Catchment Management Plan - Hunter Water

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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
Page 2 and 3: Table of contentsMessage from the M
Page 4 and 5: Executive SummaryWater supply busin
Page 6 and 7: Part 1: Introduction1.1 DOCUMENT Pu
Page 8 and 9: “Preventive measures by their1.6
Page 10 and 11: Part 2: Our drinking water catchmen
Page 12 and 13: 2.3 A snapshot of Hunter Water’sc
Page 14 and 15: NBarrington TopsNational ParkChiche
Page 16 and 17: 2.6 Grahamstown DamCatchmentarea115
Page 18 and 19: 2.7 The Tomago SandbedsCatchmentare
Page 20 and 21: 2.8 The Tomaree (Nelson Bay) Sandbe
Page 22 and 23: 2.10 The Paterson andAllyn RiversCa
Page 24 and 25: 3.1 Element 1: Identify thetop haza
Page 27 and 28: 637 6000williams river2Sinclairs Hi
Page 29 and 30: Using this model it is possible to
Page 31 and 32: 3.2.4 Hunter Water’s visionfor le
Page 33: Freudenberg (1999) 9 recommendsthe
Page 37 and 38: 3.5.2 Hunter Water’s vision forca
Page 39 and 40: 3.7 Element 7: EngagE thecommunityO
Page 41 and 42: Appendix A:Items to observe during
Page 43 and 44: Appendix C:The Land newspaper adver
Page 45 and 46: Appendix E:Graphic used to illustra

Catchment Management Plan - Hunter Water

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