Water Kit - Hunter Water

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1.8 sustainability and water supply Ecologically Sustainable Development indicators Addressing sustainability issues ESD achievements and how you can help Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) is a framework which integrates environmental, economic and social decision-making into natural resource management. ESD principles have become an important component for Hunter Water’s decisions in managing the Lower Hunter’s water supply. A set of ESD ‘indicators’ or criteria have been developed for Hunter Water to monitor and report on progress towards achieving ecological sustainability for water supply in the Lower Hunter. These indicators include: • Economic These relate to the direct and indirect financial impacts on Hunter Water’s customers (ie community, business, industry). Changes to the water supply system need to be cost-effective in terms of pricing and incentives. • Environmental These involve impacts on living and non-living natural systems - ecosystems, air, land and water. Hunter Water works with community, government and industry to take a holistic catchment approach to planning and managing the water supply system. A catchment-wide approach is an effective way of improving the health of waterways as it integrates the management of land, vegetation and water resources, rather than dealing with these natural resources in isolation. • Social These address the impacts on communities in the Hunter. They include qualitative and quantitative information on public health and safety, labour practices and social issues. To achieve sustainable water resource management Hunter Water keeps the community informed of decisions regarding future water resource management. This also helps develop community responsibility for minimising the collective impact on the water cycle and water supply system. Water kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010 Sustainability can be achieved by following ESD principles and objectives that ensure the maintenance of ecological processes and systems. To make water supply truly sustainable, these principles and objectives are integrated into Hunter Water’s activities and operations, for example, captial works and service delivery. ESD objectives are mandated in NSW legislation. The core objectives of the National Strategy for ESD signed by Australia’s Government are: • To ensure a path of economic wellbeing that safeguards the welfare of future generations, referred to as ‘intergenerational equity’ • To enhance the individual and community well-being within and between generations, referred to as ‘intragenerational equity’ • To conserve and protect biological diversity, ecological processes and life-support systems The core aspect of these objectives is that the present generation needs to ensure the health, diversity and productivity of the environment for the benefit of future generations. Protecting the Hunter’s water supply is a big part of this challenge. ESD principles highlight the importance of educating the current generation about leaving our waterways and environment intact for the next generation. Hunter Water is working towards using the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) as its sustainability reporting framework. This involves reporting on the organisation’s overall performance against environmental, economic and social indicators. TBL is not meant to involve three separate figures - one against each indicator. Instead, it involves one report that interlinks these indicators to provide a more transparent and credible system of reporting on ESD. Incorporating ESD principles and objectives into Hunter Water’s water supply system can be a challenging process. Despite this, there have been many ESD achievements shared by Hunter Water and the Lower Hunter community. Economic Hunter Water: • Real savings of 40% in operating cost per property over the last ten years. Similarly, prices charged to customers have been reduced by about 30% in real terms over the same period. • The first Australian water supply authority to fully introduce the user-pays principle in water and wastewater services. As a result, the total demand on water has remained relatively constant, despite population growth. Your Role: • Reduce your water bill by conserving water around the home and garden • Don’t plant deep-rooted trees around water pipes and sewer main to minimise damage to assets • Keep pollution out of our waterways to minimise water and wastewater treatment costs that are otherwise passed onto consumers Student plant trees at Edgeworth Wastewater Treatment Works 20
Environmental Hunter Water: • Developed the Integrated Water Resource Plan that balances the community’s demand for water against water supply capacity, so that sustainable water management can be achieved. • Upgrades wastewater treatment works to bring significant improvements in the quality of effluent discharged into the environment. • Re-uses the effluent produced by wastewater treatment works to reduce demand on drinking water supplies. • Maintains domestic water demand at 214kL per residence per year. Average household water use in Hunter Water’s area of operations has consistently been amongst the lowest of the major Australian water supply authorities. • Works cooperatively with community and government agencies to protect catchments where raw water is sourced. This includes revegetation along creek lines, plantings around water and wastewater treatment works to create habitat and improve biodiversity, and installation of stormwater devices to manage pollution (eg litter, grass cuttings) before it washes into drains, waterways, harbours and our beaches. Your Role: • Keep rubbish, litter and garden waste out of stormwater drains • Safely dispose of chemicals, paints, grease and oils – use drop-off points at Council waste management sites • Install water and energy efficient appliances - remember energy production also places a major demand on water sources • Get involved in Landcare and Waterwatch activities to help improve the health of local waterways Social Hunter Water: • Provides a customer contract that sets a minimum standard for customer service. • Implemented the $300 million Hunter Sewerage Project that expanded the provision of sewerage facilities to 20,000 properties across the Hunter. • Co-funds Newcastle University environmental engineering programs and research into water sensitive urban design and macroinvertebrates as water quality indicators. • Promotes community ownership and responsible use of water resources through public education programs at events. • Carries out community consultation with residents and interest groups on a number of issues, eg sewer pump station upgrades, sewer transport upgrades, and water pipeline augmentations. • Seeks community input to water related issues through a Consultative Forum, community surveys, public meetings and focus group sessions. • Monitors customer satisfaction through surveys. Your Role: • Respond to surveys and attend Hunter Water’s community information sessions • Attend a public education event on water, such as Hunter Water’s Catchment Day held during National Water Week in October every year • Report leaks in the water transport network or pollution of water supplies • Join a community or environmental group that works to improve local waterways SOME GROUPS THAT HUNTER WATER WORKS WITH Water kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010 21
Page 1 and 2: Water kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010
Page 3 and 4: introduction to water supply WATER
Page 5 and 6: introduction WHY STUDY WATER? Water
Page 7 and 8: 1.1 the water cycle INTRODUCTION Mo
Page 9 and 10: BREAKING THE WATER CYCLE To supply
Page 11 and 12: Hunter Water’s area of operations
Page 13 and 14: Protecting and managing the catchme
Page 15 and 16: Water From The Mountains Chichester
Page 17 and 18: Rewarding Water Conservation A new
Page 19 and 20: Main infrastructure of Hunter Water
Page 21 and 22: 1.6 the managing groundwater supply
Page 23 and 24: Water Sharing Plan for the Tomago,
Page 25: Monitoring the Hunter catchment The
Page 29 and 30: The Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) was
Page 31 and 32: labour is invested on the site annu
Page 33 and 34: influences on water supply in the h
Page 35 and 36: ainfall patterns and water supply w
Page 37 and 38: managing water supply sustainably w
Page 39 and 40: 1.8 Sustainability & Water Supply S
Page 41 and 42: Links with THE Syllabus Used collec
Page 43 and 44: Integrated Water Resource Plan The
Page 45 and 46: 2.2 being waterwise at home Our wat
Page 47 and 48: 2.3 being waterwise at school Water
Page 49 and 50: 2.4 school water audit Why DO A wat
Page 51 and 52: 2.6 think twice water saving campai
Page 53 and 54: design a water saving campaign work
Page 55 and 56: assessing water conservation scheme
Page 57 and 58: 8 Use wetlands to store stormwater
Page 59 and 60: water audits - a case study workshe
Page 61 and 62: desktop water audit worksheet 4 Ask
Page 63 and 64: asic water audit worksheet 5 Leakin
Page 65 and 66: environmental audit protocol worksh
Page 67 and 68: water conservation resource list 2.
Page 69 and 70: Links with THE Syllabus Used collec
Page 71 and 72: These controls specify the quality
Page 73 and 74: wwtw population communities daily v
Page 75 and 76: Grit Tank Inorganic grit material i
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3.5 stormwater management What is s
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3.6 managing stormwater with sqids
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) Suggest strategies that might be
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Does it transport rubbish down into
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stormwater in your school worksheet
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improving wastewater worksheet 4 2
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support material This section conta
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International WEBSITES: Ecoschools
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LOWER HUNTER CENTRAL COAST REGIONAL
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agency project focus amount contact
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4.5 glossary Aerate To charge or tr
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Shoreline outfall Disposal of treat
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Water Kit - Hunter Water

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