Water quality experts from WaterNSW will be in Dubbo on 14 and 15 November. They will continue their collaboration with the Dubbo Regional Council to explore ways to reduce risks to local source water quality.
WaterNSW Executive Manager of Strategy and Performance, Fiona Smith, said, “We’re delighted to have our team on the ground working alongside the Dubbo Regional Council to enhance the management of source water quality in the region as part of the New South Wales Government’s Town Water Risk Reduction Program (TWRRP).
“On day one, our experts will familiarise themselves with the council’s water treatment plants and source water catchments to better understand current operations, source water management practices and risk controls. On day two, council staff will visit Burrendong Dam for discussions with our operators about the dam’s impacts on the downstream river system. Staff will also inspect some of WaterNSW’s hydrometric sites through Wellington and Geurie, downstream of Burrendong Dam.”
Dubbo is also one of 13 local water utilities collecting water samples in partnership with WaterNSW to establish baseline water quality data, which will improve its knowledge and management of local drinking water supplies.
Collecting and reporting on local water quality samples is part of the TWRRP’s source water quality stream, an initiative of the New South Wales Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).
“One of the big lessons from the most recent drought is that the water sector must collaborate more closely to build expertise and provide better access to niche skills,” Ms Smith said.
“Some of those niche but critically important functions include catchment management and better ways to monitor and reduce risks at the source of water used in local town water supplies.
“WaterNSW is a national leader in the water sector, operating most of the large dams in New South Wales and protecting the health of the drinking water catchment that supplies more than five million people in Greater Sydney.
“This is why our experts are well-placed to help identify risks and fast-track improvements to local source water quality across the State under the TWRRP,” Ms Smith said.
Collaboration at the heart of TWRRP
The TWRRP brings the strengths of major entities in the water sector, like WaterNSW, to local councils, providing extra support to help improve water security, quality and reliability by enabling them to tap into the skills and knowledge that will best assist them.
DCCEEW Director of Local Water Utilities, Jane Shepherd, said,“Collaboration is at the heart of the Town Water Risk Reduction Program. We are working hand in hand with local water utilities to develop solutions to help local communities lock in a safer, more secure, and sustainable water supply.
“Tapping into the expertise of WaterNSW is an excellent example of how we do this. As managers of some of the biggest dams in the state, they understand the challenges of drought, flooding, and water quality better than anyone else.
“This is why we have brought them on board to provide extra support at the grassroots level to improve how we monitor water source quality and give local water utilities more time to adjust their treatment processes when conditions change.”
WaterNSW has received New South Wales Government funding under the TWRRP to work with LWUs on dam safety risk assessments and to help improve source water quality monitoring. Under the program, DCCEEW provides ongoing support and expertise, free of charge, to LWUs to enhance water treatment. This includes training for water operators and funding for LWUs to undertake plant upgrades.
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