containing water supplies.<br />
Assets<br />
Resources of a person or business such<br />
as property and machinery. For water<br />
agencies like <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> this includes<br />
dams, pipelines, pumping stations, and<br />
water and wastewater treatment plants.<br />
Auditing<br />
Examine an organisation’s records of<br />
performance to see if they reflect their<br />
actual performance.<br />
Beachwatch<br />
Responsible for reporting ocean beach<br />
water quality.<br />
Biodiversity<br />
The diversity of plant and animal life.<br />
Biosolids<br />
Solids generated during the biological<br />
treatment of wastewater. This is<br />
primarily the micro-organisms that<br />
have been using the wastewater as a<br />
food or energy source and converting<br />
the wastewater into simpler and safer<br />
substances.<br />
Blue-green algae<br />
Aquatic plants which form a green or<br />
blue slime in water. This algae can<br />
produce toxins that can negatively<br />
affect humans and animals.<br />
Bore<br />
A narrow, lined hole drilled to monitor or<br />
withdraw groundwater from an aquifer.<br />
Catchment<br />
An area of land that water travels<br />
through to reach its lowest point,<br />
usually a lake, river or ocean. Also<br />
refers to areas that feed into dams, or<br />
to areas that are served by a sewerage<br />
or stormwater system.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
Cleaner production<br />
A business and industry program to<br />
reduce energy and water consumption<br />
and waste production through better<br />
management strategies or altering<br />
production methods.<br />
Coagulation<br />
Adding a chemical to water/sewage to<br />
remove tiny suspended particles.<br />
Coliforms<br />
Non-pathogenic bacteria that often<br />
indicates microbiological water<br />
contamination.<br />
Condensation<br />
The process of water vapour in the air<br />
turning into liquid water. <strong>Water</strong> droplets<br />
on the outside of a cool glass are<br />
condensed water.<br />
Conservation<br />
Management and protection of<br />
resources so they are not degraded,<br />
depleted or wasted and are available<br />
on a sustainable basis for present and<br />
future generations.<br />
Contaminants<br />
Pollutants entering and mixing with<br />
water or wastewater, which may require<br />
further treatment before providing<br />
drinking water or disposing of effluent<br />
to waterways.<br />
Demand<br />
The total quantity of water that<br />
individuals, homes, businesses<br />
and industries seek to consume at<br />
prevailing water prices.<br />
Demand Management<br />
Strategies to reduce consumption of<br />
water and the need for new sources.<br />
Dewatering<br />
The removal of water from sludge,<br />
the dewatered sludge is then called a<br />
Biosolid.<br />
Disinfection<br />
Destruction of pathogenic organisms<br />
that can cause infectious disease.<br />
Drought<br />
Periods of less than average precipitation<br />
over a certain period of time.<br />
Ecologically Sustainable<br />
Development<br />
Using, conserving and enhancing<br />
community resources so that the<br />
ecological processes on which life<br />
depends are maintained.<br />
Ecology<br />
The relationship between organisms<br />
and their environment.<br />
Effluent<br />
Final wastewater product after the<br />
purification process is complete.<br />
Environmental Impact<br />
Statement<br />
Detailed report outlining the likely<br />
impacts of a proposed development<br />
and ways to minimise any impacts.<br />
Environmental releases<br />
A release of water from a dam or weir<br />
needed to maintain all aquatic biota<br />
and ecosystem processes.<br />
Erosion<br />
The process where the surface of the<br />
earth is worn away by the constant<br />
action of running water, wind and waves.<br />
Estuary<br />
An enclosed or semi-enclosed coastal<br />
body of water having an open or<br />
intermittently open connection to<br />
marine waters and fresh input from land<br />
runoff which reduces salinity. <strong>Water</strong><br />
levels vary in response to ocean tides<br />
and river flows.<br />
Evaporation<br />
Sunlight heats liquid water and converts<br />
it into an invisible gas which rises into<br />
the atmosphere.<br />
Extended ocean outfall<br />
A submarine pipeline to carry treated<br />
wastewater away from the coast into<br />
deep ocean waters to be diluted and<br />
dispersed.<br />
Faecal coliform<br />
Bacteria in the intestines and faeces of<br />
humans and other mammals. FC can be<br />
used to detect sewage pollution.<br />
Filtration<br />
A process for removing particles from a<br />
solution by passing it through a porous<br />
structure or medium, such as a screen,<br />
membrane, sand or gravel.<br />
Global warming<br />
The gradual heating of the earth due<br />
to increasing concentrations of certain<br />
gases in the atmosphere.<br />
9
Greenhouse effect<br />
The natural warming of the earth’s<br />
atmosphere due to a concentration of<br />
trace gases in the atmosphere which<br />
retard the escape of heat radiation.<br />
The enhanced greenhouse effect refers<br />
to the expected rise in the earth’s<br />
temperature due to the increase<br />
in greenhouse gas concentrations<br />
released because of human activity.<br />
Greenhouse gas<br />
Atmospheric gas which enhances the<br />
natural greenhouse effect, including<br />
carbon dioxide, methane, and<br />
chlorofluorocarbons.<br />
Grey water<br />
The wastewater from your shower, bath,<br />
basin, laundry and kitchen, but not your<br />
toilet waste.<br />
Groundwater<br />
All sub-surface water, such as artesian<br />
basins and sandbeds.<br />
Harvesting<br />
The collection of water from<br />
catchments for transportation<br />
to treatment works; followed by<br />
distribution to customers.<br />
Healthy Rivers Commission<br />
The Healthy Rivers Commission was<br />
established in 1995 as part of the NSW<br />
Government’s water reforms, which<br />
aim to improve the health of the state’s<br />
waterways. The Commission defined a<br />
healthy river as one whose conditions,<br />
as indicated by a broad range of<br />
environmental, social and economic<br />
characteristics, enables it to support<br />
the natural ecosystems, commercial<br />
activities and social amenity desired by<br />
the community.<br />
Heavy metals<br />
Occur naturally in the environment, ie<br />
iron, copper, nickel, mercury, etc.<br />
current generation, and that the current<br />
generation should conserve and protect<br />
resources for future generations.<br />
Intra-generational equity<br />
The distribution of wealth and<br />
consumption of resources between<br />
individuals, regions and countries at a<br />
particular point in time.<br />
Kilolitre<br />
1kL = 1,000 litres.<br />
Maturation ponds<br />
Large shallow ponds that naturally<br />
disinfect wastewater by exposure to<br />
sunlight, especially UV lightwaves.<br />
Megalitre<br />
1ML = 1,000 kL or 1,000,000 litres.<br />
Nutrients<br />
Compounds needed for growth by all<br />
plants and organisms, often refers to<br />
phosphorus and nitrogen.<br />
Phosphorus<br />
Plant nutrient naturally found in<br />
waterways, soils and excrement, and<br />
added to some cleaners, detergents<br />
and fertilisers.<br />
Potable<br />
Fit or suitable for drinking.<br />
Precipitation<br />
Any solid or liquid water particles<br />
falling to the earths’ surface from the<br />
atmosphere, this includes rain, snow,<br />
hail and sleet.<br />
Pristine<br />
Having its original purity.<br />
Uncontaminated.<br />
Rainwater tank<br />
A storage vessel used to collect<br />
rainwater from roofs for domestic or<br />
industrial use.<br />
Infrastructure, Planning & Natural<br />
Resources to control an area’s<br />
development in a sustainable way.<br />
Reticulation<br />
Separate networks of pipes that supply<br />
water to and remove wastewater from<br />
the properties of customers.<br />
Reservoir<br />
A storage tank built near consumers<br />
to receive bulk supplies of water from<br />
water treatment plants before final<br />
distribution to homes, institutions and<br />
industry.<br />
Retrofit<br />
The replacement of water and energy<br />
appliances with more efficient devices.<br />
Riparian<br />
Of or near the bank of a river or other<br />
body of water, a healthy riparian<br />
zone helps filter runoff before it enter<br />
waterways.<br />
Runoff<br />
Rainwater (or other precipitation) which<br />
runs over land to enter a waterway.<br />
It is usually associated with heavy<br />
downpours and is able to transport<br />
pollution into local creeks, rivers, lakes<br />
and harbours.<br />
Sandbeds<br />
Deep sand containing groundwater.<br />
Secondary treatment<br />
Biological wastewater treatment<br />
processes to remove fine dissolved<br />
organic solids.<br />
Septic<br />
Condition caused by low oxygen levels<br />
that produce odorous gases.<br />
Septic tank<br />
Underground tank for treatment of<br />
wastewater via bacterial activity.<br />
Hydrology<br />
Study of water and its behaviour eg<br />
flow characteristics in channels, pipes,<br />
waterways and aquifers.<br />
Infiltration<br />
<strong>Water</strong> entering the sewerage system via<br />
cracked pipes or faulty joints.<br />
Inter-generational equity<br />
The concept that future generations<br />
of people should be able to enjoy a<br />
quality of life as good or better than the<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
Receiving water<br />
A stream, river, lake or ocean that<br />
receives wastewater discharges or<br />
stormwater flows.<br />
Recycling<br />
Using water again for the same or<br />
another process, after a small form<br />
of treatment of purification has been<br />
completed.<br />
Regional Environment Plan<br />
Strategy developed by Dept.<br />
Sewage - see Wastewater<br />
Sewer<br />
Pipes transporting wastewater to<br />
wastewater treatment plants.<br />
Sewerage system<br />
Network of pipes, pumping stations<br />
and treatment works used to collect,<br />
transport, treat and discharge sewage.<br />
10
Shoreline outfall<br />
Disposal of treated effluent by pipe<br />
into the surf zone of a beach, or from a<br />
headland.<br />
Sludge - see Biosolids<br />
Soilbed filter<br />
Reduces odours by filtering through<br />
layers of soil and pinebark mix.<br />
Stormwater<br />
Rainwater that runs off land and flows<br />
directly into creeks, rivers, lakes,<br />
harbours and oceans.<br />
Surcharge<br />
Sewage that overflows from pipes,<br />
manholes and pumping stations.<br />
Sustainability<br />
The ability of a system to replenish<br />
itself, see Ecologically Sustainable<br />
Development<br />
Total Catchment Management<br />
Ecologically sustainable management<br />
of land, plants, water in catchments.<br />
Trade waste<br />
Liquid waste from business/industry<br />
that requires special treatment. It can<br />
contain food residues, greases, oils,<br />
toxic substances and metals. A trade<br />
waste policy between <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> and<br />
business/industry customers restricts<br />
toxic and other potentially harmful<br />
liquid substances being discharged to<br />
the sewerage system. The policy sets<br />
charges and limits the discharge of<br />
such waste to the sewer system.<br />
Transpiration<br />
<strong>Water</strong> loss from plants into the<br />
atmosphere.<br />
Trunkmain<br />
A large water main or sewer pipe.<br />
Wastewater<br />
The spent or used water from a home,<br />
community, farm, or industry that<br />
contains dissolved or suspended<br />
matter is called sewage or wastewater.<br />
Sewage from homes, business and<br />
industry can be discharged to the<br />
sewer (wastewater transport system) or<br />
to septic tanks. This includes sewage<br />
from toilets, kitchens, bathrooms and<br />
laundries.<br />
<strong>Water</strong><br />
Pure water is a colourless, odourless<br />
liquid that is a compound of hydrogen<br />
and oxygen. Natural water in the<br />
environment is never pure, but contains<br />
a variety of dissolved substances.<br />
Sea water, for example, is a solution<br />
of sodium chloride and other salts;<br />
rainwater can be acidic because of<br />
the carbon dioxide it contains and the<br />
water in rivers may include minerals<br />
dissolved from the rocks over and<br />
through which it has flowed. <strong>Water</strong> can<br />
exist as a solid (ice), liquid (water), or<br />
gas (water vapour) and changes readily<br />
from one to the other, either releasing or<br />
taking up energy as it does so.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Conservation Labelling<br />
A scheme similar to the five-star<br />
energy rating to identify water efficient<br />
appliances.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> cycle<br />
The circulation of water around<br />
the earth through evaporation and<br />
transpiration, condensation into clouds,<br />
precipitation as rain, ice or snow, runoff<br />
into waterways before beginning again.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Management Licence<br />
A licence issued to water authorities<br />
including <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> by the<br />
Department of Infrastructure, Planning &<br />
Natural Resources for the extraction and<br />
use of water from rivers and aquifers.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> quality<br />
The definition of water quality varies<br />
depending on the proposed use. <strong>Water</strong><br />
intended for irrigation or industrial<br />
purposes does not have to meet the<br />
same standards as water intended for<br />
drinking. However, there are factors that<br />
determine water quality whatever the<br />
use - these are its physical, chemical<br />
and biological properties.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> Sensitive Urban Design<br />
Design of building and landscaping to<br />
create low-impact developments that<br />
mimic natural catchment hydrology<br />
functions ie discharge, frequency,<br />
recharge and volume.<br />
Weir<br />
A dam in a river or stream.<br />
Wetland<br />
A low-lying area that is periodically<br />
covered with water, which supports a<br />
diverse ecosystem.<br />
Woodlot<br />
A tree plantation that is irrigated by<br />
treated effluent, ie recycled water.<br />
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4.6 acknowledgements<br />
copyright<br />
Publication title<br />
<strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong><br />
An Education Resource for Lower<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> Schools<br />
Published<br />
June 2005<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
PO Box 5171<br />
HRMC NSW 2310<br />
Copying<br />
Primary, secondary and tertiary<br />
educators and environmental groups<br />
have no limits on copying the <strong>Water</strong><br />
<strong>Kit</strong> for legitimate education purposes,<br />
providing that the copy meaning is<br />
unchanged and that <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> is<br />
acknowledged. Other users and uses<br />
must be approved by <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>’s<br />
Communications Unit.<br />
Concept<br />
The <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong> has been produced to<br />
assist schools, teachers and students<br />
understand the local context of the water<br />
cycle, especially in regard to human<br />
requirements and intervention. It supports<br />
curriculum objectives and outcomes,<br />
including the knowledge, skills and<br />
values of students. It also relates water<br />
cycle interventions to economic, social<br />
and environmental issues.<br />
Disclaimer<br />
No guarantee, whether expressed<br />
or implied, is made with respect to<br />
the data reported or the information<br />
provided in the <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong>. All reasonable<br />
steps have been made to ensure that<br />
the information is correct at the time<br />
of publication. It may be updated in<br />
the future and readers should make<br />
appropriate enquiries to determine<br />
whether new information is available on<br />
a particular topic<br />
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS<br />
Content development<br />
Kylie Yeend<br />
The Wetands Centre<br />
Kim Gill<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
Design and layout<br />
Brock Harrison<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
Special thanks<br />
Alan Jones<br />
DIPNR<br />
Mark McLuckie<br />
Grossmann High School<br />
Colin Hastie<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>-Central Rivers CMA<br />
Colin Mondy<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>-Central Rivers CMA<br />
Ingrid Berthold<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong>-Central Rivers CMA<br />
Nicole Holmes<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
Debra Santosa<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
Bruce Petersen<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong><br />
Rachael Warner<br />
Kotara High School<br />
Susan Woodhouse<br />
Lake Macquarie City Council<br />
Stephen Yates<br />
Maitland High School<br />
Paul Baird<br />
Retired teacher<br />
Catherine Baird<br />
The Wetlands Centre<br />
Helen Aitchison<br />
The Wetlands Centre<br />
Leanne Cherry<br />
The Wetlands Centre<br />
Tara Ure<br />
The Wetlands Centre<br />
Carolyn Gillard<br />
Wetlands Env Education Centre<br />
Christine Prietto<br />
Wetlands Env Education Centre<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
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