Catchment Management Plan - Hunter Water

Table of contentsMessage from the Managing Director 3Executive Summary 4Part 1: Introduction 61.1 Document Purpose 61.2 Overview of Hunter Water 61.3 The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 71.4 The need to manage drinking water catchments 71.5 The strength of the barriers in Hunter Water’s catchments 71.6 Catchment management and climate change 8Part 2: Our drinking water catchments 102.0 Introduction 102.1 The region’s heritage 102.2 The broad risks to water quality in catchments 112.3 A snapshot of Hunter Water’s catchments and water quality 122.4 The Williams River Catchment 132.5 Chichester Dam 152.6 Grahamstown Dam 162.7 Tomago Sandbeds 182.8 Tomaree (Nelson Bay) Sandbeds 202.9 Stockton Sandbeds 212.10 Paterson and Allyn Rivers 22Part 3: The eight element strategic plan 233.0 Introduction 233.1 Element 1: Identify the top hazards 243.2 Element 2: Have effective legislation 293.3 Element 3: Work with stakeholders 313.4 Element 4: Monitor high risk areas 343.5 Element 5: Foster research 363.6 Element 6: Perform proactive surveillance 373.7 Element 7: Engage the community 393.8 Element 8: Plan for emergencies (fire) 40Achievements: 2009-10 at a glance 54References 55Appendices 56A. Land Management Implementation Plans 2010-2012 56B. Items to observe during inspection and surveillance programs 69C. Demonstration catchment inspection template - Williamtown RAAF Base 70D. Chemical Cleanout at Dungog, 2010 72E. The Land newspaper advertisement - catchments 73F. Posters of catchments for use at public events 74G. Graphic used to illustrate drinking water catchments 75CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE20102

Message from the Managing DirectorThe quality of water in our catchments is important to all members of our society. To date, maintenance ofhealthy catchments has been fundamental to Hunter Water’s provision of safe, highly reliable drinking waterto the lower Hunter. In addition to the provision of safe drinking water, Hunter Water’s catchment managementeffort achieves multiple benefits such as improved habitat and lifestyle benefits through improved amenity.Managing our catchments well is a key part of creating Sustainable Cities of the Future and hence HunterWater sees this as ‘mission critical’.Over the last few years Hunter Water has begun the implementation of the Australian Drinking WaterGuidelines Framework for Management of Drinking Water Quality to effectively manage risks to drinkingwater quality from catchment to taps. This has provided an opportunity to review our approach to catchmentmanagement and renew our strategy in this area. We have used the Framework to develop an overarchingaction plan to better understand and manage risks, thereby safeguarding water quality and catchmenthealth. At the same time we will continue to leverage our activities to achieve multiple outcomes for thecommunity and environment.I am pleased to release the first Hunter Water Catchment Management Plan, a long term and systematicwater quality improvement plan for the drinking water catchments and water sources of the lower Hunter.This plan provides clear priorities to better protect our catchments and ultimately will enable more effectivecollaboration with all catchment stakeholders.Please join us in building a sustainable urban water future.Kevin YoungManaging DirectorHunter Water CorporationCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE20103

Executive SummaryWater supply businesses are underever-increasing pressure to ensure thatthey deliver excellent quality drinkingwater to their customers. Hunter Wateris meeting that expectation using arisk based approach and implementingmultiple barrier philosophy to ensure thatno contaminants can get through andinto the product water. The first of thosebarriers is the catchment from which thewater is drawn.Protecting our water supplies to ensurewe have high quality source water wasidentified as a priority area from HunterWater overall corporate risk rating. TheHunter will be home to approximately160,000 more people by 2031 whichwill lead to increased development andrecreational pressures. Some climatechange scenario modelling also indicatesthat increased storm intensities willaffect the quality and quantity of streamflows. This eight element CatchmentManagement Plan (CMP) aims to identifyactivities in catchments that can bebetter controlled to manage this risk todrinking water quality and proactivelyadapt to impacts brought about byclimate change.A snapshot of water quality in HunterWater’s catchments reveals that waterquality varies across sites. It is evidentthat each catchment has its own riskprofile, catchment characteristicsand resulting water quality. Individualcatchments are described to give anoverview of the current understandingof their nature and health. Runoff fromurbanised areas into surface watercatchments currently poses the greatestrisk to source drinking water quality.To develop this CMP, a wide rangingreview of other water authorities,regulations and water qualitymanagement guidelines was conductedto benchmark current best practicecatchment management. The reviewrevealed that the current Australianand international leaders in catchmentmanagement effectively implementeight principles:1. Identify the top hazards:After analysing the various methods toidentify and rank catchment hazards towater quality around Australia, HunterWater has partnered with the SydneyCatchment Authority (SCA) to developethe Source Water Improvement SupportSystem (SWISS). The SCA currentlyuse a similar model as the foundationupon which catchment priorities aredetermined and subsequently funded. Ithas a scientifically robust, logical and userfriendly structure.Initial tests on the GrahamstownCatchment yielded promising results.Hunter Water aims to have modelledwater quality hazards in all catchmentsand scoped catchment remediation worksusing this model in time for the nextbudgeting process.2. Have effective legislation:Effective legislation refers not only to thestrength and clarity of the rules governingcatchment land use, but also theirintegration into local planning instruments.Hunter Water will seek to clarify thelegislation through improvements to theHunter Water Regulation 2010 and alsoendeavour to embed it in local planninginstruments within the next two years.3. Work with stakeholders:Stakeholders in the management of thetotal water cycle, not only the traditionalservice components such as water deliveryand stormwater, must work together incatchments to improve water quality.Hunter Water will build upon currentstakeholder relationships by regularlymeeting with catchment stakeholders. Weaim to have an initial meeting with all bythe end of this financial year (2010-2011).4. Monitor high risk areas:Very small numbers of pathogens intreated water can make large numbersof the population sick. It is not possibleto reliably monitor treated water forpathogens. A sound understanding of thehighest level of risk in the raw water drivesthe design of the treatment process. It alsoallows effective targeting of catchmentactivity impacts. Hunter Water will continueto target samples of runoff from rain eventsat sites that pose the highest riskin catchments.5. Foster research:Our understanding of catchments changesthrough time as the population grows andscience improves. It is essential to beinvolved in national and local catchmentresearch to have quality information thatenables informed decisions. In the nextfinancial year catchment research will bedirected by the information requirement forthe catchment model. It is envisaged thatwithin two to three years the outcomesof the catchment model will driveresearch priorities.The Upper Williams River CatchmentCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE20104

6. Perform proactive surveillance:Gathering knowledge about catchmentsis an essential foundation of the riskassessment process. Hunter Watercurrently employs Rangers to engagein surveillance of the catchments.We plan to implement programmedsurveillance of each catchment withsimple templates so that catchmentcondition information can be recordedand shared.7. Engage the community:Hunter Water’s catchments areapproximately 65 per cent privatelyowned. It follows that land usershave arguably the greatest ability tomake a difference to water qualityin catchments. We have begun toimplement methods to inform andengage the community and will developa Catchment Communication Plan withhelp from catchment stakeholders.8. Plan for emergencies (fire):All catchments are vulnerable tounexpected incidents ranging from thosewith remote possibilities (eg an aircraftcrashing) to high (eg vandalism). HunterWater has a tried and tested IncidentResponse Plan (IRP) in place. A BushfireManagement Plan that addressesfire preparedness and emergency fireresponse will be written to complementthe IRP.This plan is a recommendation for substantial change to Hunter Water’s catchment responsibilities. Each of the eight elementscontain recommendations that may take some time to put into practice. In recognition of this, a scaffold is provided, for each of theeight elements, that promotes future planning in three time horizons:Horizon 1spans this price path (2010-2013) andcontains the actions necessary to laya sound foundation for our vision. Theactions of this horizon are pivotal forputting forward the rationale to theIndependent Pricing and RegulatoryTribunal (IPART) for expenditure in thebudget process.Horizon 2is a crucial period as it builds towardsour long term vision for catchmentmanagement.Horizon 3contains Hunter Water’s broad longterm vision for catchment managementbeyond 2017. This horizon is importantas it directs Horizon 1 and 2 actions.HORIZON 1 HORIZON 2HORIZON 3This price path2010 - 2013►Next price path2013 - 2017►Our vision for the future2017 - beyondCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE20105

Part 1: Introduction1.1 DOCUMENT PurposeProtection of our water sources isparamount and a cornerstone of thewater management approach adoptedby Hunter Water for our catchments.In recognition of this, Hunter Water’sEnterprise Risk Management Processwas applied to the catchmentmanagement condition in drinking watercatchments. The conclusions from thisprocess were that:1. There is a risk to water quality incatchments from current land usepractices.2. Planning protocols need to beimproved to strengthen considerationof drinking water quality impactsfor developments in drinking watercatchments.3. There is no single regulatoryauthority which currently upholdsdrinking water quality in catchments.The Hunter Region would benefit fromclarifying responsibilities and improvingcollaboration between agencies touphold source water quality.In July 2009, Hunter Water endorsed thedevelopment and implementation of acomprehensive Eight Element CatchmentManagement Plan to mitigate the existingand potential risks to the Hunter’s drinkingwater quality. During the past year, theWater Resources Team has begun theimplementation of some of these elementsand produced this Plan document.The Hunter Water CatchmentManagement Plan (CMP):• Is a more proactive approach tocatchment management, recognisingit as an important barrier to waterquality risks,• Supports the strategic objectives fromthe Hunter Water Strategic BusinessPlan (especially produce a safe, highlyreliable water service and protectpeople’s health and enhance theenvironment)• Links with the requirements of theDrinking Water Framework,• Provides the basis for justificationof future expenditure on catchmentmanagement initiatives,• Will be updated and refined as betterknowledge and information becomesavailable.It is envisaged that the Plan will continueto evolve over time as new informationbecomes available and understanding ofcatchments improves. It will be refinedand updated after evaluation by otherstakeholders and as new recommendedpractices emerge. The review cycle willbe each four years in the lead up to theHunter Water’s pricing submission tothe Independent Pricing and RegulatoryTribunal (IPART). In their OperationalAudit 2008-2009 Report to the Minister,IPART recognised that additional focus isnecessary:“Hunter Water . . . is now in aposition to apply the risk basedinformation to develop a CatchmentManagement Plan to guide itsactivities and funding priorities”Hunter Water views the CatchmentManagement Plan as a catalyst for thecollaboration of stakeholders in drinkingwater catchments. It is recognised thatthe long term goal of cleaner catchmentsand better water quality is shared byall and Hunter Water will endeavour tobuild strong partnerships to keep ourcatchments clean.1.2 Overview ofHunter WaterHunter Water is a State OwnedCorporation (SOC) providing water andwastewater services for over half a millionpeople in the lower Hunter region. Ourprimary purpose is to supply reliable andhigh quality water and wastewater servicesto the people of the lower Hunter region.Figure 1: HunterWater’s areaof operations(grey) andcatchments(light blue)Figure 1 shows a schematic of HunterWater’s area of operations and thedrinking water catchments. HunterWater’s area of operations covers5,400km 2 which includes the localgovernment areas of Dungog, Cessnock,Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Newcastleand Port Stephens and small parts ofSingleton. Hunter Water’s catchmentstotal an area of 1450km 2 .CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE20106

Hunter Water’s operations are regulatedby the NSW Government on behalf ofthe community through a number ofregulatory instruments:• The main regulatory instrument,the Operating Licence, requiresHunter Water to meet AustralianDrinking Water Guidelines standards;• Extraction of water from theWilliams River and sandbedsis regulated by the NSW Officeof Water (NOW) within DECCW.NOW issue Water ManagementLicences that require environmentalconditions are met.• The performance of Hunter Water’swastewater system is regulatedby DECCW through EnvironmentProtection Licences. The licencesstipulate both quality and quantityconditions for discharge from eachwastewater treatment works and arereviewed every three years underthe legislation.1.3 The AustralianDrinking WaterGuidelinesHunter Water has recently adoptedthe ‘catchment to tap’ approach thatis recommended by the AustralianDrinking Water Guidelines (theGuidelines) to manage the risksassociated with drinking water quality.DECREASING level of protectionno barrierssingle barriersmultiplebarriersadvancedmultiplebarriersLOWThe Guidelines recommend thatbest practice drinking water qualitymanagement is achieved using amultiple barrier process. This approachis based on the premise that no singletreatment mechanism is infallible; each‘barrier’ reduces risk to water qualityincidents when it is applied in a robustmanner. Figure 2 demonstrates thatas a greater number of robust barriersare implemented, public heath risk isreduced proportionally.1.4 The need to managedrinking watercatchments• The Lower Hunter RegionalStrategy predicts that an additional160,000 people will reside in theHunter by 2031. The Departmentof Planning has identified thatmost housing will principallybe developed on ‘greenfield’sites, some within drinking watercatchments. It is recognised thatincreasing development and landuse pressures in the catchment ofsource waters causes a decline inraw water quality and a resultantincrease in risk to the security ofdrinking water.• A decrease in the quality ofraw water supplied to drinkingwater treatment plants requiresan increase in the treatmentinfrastructure required (egpublic health riskMEDIUMlevel of activity in catchmentHIGHlow medium highozonation, advanced oxidationprocesses). The implementation ofthese advanced treatment methodsincreases the cost of water tocustomers.• Increasingly complex treatmentmethods require more energy,which has adverse greenhouse gasimplications.• Poor quality source water requiresincreased chemical dose rateswhich increases cost to theconsumer. Source water withvariable quality is also more difficultto treat as chemicals must beadjusted to optimise the treatmentprocess. Rapid change in qualityof source water is recognised asa high risk period for water qualityincidents.• Given that Hunter Water applies amulti-barrier approach to managingdrinking water quality, the mostefficient allocation of resourcesfor catchments and treatmentneeds to be considered. Thecosts associated with managingcatchments needs to be balancedagainst the cost of increasedtreatment. Detailed cost-benefitanalysis are currently underwaythat weigh the cost and benefit ofcatchment management againsttreatment (see Wells, in progress).In the interim, Hunter Waterrecognises that expenditure on bothtreatment plants and catchmentmanagement is necessary.1.5 The strength of theWATER QUALITY barriersin Hunter Water’scatchmentsThe Guidelines recommendstrengthening six (arbitrary) barriersfor the preservation of quality drinkingwater. Catchment management andsource water protection provide the firstbarrier and various engineered solutionsto reduce the risk of disease are placeddownstream of catchments and dams.It should be noted that downstreamsolutions such as treatment cannotalways be relied upon in isolation:Figure 2: Effect of increasing the number of barriers for protection of drinking water.CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE20107

“Preventive measures by their1.6 Catchment management environmental stewardship in catchmentsand climate changehas broad environmental and socialnature should be applied as close tooutcomes, including mitigating andthe source as possible, with a focus “According to many experts, water managing the impacts of climate change.on prevention in catchments rather and its availability and quality will1.Opportunities for climate changethan sole reliance on downstream be the main pressure on, and issues mitigation in catchmentscontrol.” 1for, societies and the environmentThere has not yet been a unilateralunder climate change.” - IPCC 2agreement on the depth of cuts inThe barriers that reduce the risk of agreenhouse gas (GHG) emissionswater quality incident are listed at thenecessary to mitigate the risk ofThere is strong scientific evidencetop of Figure 3 (below). The variousclimate change. Despite this, Hunterfor human induced climate change.protective measures that underpinWater’s GHG and Energy ManagementIt is recognised that Australia - andthem are listed alongside.Policy commits to no net annual GHGin particular the water industry - isincrease from 2008-2013 and catchmentvulnerable to the impacts of climateThe green shading that predominatesmanagement activities provide achange. There are two ways to manageon the right of the table indicates thatmechanism by which Hunter Water canthe risk of adverse impact, either:1barriers are generally robust for Huntermeet these targets. Vegetation withinWater’s treatment and supply system.catchments store significant carbon• attempt to reduce or halt the changeIn contrast, catchments, and to somestocks; maintaining these and pursuing(climate change mitigation) orextent dams, provide ‘developing’opportunities for carbon sequestration• live with its effects (climate changeprotection to drinking water quality.will have dual benefits of mitigationadaptation).It is evident from the table that we canagainst climate change and improving theimprove the integrity of our catchmentsquality of water through natural filtration.In practice, a combination of substantialin terms of minimising risks to sourcecuts to greenhouse emissions andwater quality.Hunter Water has a significanteffective adaptation policy will beopportunity to leverage catchmentrequired to combat climate change.management and climate change worksHunter Water recognises that goodPROTECTIVEBARRIERSMEASURESCATCHMENTS RESERVOIR TREATMENT DISINFECTION CHLORINE CLOSEDSYSTEMStools for identificationof water quality riskslegislativecontrolseffective stakeholderrtelationshipsmonitoring programresearchroutine inspectioncommunity educationN/Aemergency responseplansFigure 3: Barriers to protect drinking water quality. Efficacy of each barrier is indicated by green shading (robust), orange (developing)1 NHMRC and NRMMC (2004) Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, 20042 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Technical Paper VI - June 2008CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE20108

as it provides multiple environmentalbenefits. We have greatest influenceover freehold land and on public landsadministered by NSW Governmentagencies, which together cover aboutone third of the catchment area. HunterWater has been working with otheragencies to develop NSW Governmentwide objectives, strategies anddirections for managing public landto combat climate change 3 . Prioritymitigation strategies relevant to HunterWater’s catchments include:• increasing carbon sequestrationcapacity, especially on vacant ordegraded land and• reducing greenhouse gas emissionsfrom land management activities.2. Climate change adaptation incatchmentsManagement of catchments for waterquality and quantity needs to beresilient and responsive to changes tothe biophysical environment arisingfrom climate change. Implementing aregularly updated catchment plan thatis based on scientific observation allowsHunter Water the ability to respondto environmental change. Effectiveplanning in catchments for water qualityin many ways overlaps with planning forclimate change adaptation.• Adaptation through collaborationand innovation:For appropriate planning to occur, thereis a need for a collaborative approachacross geographical boundaries andlevels of government. People must finddifferent solutions through innovativeapproaches. Hunter Water understandsthat building and sharing knowledgeis cornerstone to effective planning,whether it be land use planning for waterquality or climate change.• Adaptation to increased stormintensity:In its National Climate ChangeAdaptation Framework 4 , COAGrecognised that a change in the patternof Australia’s rainfall due to climatechange presents one of the mostsignificant challenges to Australiangovernments. More concentratedrainfall events have human healthimplications through the increased transportof human disease due to wastewateroverflows. Higher peaks can mobilise soilsby erosion, thereby reducing water qualityand increasing treatment cost. Hunter Waterrecognises that it has an important role inmaintaining the quality of its source waterthrough proactive catchment planning.• Adaptation to broad scale changes invegetation:The predicted change in distribution ofvegetation communities may have animpact on the natural filtration of water.There is potentially an increased frequencyof algal bloom in rivers and dams dueto reduced natural nutrient attenuation.Hunter Water’s catchments cover a diversetopographic and wide spatial area. Thecatchments have a diversity of climates andsoil landscapes. Catchment activities thatimprove riparian vegetation may increasethe resilience of flora and fauna to climatechange by allowing migration of plants andanimals to favourable areas.• Adaptation to increased bushfirefrequency and intensity:Under some climate change scenarios,increased bush fire frequency andintensity results in loss of vegetationand subsequent reduction in waterquality. More intense fires may reducethe ability to use particular sourcewaters or necessitate additional watertreatment capability. Using HunterWater’s Enterprise Risk ManagementFramework, bushfire preparednessis the priority risk to Hunter Waterfrom climate change. Part 3 of thisdocument outlines how Hunter Waterwill produce a Bushfire ManagementPlan that will be updated withreference to climatic conditions.3 NSW public land and climate change 2010-2015, NSW Government4 Council of Australian Governments National Climate Change Adaptation Framework – endorsed 2007CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE20109

Part 2: Our drinking water catchments2.0 IntroductionPart 2: Our drinking watercatchments identifies the broad risksto source water found in our catchmentsand gives a snapshot of current watersource quality. It describes in more detailthe catchments and water source fromwhich Hunter Water extracts raw water.There are currently six legislatedcatchments from which Hunter Water islicensed to extract. These are definedin the Hunter Water Regulation 2010.Hunter Water recently expanded its areaof operations to include the DungogShire which resulted in an additionalcatchment, the Paterson and AllynRivers, which have not been defined inlegislation.2.1 The region’s heritageHunter Water’s drinking watercatchments link the dunes of StocktonBight and the World Heritage BarringtonTops. The catchments traverse a mosaicof land use, including agriculturalproperties, water catchment reserves,national parks, nature reserves, stateforests, riparian reserves, roadsidereserves, stock routes and otherpublic land. Communities vary fromdensely populated urban centres torural communities and indigenousconservation lands.The drinking water catchments arewithin the traditional country of fourindigenous communities: Worimi,Karuah, Mindaribba and Wanaruah(Figure 4). The landscape containssignificant cultural and natural valuesof importance to the traditionallandowners, who have a long history ofliving in sympathy with the environment.Indigenous knowledge of landmanagement and ecological resiliencecan play an important role in caring forthe catchments.Figure 4: Indigenous communities within the regionCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201010

2.2 The broad risks towater quality incatchmentsThere are three main types of watercontamination:• Microbiological (eg bacteria, virusesand protozoa): these organisms areoften found in the faeces of humans anddomestic animals. These are the greatestrisk to human health.• Chemical (eg fuel, endocrinedisrupting chemicals): associated withspills, dumps, agricultural chemicalsand sewage.• Physical (eg turbidity): may becaused by erosion along riverbanksand gullies.• Figure 5 identifies specific sourcesof contaminants in Hunter Water’scatchments.Waste Water Treatment plants area source of potential nutrientsand pathogensErosion causes an increase insuspended solidsGrazing and horticulture causes anincrease in nutrients, turbidity andpathogens in the rivers and damsIndustry and mining in the catchmentsadd specific pollutants and maychange the chemistry of waterUrban stormwater increases nutrients,turbidity and risk of diseaseFailing septic systems in thecatchment increase nutrients anddisease riskSewage overflows in the catchmentincrease nutrients in water sourcesand lead to a higher risk of diseaseFigure 5: The broad water quality risks in Hunter Water’s catchmentsCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201011

2.3 A snapshot of Hunter Water’scatchments and water qualityWATER QUALITY RATING AGAINST GUIDELINESPOOR MODERATE GOODCHICHESTER DAMChichester Dam has a greater concentrationof phosphorus and nitrogen than guidelinesrecommend for reservoirs. Turbidity is anissue after intense rain events.Nutrents Salinity TurbidityAlgaePathogensTILLEGRAThe Williams River has good waterquality and long term deteriorationis not evident. Quality after rainevent largely unknown.Nutrents Salinity TurbidityAlgaePathogensGRAHAMSTOWN DAMBlue-green algae have become moredominant in Grahamstown Dam sincethe mid 1990’sNutrentsAlgaeTurbiditySalinityPathogensBOAGS HILL INLETPhosphorus and pathogen levelshave increased in Seaham weir poolover the last 20 years and there iscontinuing erosion problemsNutrentsAlgaeSalinityPathogensTurbidityCAMPVALE CANALThere have been significant numbers ofbacteria detected at Campvale Canalduring rain. Quality of this source isdeclining over time.Nutrents Salinity TurbidityAlgaePathogens (after rain)TOMAGO AND TOMAREEThe Tomago and Tomaree sandbedscontinue to produce high and consistentquality waterMatals Nitrates PathogensPesticidesFigure 6: Water quality in Hunter Water’s legislated catchments(Source: Hunter Water Biennial Water Quality Reports, 2006 until present)CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201012

2.4 The WilliamsRiver CatchmentCatchmentareaAnnualrainfallAreassuppliedLand use breakdownof catchmentPopulation growth forecast2010-2030974km 21152mm(at Dungog)Water pumpedinto GrahamstownDam at SeahamWeir80% farming and rural, 14%National Park or State Forest,6% Hunter Water freeholdCurrent population 5 2,350 residents. The mainpopulation growth will be in uptake of ruralresidential land – by 2030 the towns of Dungogand Clarencetown may have an additional 250and 450 of these lots, effectively doubling thepopulation of Clarencetown. A modest increasein urban centre populations only.Northern reachesThe Williams River has its headwatersemanating from forested and pastoralland approximately 140 kilometresnorth of Newcastle (Figure 8). Theheadwaters of the Williams drain thesouthern Barrington Tops National Parkand pastoral hinterland. To the east,the Chichester River also begins in theBarringtons and joins the Williams atBandon Grove. Land use in the northernreaches is a mixture of National Park,forestry and extensive cattle farmingwith some irrigated pasture cropping onthe river flats.The Williams continues in a southerlydirection through the major townshipsof Dungog (population 2,100) andClarence Town (population 1,000). Thecatchment of this portion of the riveris again primarily pastoral, but withpockets of more intensive agriculture(eg poultry and dairy farms) andurban development. There is a sewagetreatment plant at Dungog that irrigateseffluent onto a dairy farm adjacent tothe river and a treatment plant underconstruction at Clarence Town.Southern reachesAt Mill Dam Falls (approximately 45kilometres from Newcastle) the Williamschanges from a free flowing river into amodified river weir pool, Seaham Weirpool. The pool is approximately 18kilometres in length and is effectively freefrom tidal influence due to the completionof Seaham Weir in 1978. This body ofwater has a longer retention time thanthe river above this point and thus maybehave similarly to a long reservoir inperiods of low river flow. Figure 7 is ofSeaham Weir looking south.On average the weir pool is betweenfive and eight metres deep and must bemaintained at a specific level to reduceerosion of the river bank and preventflooding of the surrounding property.Despite these rules, erosion of theriverbank is a significant issue on the weirpool. The worst erosion occurs wherebanks have largely been cleared for thesurrounding cattle pasture and waterskiing boats are permitted. The banks ofthe pool are unfenced in parts, adding toerosion problems and allowing cattle toenter the water.After rainfall and under higher flows,water is transferred through BalickeraCanal to Grahamstown Dam using pumpsat Balickera Pump Station (Figure 9).During dry times the majority of flow inthe Williams is sourced from the uppercatchments and during wet times thelower catchment dominates. Water qualityrisk assessments for this source indicatedthat nutrients, turbidity, pesticides,organics and algal toxins were theprincipal issues for this system.Figure 7: Seaham Weir looking south5 Estimate based on Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006 Census dataCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201013

NBarrington TopsNational ParkChichesterState ForestChichesterCatchmentChichesterState ForestChichesterDamStroudRoadWilliams RiverCatchmentDungogGresfordWilliams RiverClarencetownPatersonSeaham10 KILOMETRESFigure 8: The Williams River CatchmentGrahamstownDamKEYNational ParkState ForestCatchment BoundaryFigure 9: Balickera Pump Station outlet into Grahamstown DamCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201014

2.5 Chichester DamCatchmentarea199km 2Damvolume21.5GL(1GL =1 billionlitres)MaximumdepthSurfaceareaAnnualrainfall37m 180ha 1300mm(UpperChichester)AreassuppliedLowerHunter,approx35% ofvolumeLand usebreakdown ofcatchment76% NationalPark, 17% rural,7% Hunter Waterfreehold (AppendixA shows how thisland is managed)Populationgrowth forecast2010-2030Current population 5 150residents, high hobbyfarm vacancy rate.Negligible populationgrowth until 2030Chichester Dam is located 80 kilometresnorth of Newcastle at the south-easterncorner of the World Heritage listedBarrington Tops National Park (Figure 10).Water from Chichester Dam is dosed withchlorine at the dam and then transportedvia a gravity pipe to Dungog, where itis further treated at the Dungog WaterTreatment Plant. Approximately half ofthe flow from Chichester is suppliedto Maitland, Cessnock and Beresfieldareas. The balance gravitates further toNewcastle, where it blends with watersupplied from Grahamstown WaterTreatment Plant. Because water is fedby gravity from Chichester it requires thelowest energy input of all sources. Watersupply from Chichester Dam is used asmuch as possible for this reason.The dam is fed by the Wangat River to thenorth and Chichester River to the north-west.• The Wangat River’s catchment is entirelyvegetated and pristine. There is very littlerecreational activity in this catchmentbecause of its difficult terrain. TheWangat catchment has been deemed byexpert panel to represent the lowest riskof pollution to drinking water.• The Chichester River’s catchment ispartially cleared for agricultural andrural residential land use. Land parcelsize is small to medium for a ruralarea. There has been an increase inholdings of hobby farms and holidayaccommodation due to the region’sbeauty and relative isolation. Thereis no intensive agriculture inthe catchment. Effluent from allproperties is treated using septicsystems. A large portion of the riveris unfenced and hence cattle are freeto graze in and around the river.There is high runoff from the area dueto the abundant rainfall and the largecatchment area. Hence, the dam is filledquickly following medium to heavy rainfalland there is little time for pathogens orturbidity to settle. There is very little datacharacterising the water quality after rainevents in the Chichester or Wangat Riversdue to the remoteness of the location.Risk assessments for this source indicatedthat pathogens, phosphorus and turbiditywere the principal issues for this system.NChichester RangeChichester State ForestBarrington TopsNational ParkChichester State ForestWangat RiverChichester RiverWilliams RiverChichester DamKEYNational ParkState ForestCatchment Boundary5 KILOMETRESFigure 10: Location and extent of Chichester catchment5 Estimate based on Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006 Census dataCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201015

2.6 Grahamstown DamCatchmentarea115km 2Damvolume182GL(billion litres)AVERAGEdepthSurfaceareaAnnualrainfall9m 2800ha 1125mm(Williamtown)AreassuppliedLower Hunter,approximately40% ofvolumeLand usebreakdownof catchment39% rural, ruralresidential orurban, 22% StateForest, 39%Hunter Waterfreehold (AppendixA shows how thisland is managed)Populationgrowth forecast2010-2030Current population 53,900 residents primarilyconcentrated in theurban area of Medowie(3,600). 2,000 additionaldwellings (5,600 morepeople) in Medowie by2030Grahamstown Dam is the Lower Hunterregion’s major urban water supply dam,supplying 30-75 per cent (40 per centon an ongoing basis) of our water. Theproportion of water supplied is muchhigher in times of drought. GrahamstownDam itself is located relatively close tothe river at Raymond Terrace (Figure 11).Transfers from theWilliams RiverGrahamstown Dam is classified asan off-river storage facility, storingraw water pumped from the WilliamsRiver at Seaham Weir (1, Figure 11)through the Balickera Canal (2),raised approximately 15 metres atthe Balickera Pumping Station (3) tothen flow through the Balickera Canaland Tunnel into the northern end ofGrahamstown Dam. On average, 50 percent of inflow to Grahamstown Dam ispumped from the Williams.Hunter Water monitors water quality inthe Williams River for nutrients beforetransferring water to GrahamstownDam. Nutrient levels can be assessedrapidly with a permanently installedonline analyser. Like most Australianrivers, the Williams is highly influencedby climatic conditions and isconsequently highly variable in flowand water quality. Flow and waterquality are assessed against pumpingrules to minimise the nutrient loadtransferred to the dam.The Grahamstown catchmentGrahamstown Dam’s small catchmentcontributes the remaining inflow. Thecatchment is primarily located on thenorthern and eastern shores of the dam.To the north of the catchment SevenMile Creek (4) drains small to mediumsized farm allotments, a dirt racetrack,large landscaping supply business anda quarry. The water quality from thenorthern catchment has not been wellcharacterised, but runoff from these landuses typically present some turbidityand nutrient issues. Approximately 75per cent of total catchment runoff comesfrom the northern part of the catchment.Runoff from the east comes directly fromthe urban settlement of Medowie throughthe Campvale Swamps (5). Water ispumped into the dam via the CampvalePump Station (6) and finally spills at theIrrawang Spillway (7).The Medowie catchment is seen asposing the most risk to drinking waterquality as it is an urban catchment. Itcontains all the major risks to drinkingwater quality and is in close proximityto the offtake for Grahamstown WaterTreatment Plant (8).Water quality risk assessments forGrahamstown indicated that pathogens,turbidity, pesticides, organics and algaltoxins, taste & odour compounds werethe principal issues for this system.Grahamstown Dam CatchmentCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201016

12347865Figure 11: Location and extent of Grahamstown catchment, inflows and outflowsCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201017

2.7 The Tomago SandbedsCatchmentareaAnnualrainfallACCESSIBLEAQUIFERVOLUMEAreassupplied109km 2 1125mm 60GL Lower Hunter,approximately20% ofvolumeLand use breakdown ofcatchment44% State Conservation Area,21% Hunter Water freehold,(Appendix A shows how thisland is managed), 21% industrial,8% Defence (RAAF Base),3% Bombing Range, 3% ruralresidentialPopulation growthforecast 2010-2030Current population 5 1,250residents. Two large industrialdevelopments to the South andSouth-West will significantlyincrease transient population.Average infill and vacant landuptake may increase population to1,800 by 2030.The Tomago Sandbeds lie parallel tothe coast between Newcastle and PortStephens, beginning at Tomago andextending north-east for 25 kilometres toLemon Tree Passage (Figure 12).Below the Sandbeds is an aquifer (orunderground water source) consistingof an impervious clay and rock layerunderneath fine sand. The sand is onaverage 20 metres deep, but reaches adepth of 50 metres in places.Rain water lands directly on the sandsurface to replenish the aquifer. Whistsome is lost to plants and evaporation,the fine sand particles slow the passageof water as it generally moves in asoutherly direction. The water table isapproximately 4.8 metres above sealevel when full and 1.8 metres above sealevel when empty.Extraction of water fromthe aquiferFrom approximately Lemon TreePassage west to Tomago, there is anetwork of more than 500 individualbores covering 100km 2 . Afterconventional treatment at GrahamstownWater Treatment Plant, water from thewestern Tomago Sandbeds is piped toconsumers in Newcastle and the lowerHunter regions.To the east of Lemon Tree Passage, asmaller volume of water is extractedand treated by the Lemon Tree PassageWater Treatment Plant and piped toKaruah, Lemon Tree Passage andTanilba Bay.NWilliams RiverRaymondTerraceGrahamstown DamTomagoTilligerry CreekFullertonCoveStockton BeachKEYNational ParkBorelinesCatchment Boundary5 KILOMETRESFigure 12: Location and extent of Tomago Sandbeds5 Estimate based on Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006 Census dataCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201018

The importance of the sandbeds to thesupply systemThe sandbeds are strategically importantfor both ongoing and backup watersupply. The ongoing supply from thesandbeds reduces the load on surfacewater sources and thereby allows greateroverall yield from the total water supplysystem. The large storage volume can beused as a reserve supply during droughtand is available as a backup supply inthe event of water quality issues in thesurface storages.Water quality and catchment healthWater from the Tomago aquifer is ofreliable quality. This has been the resultof both favourable natural conditionsand forward-looking land zoning. Sanditself is a good filter of contaminants andtherefore pollutants do not travel quicklyand are normally inactivated. In addition,most of land in the catchment areas hashistorically been zoned a water reservewhich preserves drinking water quality.To date, the most significant issue towater quality has been managing thearea’s grey sands which contain ironand arsenic minerals. These can oxidiseon exposure to air (eg during miningactivities) liberating dissolved forms ofthese metals to the groundwater. Someareas of the sandbeds are naturally veryhigh in dissolved minerals and otherareas may have been contaminatedby past mining activities. High minerallevels at some sites have caused theinactivation of some bores.Although industry at Tomago is not new,there has been increasing pressure fromindustrial land uses in and around thesandbeds due to a demand for industrialland close to Newcastle:• Tomago Aluminium, which producesairborne fluoride as a by-product ofthe refinery process, has expanded.• Other potentially polluting industries(eg a lead battery smelting facility)have been approved adjacent to thesandbeds.• Large manufacturing plants arebeing built on the outskirts of thecatchment with significant areas ofhard surface.• The Defence RAAF base hasexpanded over the aquiferwhich brings with it risks of fuelcontamination.It is becoming increasingly important towork with land use planners and industryin this area to protect the sandbeds as anatural resource.Grahamstown Dam, Tomago Sandbeds in the distanceCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201019

2.8 The Tomaree (Nelson Bay) SandbedsCatchmentarea16km 2Annualrainfall1350mm(NelsonBay)ACCESSIBLEAQUIFER VOLUME16GL (billion litres)AreassuppliedTomareePeninsula,100% ofsupplyLand use breakdownof catchment88% National Park, 11%rural residential or urbanPopulation forecast2010-2030Current population 5 of Shoal Bay1,900 residents, approximatelyhalf houses vacant during censusindicates primarily a holiday area.Caravan parks contribute one thirdof the current population. Smallpopulation growth until 2030.The Tomaree Sandbeds are so namedbecause they lie on the end of theTomaree Peninsula approximately 50kilometers northeast of Newcastle.On the outskirts of the sandbeds arethe growing towns of Anna, Nelson,Fingal and Shoal Bays (Figure 13).The sandbeds are primarily coveredby Tomaree National Park in whichrecreation is permitted.There are 21 bores in total that extractfrom the sandbeds and then to two nearbywater treatment plants. Treatment atboth plants is simple because the qualityof water extracted is very good. Thegroundwater is first aerated to removedissolved minerals, pH neutralised,chlorinated and then fluoridated.Due to the minimal level of treatment andlimited ability for the Peninsula to usealternative water sources, it is important toensure that these sandbeds are effectivelymanaged to avoid contamination.Future issues for consideration in thiscatchment are the increase in aquiferrecharge works in Shoal Bay (to the NEof the catchment) and the proximity ofsome bores to a swamp at Shoal Bay.Water quality risk assessment of thissources indicated that pathogens werethe principal issues for this system.NNelson BayShoal BayTomaree National ParkFingal BayAnna Bay2 KILOMETRESKEYNational ParkBorelinesCatchment BoundaryFigure 13: Location and extent of the Nelson Bay SandbedsCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201020

2.9 The Stockton SandbedsCatchmentareaAnnualrainfallACCESSIBLEAQUIFER VOLUMEAreassuppliedLand use breakdownof catchmentPopulation forecast2010-2030391km 21350mm(Nelson Bay)1GLWaterreserve only71% National Park, 17%Worimi lands, 12% freehold(sand extraction)Current population 5unidentified, but small(

2.10 The Paterson andAllyn RiversCatchment area Annual rainfall AreassuppliedPaterson River - 277 km 2Allyn River - 367 km 2850mm (Gresford),955mm (Lostock)Gresford(population~400), 100% ofsupplyLand use breakdownof catchment82% agriculture (dairying,beef cattle poultry, timber),18% National ParkPopulation forecast2010-2030Current population 5 450 residents.Negligible population growth until2030.On 1 July 2008, Hunter Water took overthe water and wastewater networksoperated by the Dungog Shire Council(DSC). This included the water supplysystem to the township of Gresford(Figure 15). Bulk water for this systemis sourced from the Paterson and AllynRivers according to the availability andquality of water. The Allyn River wateris the primary source of the two rivers(approximately 75 per cent of volume).Raw water is pumped to a microfiltrationplant where the water is filteredand chlorinated. DSC administers thePaterson and Allyn rivers catchmentand Hunter Water is responsible for thepotable water supply.Allyn and Paterson CatchmentsThe Paterson and Allyn rivers rise inBarrington Tops National Park andChichester State Forest and flowin a south-easterly direction. Theheadwaters of these rivers are both inexcellent condition.Mount RoyalNational ParkBarrington TopsNational ParkPaterson RiverCatchmentAllyn RiverCatchmentChichesterState ForestNChichesterCatchmentWilliams RiverCatchmentThe geological features of bothcatchments are predominatelyCarboniferous/Devonian sedimentswith some tertiary basalt, whichcan contribute geologically sourcedphosphorus to the rivers. The upperreaches of the Paterson River containbasalt soils and the lower reacheshave rich alluvial soils. The soils of theAllyn River catchment are moderatelyerodible and prone to mass movementon the steeper slopes contributing toincreased river turbidity at times.Lockstock Dam is located on thePaterson River near the township ofLockstock and algal growth within thedam can impact downstream waterquality. The dominant non agriculturalland use in the catchment is timberproduction and the major agriculturalindustries are dairying, beef cattle andpoultry production.Water quality hazard and riskassessments for these sourcesindicated that pathogens, turbidity,pesticides, organics and algal toxins,taste and odour compounds were theprincipal issues for this system.10 KILOMETRESLostock DamFigure 15: The Paterson and Allyn CatchmentsGresfordKEYNational ParkState ForestCatchment BoundaryCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201022

Part 3: The eight element strategic plan3.0 IntroductionThere is a large body of literature onhow to best manage catchments fordrinking water quality. A critical review ofthe accepted best practice documentshighlighted eight elements for effectivecatchment management (Table 1).Figure 16 demonstrates the connectionsbetween the elements. Two elementsunderpin all others: ‘identify the tophazards’ and ‘work with stakeholders’.This is because knowing the risks incatchments necessarily precedes effectivemanagement and successful managementof catchments is not possible alone.Hunter Water intends to implement eachof these elements to minimise waterquality risks. Part 3: The eight elementplan discusses the current conditionof each element in turn and provides avision for the future of each element.Element QUestion answer1. Identify the top hazards How should effort befocused to improvethe drinking watercatchments?2. Have effective legislation How should land useactivities be guided incatchments?A catchment model will be used to identify fromwhere pollutants originate, highest risk areas willthen be prioritised.Legislation will be strengthened and embeddedinto local planning instruments.3. Work with stakeholders How can the workload beshared?4. Monitor high risk areas How can the water qualityrisks and improvements bequantified?Current stakeholder relationships will be builtupon.A Source Water Monitoring Program will bedeveloped to review the current monitoringprogram.5. Foster research How can expertiseabout the drinking watercatchments be built?Assembly of local knowledge will be promoted,directed by requirements from the catchmentmodel.6. Perform proactive surveillance How can changes incatchments be bettercommunicated?7. Engage the community How can land users anddevelopers be informedabout their effects on waterquality?8. Plan for emergencies (fire) How can the risk ofuncontrolled bushfire beminimised?A programmed surveillance program will beimplemented.A Catchment Communication Plan will explainthe best methods for community engagement.A Bushfire Management Plan will be written toaddress risk before, during and after a fire.Table 1: The eight elements for effective catchment managementDominant elementSupporting elementElement has a stronginfluence on anotherFigure 16: An influence diagram demonstrating the connections between each element.CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201023

3.1 Element 1: Identify thetop hazardsPurposeTo provide a robust,repeatable and consistentassessment of hazards based onland management practices so thatrectification efforts are addressed inpriority order and are cost effective.PrécisThere is a large diversity of potentialrisks to water quality in catchments.How should septic overflow in theWilliams catchment be ranked againstthe presence of cattle in the river in theChichester catchment? A repeatableand transparent way of assessingthese scenarios is required. HunterWater is working in close collaborationwith the Sydney CatchmentAuthority to develop a Source WaterImprovement Support System (SWISS)model for our catchments.3.1.1 Previous hazard rankingin catchmentsIn the Operational Audit 2008/2009Report to the Minister, IPART recognisedthe improvements made to HunterWater’s catchment performance andreporting. IPART specifically referencedHunter Water’s completion of a waterquality risk assessment to identify,assess and address (if necessary) thelargest risks to water quality from the‘catchment to the tap’. The processfollowed the framework that is set downin the Guidelines; firstly an expert panelof Hunter Water staff was convened, thenrisks were identified and finally rankedusing Hunter Water’s corporate risk ratingtables. The expert panel then eitheraccepted that the risk was controlledadequately or provided comment on howthe risk should be reduced.When addressing catchment risks,the panel determined that two of thelargest risks to water quality were fromincreasing urbanisation in catchmentsand some farming practices. Table 1summarises the risk assessment findings.The expert panel did not accept that thecurrent risk to water quality in catchmentswas adequately controlled but recognisedthat these risks could not be controlledusing a single engineered approach.A more comprehensive catchmentmanagement plan was required.3.1.2 A new system forranking catchment risksAround Australia, water authorities andcatchment management bodies employa diversity of methods to identify andrank catchment risks. Most authoritiesview the identification of the level ofrisk and the location of these problemsas the foundation data upon which tobuild a catchment management plan.Hunter Water and a consultant separatelyreviewed the methods for determiningcatchment risks throughout Australia andconcluded that many authorities weremoving towards semi-quantitative modelsto identify risk and direct catchmenteffort. Some of the tools for catchmentmanagement reviewed included:• The eWater CatchmentModelling Toolkit,• The University of WesternAustralia’s storage and aquaticsystems models,• The Restoration Prioritisation Tool(RPT) used by some CatchmentManagement Authorities• The Sydney Catchment Authority’sSource Water Improvement SupportSystem (SWISS)Hunter Water chose to pursueimplementation of the SCA SWISSbecause:1. SCA has a strong track record incatchment management planningwhich includes development andimplementation of the Source WaterImprovement Support System(SWISS) for prioritisation of works.This model provides the rationalefor catchment expenditure in excessof $21 million per year;2. The system is currently embedded inSCA’s catchment management policy,demonstrating its functionality;RIsk potential threat potential scenario Consequence Likelihood Inherent 3Risk LevelIncreasingIncreased number • Pathogens/toxins inExtreme C (1 in 5 years) very highurbanisation(including sewerof pathogens 1 andchemical pollutants 2 catchments bypass treatmentprocess and enter the Hunter’soverflow anddrinking water.increased stormwaterdischarge)• Increased algal productivity andresults in taste and odour ortoxic compounds produced.Some farmingpractices(e.g. cattle in rivers)Increased pathogens 1and chemicalpollutants 2 and erosionfrom clearingTable 2: Inherent risk levels to Hunter Water’s drinking water quality from unmanaged catchments(summarised from Hunter Water Risk Assessment 2009)1 including Cryptosporidium, Giardia, faecal indicator organisms and associated pathogenic bacteria and viruses2 including nitrogen, phosphorus, organics, heavy metal, pesticides3 inherent risk is defined as risk that remains when current control measures are in placeCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE2010• Pathogens/toxins in catchmentsbypass treatment process andenter the Hunter’s drinking water.• Decrease in quality and clarityof water supplied to reservoirs.Increased turbidity may makewater more difficult to treat forpathogens.Extreme C (1 in 5 years) very high24

3. It is built on a platform that isscientifically robust, easily updatedand takes a logical approach todecision making;4. It has a practical output that will beable to be used in decision making byspecialists and non-specialists alike;5. IPART are familiar with the model andtheir support will be needed ifcatchment protection is to receiveincreased funding in future.Hunter Water has partnered with the SCAfor access to this model and we havebegun a demonstration run of the SWISSon the Grahamstown Catchment.3.1.3 Overview of the modelThe SWISS model graphically identifiesthe catchment areas that pose greatestrisk from pathogens (disease causingorganisms), suspended solids andnutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). Themodel has a relatively simple structurein comparison with other quantitativecatchment models throughout Australiaand globally. However, many of the morecomplex quantitative models have to berun by specialists. The power of SWISSlies in its ability to be built, run andanalysed by catchment managers.Each component of the SWISS istransparent and able to be modifiedindependently to incorporateimprovements in inputs and assessmentmethods. The model can also be used topredict the effects of land use changesby running scenarios. This is a powerfulexploratory tool and could be used whenconsidering broad catchment planningdecisions in the future.Over the past five years ofdevelopment at the SCA, the accuracyof the model has been reviewed usingthe following methods:• Comparison with monitored datarevealed sensible results;• Expert panels agreed with theoutputs;• Public consultation on methods wasfavourable (2007);• Presentation to the international‘Water Down Under’ conference(2008) was positive;• Public consultation on results in2009 has verified that the model isproducing sensible results.As a consequence, the level ofconfidence that Hunter Water has in themodel methodology is high.3.1.4 Results of Hunter WaterSWISS demonstration runThe following maps demonstrate anexample of the SWISS model output.Figures 18-20 show the first model runfor nitrogen, phosphorus and pathogenrisk from grazing in the Grahamstowncatchment.The output is built from 9 sets of data or‘layers’ such as rainfall, slope, erosivityof soils, groundcover, distance fromstreams and density of farm animals.Layers are weighted according to bestscientific understanding and overlayedupon each other. Red areas represent ahigh risk and blue are lower risk to theraw water source.In essence, the SWISS model inputsvarious spatial GIS data ‘layers’ thatcan be continuous (e.g. rainfall) or pointsource (e.g. intensive animal sheds). Themodel then uses weightings (determinedfrom expert panel workshops) to multiplythe importance of each layer to determinethe areas with greatest contribution tonutrient, turbidity and pathogen risk incatchments (Figure 17). There are variousinbuilt scripts to calculate parameterssuch as number of pathogens fromlivestock and alike. The output is aranking of activities and associated areasin the catchment that pose the greatesthazard to drinking water quality.Catchment risks may then be rankedaccording to a prioritisation processwhich factors in practical aspects suchas the cost of reducing each hazard, thelikely effectiveness of remediation worksand the level of confidence in the data.Catchment data inputs (land use,slope, erodability, rainfall, etc)Source Water ImprovementSupport System modelRanked catchment prioritiesWeightings of each inputAreas of greatest nutrient, turbidity andpathogen input in catchmentsPrioritisation process(cost, ease ofremediation, etc)Figure 17: How the SWISS ranks catchment hazard prioritiesCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201025

637 6000williams river2Sinclairs Hill$Raymond Terrace/ HUNTER384 000388 000392 000396 000LegendGrahams Town Study AreaGrazing AreasRoadsRiversPhosphorus Risk Map (MCA)ValueHigh : 225Low : 112.52Wallaroo Mountain2oMedowie State ForestKings Hill$GRAHAMSTOWNMedowieDAMoMoffats Swamp Nature Reserve384 000 388 000 392 000 396 000williams riverItalia RdPacific HwyWattle Flat RdRichardson RdMedowie RdFerodale Rd© WorleyParsons Services Pty LtdWhile every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this data, WorleyParsons makes no representations orwarranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaimsall responsibility and all liability (including without limitation liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses,damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which might be incurred as a result of thedata being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason.WATER CORPORATION639 2000638 8000 639 2000638 4000 638 8000638 0000 638 4000637 6000 638 00000 1.5 3 KmSCALE-1:60,000 (at A3)Map Grid of Australia (Zone 56)Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994A 28/06/2010 Issued for squad check EY RBRev Date Revision Description ORIG CHK ENGQAAPPDGRAHAMS TOWN CATCHMENT AREAGrazing ModulePhosphorus Risk MapProject No: 301010-00649 Figure: 00649_GrM_Phosphorus_Risk_Map.mxdCompiled by GEOMATICS SOUTHERN OPERATIONSF:\HunterWater\GT_Layouts\00649_GrM_Phosphorus_Risk_Map.mxdFigure 19: Highest risk of phosphorus input from grazing in the Grahamstown CatchmentCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201027

637 6000williams river2Sinclairs Hill$Raymond Terrace/ HUNTER384 000388 000392 000396 000LegendGrahams Town Study AreaGrazing AreasRoadsRiversPathogens Risk Map (MCA)ValueHigh : 229.65Low : 124.092Wallaroo Mountain2oMedowie State ForestKings Hill$GRAHAMSTOWNMedowieDAMoMoffats Swamp Nature Reserve384 000 388 000 392 000 396 000williams riverItalia RdPacific HwyWattle Flat RdRichardson RdMedowie RdFerodale Rd© WorleyParsons Services Pty LtdWhile every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this data, WorleyParsons makes no representations orwarranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaimsall responsibility and all liability (including without limitation liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses,damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which might be incurred as a result of thedata being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason.WATER CORPORATION639 2000638 8000 639 2000638 4000 638 8000638 0000 638 4000637 6000 638 00000 1.5 3 KmSCALE-1:60,000 (at A3)Map Grid of Australia (Zone 56)Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994A 28/06/2010 Issued for squad check EY RBRev Date Revision Description ORIG CHK ENGQAAPPDGRAHAMS TOWN CATCHMENT AREAGrazing ModulePathogens Risk MapProject No: 301010-00649 Figure: 00649_GrM_Pathogens_Risk_Map.mxdCompiled by GEOMATICS SOUTHERN OPERATIONSF:\HunterWater\GT_Layouts\00649_GrM_Pathogens_Risk_Map.mxdFigure 20: Highest risk of pathogen input from grazing in the Grahamstown CatchmentCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201028

Using this model it is possible to beginanalysis of the areas that pose thegreatest risk to drinking water quality.For example, in Figures 18-20 the grazingareas that are the highest risk to waterquality from nitrogen, phosphorus andpathogens are shown in red. It can beseen that the south-east corner mightbe more effectively targeted for nutrientand pathogen reduction measuresfrom grazing above other parts of thecatchment.Ultimately, there will be another seven‘modules’ (such as Impact of roads andStormwater runoff) overlayed upon thecatchment maps. The final output will thenbe broken up into smaller drainage units thatcan be colour coded to represent risk andhelp prioritise catchment remediation works.3.1.5 Hunter Water’s vision toaddress catchment risksusing the SWISSThe top catchment priorities areranked using SWISS and fundingto address catchment prioritiesis requested in the next pricesubmission.Priority high risk areas are sequentiallyaddressed with on ground work, themodel is refined and rerun.The SWISS catchment model becomesan industry leading package and isintegrated into many land use changedecision making processes.HORIZON 1 HORIZON 2 HORIZON 3►This price path 2010 - 2013 Next price path 2013 - 2017 Our vision for the future 2017 - beyond►►Part 4: The action plan 2010-2013 explains in more detail how Hunter Water will move towards this vision.3.2 Element 2: Have effectivelegislationPurposeTo strengthen the legislationwithin the drinking watercatchment areas whereby new orproposed activities on land can bemanaged with a focus on water qualityprotection.PrécisA catchment’s water quality and landuse are inextricably linked. There aresome legislative controls which applyto catchments that require drinkingwater quality to be considered as aprimary concern. Hunter Water willstrengthen the legislation and ensurethat it is well integrated into local andregional planning instruments.3.2.1 Current status of landuse planning and developmentcontrol in catchmentsThe quality and quantity of source waterCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE2010is largely dependent upon the activitiesthat occur in the catchment. Landuse planning legislation that ensuresdevelopments consider the quality andquantity of water are essential to maintainIncrease in the difficultyof maintaining effectivetreatmentIncrease in risk ofpollutants enteringtreatment systemIncrease in health riskto consumersFailure to implementappropriate planningcontrolsDecrease in the reliabilityof the water sourceor improve raw drinking water quality.Poor development choices in drinkingwater catchments can have the followingimpacts on drinking water quality 6 :6 Hurlimann, Ford (Feb 2010) Development control within catchments, Water magazine, AWAIncrease in costand complexity ofwater treatmentAbandonmentof catchments inextreme cases29

The current legislative mechanisms forland use planning in Hunter Water’sdrinking water catchments are:1. The Hunter Water Regulation 2010:• This legislation defines six catchmentareas in the Lower Hunter Regionfrom which Hunter Water drawsdrinking water supplies.• It addresses potential threatsto drinking water quality fromcatchment activities such asagriculture, extractive industries,sewage disposal, water-basedrecreational activities, andmanagement of waste andpollutants.• The regulation is currently not wellintegrated into local and regionalplanning instruments and regionalawareness of the principles of theregulation could be improved.2. Dungog and Port Stephens LocalEnvironment Plans (LEPs)• The primary purpose of LEPs is tosegregate incompatible land usesthat are thought to be incompatible.They formalise which developmentis allowable in which areas and areadministered by local councils.• Dungog and Port Stephens arethe only councils in Hunter Water’scatchments and are presentlyremaking their LEPs, applying aStandard Template as stipulated bythe NSW Department of Planning.The Port Stephens and DungogLEP will be remade by mid 2011.The LEPs do not currently referencedrinking water catchments and thisis an opportune time for change tothese documents.3. The Williams River RegionalEnvironmental Plan (REP)• The aim of this plan is ‘to protect andimprove the environmental qualityof the Williams River catchmentthrough the management and useof the catchment’s resources in anecologically sustainable manner’.• It legislates that all developmentmust consider the Williams RiverBest Practice Notes for land use,published in 2005. To this end, itis important to promote the intentof this planning instrument as ithas the capacity to improve waterquality in the Williams Catchment.3.2.2 Guidance forminimum water qualityfrom developmentsThe Hunter Water Regulation 2010requires developments to not pollutedrinking water catchments. Currently,when developments such as subdivisionsin catchments are assessed, counciloften seeks advice from Hunter Waterfor the level of stormwater treatmentthat s considered necessary. HunterWater would be well placed to assistDungog and Port Stephens Councils indeveloping a policy to advise the minimumstorm water treatment necessary fordevelopments within catchments.3.2.3 Recent improvement toplanning controlsDuring the past year, the three legislativeinstruments and processes have been (orare being) improved in the following ways:• The Hunter Water Regulation2010 has been remade to includedetailed maps of catchments.Prior to 2010, planning bodies wereunsure about the bounds of thelegislated drinking water catchmentareas and therefore sometimesapproved incompatible land uses incatchments.• Hunter Water has the power toenforce contraventions of theRegulation in the new remake.Hunter Water has previously hadprovisions under the Hunter WaterAct 1991 to issue infringementnotices but these were not definedin legislation until now.• Hunter Water has establishedregular training for councilplanners ensuring appropriatereferral of DA’s to Hunter Waterfor comment on water qualityimpacts. The high turnover in somecouncil planning staff has meantthat Development Applicationsthat should consider their effect oncatchments do not always do so.Regular contact with councils shouldincrease the appropriateness andnumber of referrals to Hunter Waterfor comment. Councils have showna willingness to cooperate if HunterWater responds in a timely manner.• Hunter Water has establishedtraining for Hunter Water staffto ensure appropriate and timelyresponses to referrals from planningbodies.• A new internal process forassessment of DevelopmentAssessment referrals under theHunter Water Regulation will likelylead to improved turnaround timesand response rate. Hunter Waterhas targeted 100% response rate toexternally reinforce the importance ofthe Regulation to Hunter Water.• Inclusion of a reference to theRegulation in the new PortStephens and Dungog CouncilLocal Environment Plans. Councilshave agreed in principle to placethe Hunter Water Regulationrequirements on all Section 149certificates issued within drinkingwater catchments. This move willensure that planners and developersalike are aware that their land fallswithin a legislated drinking watercatchment.CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201030

3.2.4 Hunter Water’s visionfor legislative control incatchmentsThe Hunter Water Regulation 2010becomes embedded in planninginstruments and source waterquality is regularly considered inplanning decisions.Hunter Water, councils and Dept ofPlanning work closely in local andregional land use assessment processes,including implementation of best practicestormwater treatment requirements.Integration of legislation into local andregional planning instruments meanssignificant land use changes alwaysapply best practice assessment tools tominimise the impact on receiving water.HORIZON 1 HORIZON 2 HORIZON 3►This price path 2010 - 2013 Next price path 2013 - 2017 Our vision for the future 2017 - beyond►►Part 4: The action plan 2010-2013 explains in more detail how Hunter Water will move towards this vision.3.3 Element 3: Workingeffectively withstakeholdersPurposeTo promote partnershipsacross stakeholder groupsfor more effective management ofdrinking water catchments.PrécisHunter Water’s drinking watercatchments are managed by a numberof agencies. It is impossible to manageraw water quality without leveragingtheir help and effective collaborationis necessary. A stakeholder map willbe produced and regular meetingsscheduled as the first steps towardsbetter collaboration.3.3.1 The benefits of acollaborative approachIt is widely accepted that the criticalenvironmental issues facing societyare so intertwined that a collaborativeapproach to solving these problemsis needed 7 . There is a groundswellof support for integrating acrosstraditional water service areas (e.g.flood prone area management,wastewater treatment, non-pointsource pollution control) and tocooperate across levels of government(local, state, federal).This approach includes considerationof the total water cycle, and not justthe traditional service componentssuch as water delivery and stormwateralleviation. Communities that haveimplemented this approach havedemonstrated marked improvementsin social, environmental and financialoutcomes 8 .7 US EPA 1997 State-wide Watershed Management Facilitation, Office of Water, US EPA Washington8 UIson et al., Transitioning to water sensitive cities, International Water Centre, BrisbaneCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201031

3.3.2 The main stakeholders inHunter Water’s catchmentsbodyResponsibilitiesIndigenous groups • Custodians of large tracts of Stockton Sandbeds.• As traditional land owners, land and water condition is integral to cultural beliefs.NSW Office of Water • The primary regulatory body governing river system health and water sharingbetween resource use and the environment.• Administer Hunter Water’s licenses to extract raw water• Have limited responsibility to determine the appropriateness of many developmentsor land use practices.DECC • Have a regulatory responsibility to control the discharge of pollutants to watersthroughout drinking water catchments.• Are rolling out a Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (MER) program to provideland use and land management data to the public• Regulate the use of chemicals and pesticides• Do not have a planning role for management of diffuse pollution sources in catchments.DECC (NSW NationalParks)Hunter – Central RiversCMA• National Parks estate is managed to preserve environmental condition and thereforehelp preserve water quality.• There is significant areas of National Parks in several of Hunter Water’s catchments• A 10-year Catchment Action Plan (CAP) has been formulated to improve the healthof 37000km 2 of catchments within the responsibility of the Hunter CMA. Hunter Water’s drinkingwater catchments are a fraction of this, totaling an area of 1450km 2 .• Facilitate grants to individuals and organsations working towards targets in the CAP(such as tree planting, riverbank stabilization).• The CAP is not legislated and, although maintenance of water quality is acornerstone of the Plan, it focuses on water for ecological processes above water quality fordrinking purposes.Department of Planning • Administers the Williams River Regional Environmental Plan which was formulated tomanage water quality in the Williams Catchment.• Planning’s Lower Hunter Regional Strategy commits to implementing “LEPs thatprotect drinking water catchments, in particular the vulnerable aquifers of Tomago, Tomaree andStockton.”• On ground implementation of these plans is divested to councils.Port Stephens andDungog Shire CouncilsIndustrial landholders(e.g. Tomago Aluminiumand RAAF)• Have significant power to influence the nature of development and therefore runoffwater quality through adherence to applicable acts, regulations and environmental planninginstruments.• Define specific environmental protection zones that are appropriate aroundsource waters.• Have significant powers to influence development, but have had limited guidanceon maintenance of water quality in catchments to date.• Own extensive tracts of land in the catchments• Own tracts of high quality, high environmental value land.• Are bound by conditions of consent and state/federal laws to limit pollution. Havethe capacity to significantly influence quality of land under ownership.Hunter Water • Manage the Hunter Water (Special Areas) Regulation which aims to maintaindrinking water quality in catchments.• Own and maintain significant tracts of land in catchments.• Have committed to implementing the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines whichput a large emphasis on the protection of source waters.Table 3: Major stakeholders in managing drinking water quality in the catchmentsCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201032

Freudenberg (1999) 9 recommendsthe construction of a comprehensive‘stakeholder map’ with consideration ofstakeholders as varied as governmentorganisations, industry representatives,consumer groups, recreational groups,non-government organisation, residentsand traditional owners. The paper arguesthat there is a great deal of expertiseand goodwill in catchments outside ofauthorities and that inclusion of a broaderrange of stakeholders ultimately leads tobetter decision making. It suggests thatthis information can be collected throughworkshops or surveys. It is noted thata detailed map can take a considerabletime to construct.3.3.3 Current stakeholderrelationshipsHunter Water’s specific relationships incatchments have been built over manyyears. We are currently represented onthe following diverse range of committeesin catchments:• National Parks and the NSWDepartment of Defence: Currentquarterly meeting to discussland use issues. A MoU isunder negotiation to delineateresponsibilities.• Lower Hunter and Port StephensBushfire Management Committee:Meet quarterly, almost $100 000 wasspent on fire trails and clearing lastfinancial year 10 .• Feral animal control committee:Aim to control feral animals. Annualmeeting.• Port Stephens Council Koalacommittee: Quarterly, supportingthe Port Stephens Koala Plan ofManagement.• Medowie flood managementcommittee: Aim to resolve floodingissues in Medowie.• Ranger patrols and presence buildsland owner relationships.• Regional weeds committee: Aim toidentify and eradicate problem weedareas. Hunter Water spent $18,000on weeds removal in catchments lastfinancial year.• Grahamstown Dam RecreationalPlan of Management Committee:Aim to manage recreation inGrahamstown Dam.• Hunter Central Coast Illegal DumpingGroup: Aim to identify and combatillegal dumping. Meet quarterly.• Hunter Illegal Trail Bike Riding Group:Aim to identify and combat areas ofillegal trail bike use. Meet quarterly.• Landcare and Tocal Field Dayssponsorship: Yearly grants, $15,000for small Landcare grants and$10,000 for the Field Days.3.3.4 Recent improvementsin relationships withstakeholders• The Hunter Water CatchmentCommittee: Hunter Water convenesa quarterly internal CatchmentCommittee with a diversity ofplanners and operational staff inattendance. This committee hasbeen operational for 18 months withpositive feedback. The committee isa knowledge centre and promotesdiscussion of:• Developments and developmentapplications in catchments to bediscussed;• Rangers to give an ‘on ground’perspective of the catchments;• Land use changes to beanalysed;• Hunter Water’s own catchmentobligations to be discussed.• Building partnerships with localcouncils: Hunter Water recentlyorganised a Water Sensitive Citiesforum to which various councilrepresentatives were invited. Anexpert was asked to attend fromMelbourne Water, who are oftenseen as national leaders in totalcatchment management. There wasbroad agreement reached that theHunter needs to champion watersensitive urban design and anothermeeting was agreed upon to discusshow we might make this a reality.• Partnering with Landcare andHunter Councils Environmentdivision to apply for federalfunding for our catchments:Hunter Water and other catchmentstakeholders collaborated to applyfor a federal government grant toimprove the Williams River in 2009.Although the funding opportunitydid not arise, Hunter Water’swillingness to seek external fundingfor catchment activities was receivedpositively in the region.• Collaboration with NSW Office ofWater: Hunter Water has regularmeetings with NOW and hasrecently given tours of catchments,dams and treatment plants. Suchinteraction will likely translateto a better understanding of thewater supply system and buildrelationships in the long term.9 Freudenberg, 1999. Tools for understanding the socioeconomic and political settings for environmental decision making. In Tools to aid environmental decision making, New York.10 Source: Hunter Water Annual Operating Licence Report: The Catchment Report 2008-2009CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201033

3.3.5 Recommended futurecollaboration withcatchmentorganisationsDiscussions held between a broadrange of stakeholders reveals theconnections that can be leveragedin catchments and promotesdrinking water catchment issues.Stakeholder connections are enhancedand Hunter Water begins to influenceland use activities in catchments.Drinking water catchments areconsidered in all aspects of townplanning, from local scale land useplanning to regional master planning.HORIZON 1 HORIZON 2 HORIZON 3►This price path 2010 - 2013 Next price path 2013 - 2017 Our vision for the future 2017 - beyond►►“Part 4: The action plan 2010-2013” explains in more detail how Hunter Water will move towards this vision.3.4 Element 4: Ensuringour source waterquality monitoringprogram is alignedwith risksPurposeTo ensure that Hunter Water’smonitoring program effectivelydetects changes in source water quality.PrécisUnfortunately scientific tests alonecannot prove that drinking water issafe due to the very small samplesthat are taken. Instead, monitoringof the highest catchment risks tellsHunter Water about the level oftreatment necessary to reduce therisk to an acceptable level. A waterquality monitoring program has beenimplemented that reflects the risks aswe understand them. The results willfeed essential information back into therisk assessment process.3.4.1 The outcomes of a welldesigned monitoringprogramDrinking water is continually treated anddistributed to customers and there is noway of recalling a contaminated product.It is not possible to test each batch ofCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE2010water for all possible disease causingorganisms or toxins. Sampling programscan only examine a minute fraction of theproduct. Often the time taken to receivethe results of a test is a few days, afterwhich time the water has usually reachedconsumers. As monitoring programs areexpensive, it is important to understandthe highest risk areas of catchmentsand align the monitoring programappropriately.A greater certainty of effective treatmentcan be assured if the ‘worst case’ sourcewater is known in advance.A well designed monitoring programprovides the following essentialinformation• Provides a baseline and flow eventrecord for analysis of riskthrough time• Reveals seasonal or natural trendsthat could impact on the treatmentprocess• Determines the impact of differentland uses over time• Allows early detection of possiblecontaminants• Tracks the perceived high risk areasof the catchment to better quantifyinherent risk• Assists catchment managers toidentify emerging issues in thecatchment• Allows reporting on performanceagainst water quality criteria• Allows performance of improvementactions to be quantifiedThe value of monitoring is not easilyquantified in dollar terms. The informationgleaned from the monitoring program willinform future risk management plans.3.4.2 Current StatusHunter Water spends approximately$500 000 per year on water qualitymonitoring in catchments at 10 surfacewater sites and approximately 70groundwater locations. At some sites themonitoring program has been in placefor several decades and others havebeen added as our understanding of thecatchments has changed.Two scientists are employed by HunterWater to oversee the monitoring program.The current monitoring program providesa sound baseline analysis of trends, butas the focus on catchments increases themonitoring program should be formallyreviewed. A key finding of the HunterWater Biennial Water Quality Report2009/2010 was also that a Source WaterMonitoring Program should be written.Our highest priority moving forward is tobetter characterise the water quality afterrainfall as this water poses the greatestrisk.34

3.4.3 Recent improvementsto the monitoringprogramIt is becoming increasingly evident that theMedowie sub catchment presents risks todrinking water quality above others. Thereasons for this high risk rating essentiallyarise due to increasing urbanisation of thiscatchment, its proximity to GrahamstownDam and the operational requirement topump all water from this catchment intothe Dam.It is known that most toxins are mobilisedduring and after rain events . To betteralign with this risk, Hunter Water hasimplemented two event based monitoringsamplers in this catchment (provided).The samplers are simultaneously triggeredby a rising water level following rain inthe canal. They extract samples at apredetermined volume and frequencywhich are later analysed for nutrients,pathogens, turbidity and other chemicals.During the previous year, we have initiatedthe following targeted sampling programs:1. Broad suite pathogen andnutrient sampling: preliminary resultsfrom sampling indicate Campvale Canaltransports moderate to high pathogenloads after heavy rain. The numbers offaecal indicator bacteria are typical of amixed urban/rural source and representa very high risk to drinking water quality.To better determine the source of thebacteria faecal sterol analysis has beencommissioned.2. Faecal sterol analysis:Newcastle University is spearheadingthe development and use of faecalsterol analysis techniques. Faecalsterols occur in all faeces, and eachanimal (including humans) has a unique‘fingerprint’ of sterols. By analysing thesterol signature in water, we can inferfrom where the bacteria originate. Thismonitoring program will significantlyinform the management plan for thecatchment. We have currently achieveda dry weather baseline for sterols andnow require analysis of rainfall events.3. Reinstatement of phosphorouspumping rules from theWilliams River: Increasing the amountphosphorous in a river or reservoir(eutrophication) has been shown toproportionally increase the biomassof algae . We have recently fixed thereal time phosphorus analyser on theWilliams River and reinstated rules thataim to limit the phosphorus pumpedfrom the Williams River therebyreducing the risk of an algal bloom inGrahamstown Dam.3.4.4 Recommended futureactions to improve themonitoring programA peer reviewed Source WaterMonitoring Plan is complete thatoptimises data collection and alignsmonitoring with high risk areas.The Source Water Monitoring Programis fully implemented with the appropriatemix of regular and event sampling, datais easily stored and retrieved using GISbased technology.Catchment data collection is routinelyreviewed to analyse highest risks and datastorage is spatially reverenced and easilyextracted by all stakeholders.HORIZON 1 HORIZON 2 HORIZON 3►This price path 2010 - 2013 Next price path 2013 - 2017 Our vision for the future 2017 - beyond►►“Part 4: The action plan 2010-2013” explains in more detail how Hunter Water will move towards this vision.CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201035

3.5 Element 5: Fosteringresearch programs inour catchmentsPurposeTo better pursue collaborativefunding opportunities fortargeted local catchment research.PrécisBetter information leads to betterdecisions. Hunter Water will foster thestrong ties with universities and otherresearch bodies to understand how thecatchments function. Hunter Water’sR&D program will guide the research.3.5.1 Current catchmentresearch: GrahamstownAdaptive Management StudyGrahamstown Dam is an important watersource for the Hunter as it supplies 40%of our water supply on an ongoing basis.Monitoring of Grahamstown demonstratedthat there have been increasing numbersof blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) inGrahamstown over the past 15 years.The increasing number of blooms ofcyanobacteria can be seen in Figure 22.Cyanobacteria have the capacity tocause an objectionable change in tasteand odour of the raw water or produceother damaging toxins which may bedifficult to treat. An increasing number andbloom frequency of these algae is oftena sign that nutrients are increasing in awaterway. 11In 2008, Hunter Water has committed$580 000 to the Grahamstown AdaptiveManagement Study (GAMS) which aims to“provide information on how waterquality in Grahamstown Damis managed to maintain yield atsatisfactory levels whilst providing a low,or managed, likelihood of developmentof problematic algal blooms.”GAMS is broken down into the followingseparate studies of water quality:• A three-yearly benthic macrophyte(water plant) survey - it is knownthat water plants take up significantamounts of nutrients and thereforetheir role in the dam’s ecology isoperationally important.• Investigations into the contributionof sediments to Dam nutrients andongoing seasonal investigationsinto the cause of algal blooms– The University of TechnologySydney has been commissioned toinvestigate the interaction betweennutrients in the sediment and watercolumn and the amount of algae thatgrow as a result.• Investigations into the biologicalcontrol of algae – fish andplanktonic organisms that have arole in controlling algae will alsobe examined.This study is now partially completed.When complete, it will provide a betterinsight into the ecology of GrahamstownDam and will allow more informed strategicplanning and operational decisions.Grahamstown Reservoir GRAHAMSTOWN Cynobacterial RESERVOIR LevelsCYANOBACTERIAL LEVELSSouthern Monitoring Site off Schroder Pump StationCELLS PER MILLILITRE50,00045,00040,00035,00030,00025,00020,00015,00010,0005,0000Southern Monitoring Site off Schroder Pump StationTotal Cyanobacteria Anabaena Microcystis3.5.2 Research and Developmentat Hunter WaterAccording to Hunter Water’s Researchand Development (R&D) Strategy, waterquality and public health and systemmodelling are two key focus areas forfuture research. These focus areas includeactivities such as:• Looking at the impacts of recreationon drinking water bodies;• Better understanding how nutrients,pathogens and/or suspended solidsenter our source waters;• Obtaining improved data for thedecision support tool (i.e. the SWISS)which enables better identificationand prioritisation of catchment work.As there are many opportunities forleveraging grant funds in catchments,an important part of fostering researchis liaising with other catchmentstakeholders and identifying appropriategrant opportunities for a better researchoutcome.Figure 22: Cyanobacterial numbers in Grahamstown Dam 1992 -200711 Smith et al (1999) Eutrophication: impacts of excess nutrient inputs on freshwater, marine, and terrestrialecosystems, Env. PollutionCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201036

3.5.2 Hunter Water’s vision forcatchment researchResearch of identified knowledge gaps incatchments is promoted, particularly atthe University of Newcastle, focusing oninforming the Source Water ImprovementSupport System.Specific funding is allocated to identifiedareas of need; the outcomes begin toinform management decisions. Catchmentresearch is fostered at NewcastleUniversity.Collaborative and leveraged fundingopportunities are leveraged; drinking watercatchment research is a scientific focus atNewcastle University.HORIZON 1 HORIZON 2 HORIZON 3►This price path 2010 - 2013 Next price path 2013 - 2017 Our vision for the future 2017 - beyond►►“Part 4: The action plan 2010-2013” explains in more detail how Hunter Water will move towards this vision.3.6 Element 6: Performproactive surveillanceObjectiveTo perform regular,documented surveillance ofcatchments, ultimately improving thequality of catchment risk assessments.PrécisHunter Water presently has rangers whoare active in catchments and thereforeprovide ‘informal’ surveillance services.Surveillance will be formalised to meetthe requirements of the Framework forthe Management of Drinking WaterQuality. Regular, programmed andproactive surveillance will feed back intopolicy and risk assessment outcomes.3.6.1 Why surveillance, andhow much is enough?To understand a catchment area “regulardocumented inspections to monitorcatchment conditions and land usechanges” should be undertaken . The veryaction of being seen proactively patrollingthe catchment sends a positive signal tothe land owners that the utility does careabout land management and is interestedin their activities.In conversations with other water andcatchment management authorities andCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE2010from the literature, catchment knowledgeis often identified as one of the singlegreatest barriers to waterborne disease.Catchment knowledge is vital because theapplication of the risk assessment processis entirely reliant on the understanding ofthe water supply system from catchmentto tap. Inspection of catchments is the keyactivity that will increase an organisation’sknowledge and understanding of itscatchment area.The frequency of surveillance isdependant upon the risk in a catchment.As Hunter Water’s catchments can bedescribed as partly or fully developed,current best practise is a minimum of 3-5days per week of surveillance.In addition to traditional surveillance,aerial and satellite imagery can also beuseful to detect changes in land use.Satellite imagery especially can be usedto assess changes in land use suchas amount of vegetation clearing or toassess the effects of bushfire.3.6.2 Surveillance currentlyconducted in catchments andbest practiceHunter Water currently has three full timeRangers who are based in the field andthus are regularly engaged in surveillanceof the catchments. Between these staffthere would be in excess of 5 days spenton informal surveillance.Current best practice surveillance incatchments involves not only monitoringcatchments but also recordingobservations. Specific items to observeare shown in Appendix B. In brief,records should be kept of the following:• General land use activities and landuse changes,• Checking for unusual, unapproved orunlawful activities,• Inspections following incidents (fires,heavy rain, spills),• Proactive management of catchmentsto predict risks and hazards.It is important that this informationis recorded and used in strategicplanning decision making. For this tooccur, a template or simple checklistmust be generated so that surveillancecan be standardised acrosscatchments and time.3.6.3 Recent improvements tosurveillance techniquesAppendix C shows a templatedeveloped within the last year for theWilliamtown RAAF base. It sets out theinspection frequency, what to inspectand the considerations for each site.The aim of developing the template wasto standardise inspections and makethem routine.37

One Ranger and Trade Waste Inspectorattend the site to check certain wastewater and environmental sites, fill outthe sheets and file them electronically.Positive feedback of the template systemhas referenced:• the ability to print the last inspectionto determine if problems have beenrectified;• the capacity for any person to followthe routine, freeing up personnel;• the ease with which the template iscompleted.This surveillance pro forma could beused as a basis for the development ofcatchment specific surveillance templates.3.6.4 Hunter Water’s visionfor catchmentsurveillanceFormalised surveillance begins supportedby a record keeping system that allowsdissemination of information and actions.Surveillance becomes routine andembedded into staff duties. Proceduresare automatic and information is easilyavailable.Regular and documented surveillanceis routinely performed in catchmentsinforming operational and planning armsof Hunter Water.HORIZON 1 HORIZON 2 HORIZON 3►This price path 2010 - 2013 Next price path 2013 - 2017 Our vision for the future 2017 - beyond►►“Part 4: The action plan 2010-2013” explains in more detail how Hunter Water will move towards this vision.Figure 21: Developments such as this erosion risk above Chichester Dam will be detected by surveillanceCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201038

3.7 Element 7: EngagE thecommunityObjectiveTo inform, connect with andempower the community tomake a positive change in catchments.PrécisSupportive and constructive behavioursby land and water users withincatchments are crucial to the successfor catchment management. As weachieve success through catchmentmanagement initiatives, we willbetter communicate and engage thecommunity to build upon success.3.7.1 Why communicate aboutdrinking water catchmentsCommunity involvement andawareness are foundation conceptsin the Framework for Managementof Drinking Water Quality in theGuidelines. This is because catchmentland users and customers havearguably the greatest influence ondrinking water quality in these areas.Approximately 65% of Hunter Water’scatchments are in private ownership.Through education and empowerment,positive changes in routines andactions of private landholders canhave a large effect on the runoff fromtheir properties. It follows that effectivecommunication is one of the mostimportant mechanisms for bettercatchment management.3.7.2 Current level ofcommunity engagementwith catchmentsHunter Water currently employs someeffective mechanisms to communicatecatchment information:• Signage: There is currentlysome effective signage in thecatchments. Examples of theseare along the Pacific Highwayin the Grahamstown Catchmentinforming motorists that they arein a drinking water catchmentand to report chemical spills.Signage such as this does morethan mitigate the risk of chemicalspill; it also draws awarenessof the catchment boundaryand reinforces the notion thatHunter Water is an effectiveenvironmental steward. HunterWater is at present identifyingand cataloguing all signage incatchments. Catchment signageplacement and condition will benoted so that we can maximise theimpact of this medium.• Website: The website currentlyhas detailed information on thedrinking water catchments. Thisis presented in an accessible andeasily interpreted way so thatpeople seeking information aboutcatchments can find it. As therehave been some changes to ourcatchments, the website needsupdating in this respect.• Supporting the HouseholdChemical Cleanout scheme inDungog (Appendix D): Dumpingof large volumes of chemicalscould cause a serious problemin catchments. Hunter Waterdemonstrates good environmentalstewardship and reduces the riskof chemicals entering the drinkingwater supply by supporting thisscheme in catchments.• 3.7.3 Recent examplesof communicationabout catchmentsIn the last year, Hunter Water hasincreased communication regarding theHunter’s drinking water catchments. Theprojects implemented included:• A newspaper advertisement inThe Land with free DVD offer(Appendix E)•• Posters of catchments weredeveloped to use at public events(Appendix F)• A poster illustrating drinking watercatchment locations was developedto be used at Tocal (Appendix G)• A series of articles in the customernewsletter (‘THINK about yourDRINK) discussing catchmentsand how to keep them clean wasinitiated. (Appendix H)It is important to build upon thesuccess of these projects bydeveloping a strategic plan forcommunication in catchments. Thisplan will ideally use survey techniquesto identify the most effective methodsof communication to land users andcustomers.3.7.4 Hunter Water’s visionto engage thecommunityCatchment signage and effective mediaopportunities are identified; opportunitiesto promote catchment managementinformation are supported.Catchment signage and effective mediaopportunities are resourced; communitybecomes more connected with drinkingwater catchments.The community is empowered to makepositive change to their activities incatchments and is supportive of HunterWater’s catchment initiatives.HORIZON 1 HORIZON 2 HORIZON 3►This price path 2010 - 2013 Next price path 2013 - 2017 Our vision for the future 2017 - beyond►►“Part 4: The action plan 2010-2013” explains in more detail how Hunter Water will move towards this vision.CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201039

3.8 Element 8: Plan foremergencies (fire)ObjectiveTo mitigate the risk ofuncontrolled bushfire causinginjury, damage or loss of supply.PrécisAll catchments are vulnerable tounexpected incidents ranging fromthose with remote possibilities (e.g. anaircraft crashing) to high (e.g. vandalism,which is endemic). Hunter Water has atried and tested Incident Response Planin place. An appendix to the ResponsePlan to specifically address Bushfireemergencies is recommended.3.8.1 The strength of HunterWater’s IncidentManagement PlanHunter Water currently has a robustand tested Incident Management Planas recommended by the Guidelines.The plan gives explicit directions and achain of command should an emergencyarise. There are frequent desk andmock incidents to assess the responseadequacy. It was tested during theNewcastle storms of June 2007 andproved to be a sound policy document.3.8.2 The need to addresswildfire riskOne common threat that is notspecifically addressed is the risk of fire.The profound effect of bushfire wasbrought to the fore in February 2009when Melbourne’s Black Saturdaybushfires caused huge human,environmental and financial costs forVictoria. In many articles producedafter the incident the importance ofpreparedness for such a disaster wasstressed.The importance of a BushfireManagement Plan (BMP) that stated awater authority’s guiding policy before,during and after fire is consideredindustry best practice. A 2009 WaterServices Association of Australiaconference concluded that three themesneed be addressed with regard bushfirerisk management:• Preparation – working withcatchment management authoritiesand fire agencies on preparationactivities such as contingencyplanning and critical assetprotection.• Incident management – maintainingan incident managementstructure that is well drilled on theimplementation of contingencyplans/ management of assets.• Recovery – working with catchmentmanagement authorities and fireagencies on prioritising recoveryworks that will minimise the impactson water quality and assets.Hunter Water will prepare a documentwith the above structure that aims tomitigate the risk of uncontrolled wildfire tolife and property by January 2011.3.8.3 Hunter Water’svision for bushfirepreparednessA complete BMP that considerscatchment stakeholders and other fireplans.The BMP is accepted and endorsed byall parties in the region, mock incidentsbeing run.The BMP is integrated into allother regional bushfire plans, otherstakeholders are engaged in modifyingits structure and it is methodicallytested.HORIZON 1 HORIZON 2 HORIZON 3►This price path 2010 - 2013 Next price path 2013 - 2017 Our vision for the future 2017 - beyond►►CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201040

Appendix A:Items to observe during inspection and surveillanceprogramsitems to observe points to note follow-up-actionAccess roads Condition Arrange remedial action if necessary.SignageInspect and ensure the performance of signagein relation to the effect on visitor behaviour.Identify damaged signs and replacement trends/detailsPost signage required to increaseeffectiveness (e.g., restrict access) andreplace as necessaryErosion Location and severity Arrange remedial action: short term reosioncontrol measures; long term- rehabilitationDeclared weeds Type, location and severity Arrange for eradicationFeral animal activity Type, location and severity Arrange for eradication programEvidence of illegal activities (e.g., entry torestricted areas, swimming, fishing)Location and severityArrange a specific surveilance patrol to targetillegal activityDumping rubbish/ chemicals Type, location and quantity Arrange removal, advise other agenciesNew land development including rate ofgrowthLivestock activityActivities by other agencies (e.g., ForestryDepartment , local shire or country council)Location, impact on water quality, compatabilitywith planning controlsLocation especially in relation to streams,reservoirs, well headsAssess impact, monitor compliance with agreedstandardsIf not compatable advise planning agency,appeal development approval, check forcompliance with any specail conditionsrequired as a condition of the approvalFencing and revegetation of streams andwaterways to prevent stock access andcreation of vegetated stream banksArrange remedial action where required andwhere applicable arrange approvals processfor future activitiesHazardous sites Location, type, assess hazard arrange protective meqasuresApproved recreational eventsPost wildfireAttend event and ensure compliance with eventapproval conditions, assess impactInspect the burnt area and fire trails used,upgraded and installed. Inspect and map firetrails installed/ upgraded. Where available obtainfire intensiaty maps from fire authority. Liaise/advise on the r3ehabilitation required from thefire.From Watershed Management for Drinking Water Protection, AWA, St LeonardsAssess impact and arrange remedial actionif requiredInvestigate potential for erosion problemsresulting from the fire and associatedactivities. Monitor turbidity in problem areas,sample for nutrients in first heavy rains afterthe fire to monitor nutrient release. Arrangerestoration/ rehabilitations as required. Installerosion control measures on fire trails suchas drains, booms, and sediment trapsCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201041

Appendix B:Chemical cleanout at Dungog, 2010CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201042

Appendix C:The Land newspaper advertisement – catchmentsCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201043

Appendix D:Posters of catchments for use at public eventsOur Catchments | North Stockton CatchmentOur Catchments | Tomago Sandbeds CatchmentCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201044

Appendix E:Graphic used to illustrate drinking water catchmentsCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201045

Appendix F:Article in customer newsletterCATCHMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN . ssS . 001 . JUNE201046