The Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act, passed by Parliament on 16 May, aims to further strengthen the safety and reliability of Queensland's water supplies by establishing new regulatory frameworks for recycled water and drinking water.

Recycled water will help to meet the state’s water supply needs and the new regulations will ensure public health is protected and critical recycled water schemes can maintain continuity of operation.

The legislation:

• establishes new regulatory provisions for recycled water and drinking water
• incorporates, largely without change, Chapter 3 'Infrastructure and Service’ of the Water Act 2000.

As part of the new regulatory framework, Queensland Health has developed health-based water quality criteria for drinking water, purified recycled water and other uses of recycled water, based on national guidelines and recommendations from peak health bodies such as the World Health Organisation and National Health and Medical Research Council. 

The new legislation will be administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Water through the Office of the Water Supply Regulator from 1 July 2008.

New regulatory provisions for recycled water

The legislation applies to water from three particular sources including:

• sewage and treated sewage from a service provider’s infrastructure including from sewer mining (the process of extracting wastewater directly from a sewer)
• greywater from a greywater treatment plant capable of treating 50kL or more a day
• wastewater (excluding sewage and greywater) generated from industrial, commercial, manufacturing and animal husbandry activities prescribed under a regulation, but not from mining or petroleum activities.

Recycled water that is wastewater will only be regulated where it is produced and supplied to another entity for further use.

Key stakeholders will be consulted on draft regulatory guidelines that support the new recycled water legislation prior to the guidelines being finalised. Stakeholders such as local government, other service providers, and industry bodies will be consulted over the coming months.

The new framework will regulate any scheme producing purified recycled water, such as the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme, which will augment South East Queensland’s drinking water supply. The timing of the Bill will allow for the Department of Natural Resources and Water and Queensland Health to be satisfied that, before any purified recycled water is added to Wivenhoe Dam, it meets strict water quality and health standards.

New regulatory provisions for drinking water

The new framework will regulate Queensland’s town drinking water supplies to ensure they are safe. It applies to drinking water providers registered with NRW, particularly those water services providers involved in the treatment, transmission or reticulation of water for drinking purposes.

Drinking water is water intended primarily for human consumption, whether or not it is used for other purposes such as bathing and showering.

The new legislation will ensure minimum drinking water standards are achieved.

Consultation on regulatory guidelines for drinking water will take place in the second half of 2008.

Office of the Water Supply Regulator

The Office of the Water Supply Regulator will ensure service providers meet the new regulatory provisions to further strengthen the safety and reliability of Queensland’s town water supplies and protect public health.

The Office of the Water Supply Regulator, which replaces the existing Water Industry Regulation unit, will also continue to manage dam safety, water supply asset management and water and sewerage service providers.

Further information

• Fact sheet—Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Bill (PDF, 158 KB).
• Fact sheet—recycled water regulatory framework (PDF, 155 KB).
• Fact sheet—drinking water regulatory framework (PDF, 155 KB).
• Find out more about the current Queensland Water Recycling Guidelines.
• Find out more about purified recycled water on the Queensland Water Commission website.
• Find out more about water quality standards on the Queensland Health Website. 
• Find out more about greywater use on the Department of Infrastructure and Planning website.