Eurobodalla Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy · Integrated water cycle management (IWCM) is an innovative way of managing the urban water services for local water utilities

Eurobodalla Integrated Water Cycle

Management Strategy

Eurobodalla Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy

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Foreword

This Integrated Water Cycle Management (IWCM) strategy, the State’s first pilot project,has been prepared by NSW Department of Public Works and Services (DPWS) using theIWCM process developed by NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation, TownWater Treatment and Recycling Unit. This study has demonstrated that the IWCM processdelivers significant environmental, social and economic benefits compared to the traditionalapproach.

DPWS acknowledges the significant contribution made by the DLWC project team inparticular Peter Schneider, Peter Ledwos, Adrian Langdon, Russell Beatty, Annette Davisonand Emma Pryor.

DPWS also acknowledges the significant contribution made by the Eurobodalla ShireCouncil project team led by Angus McLean and Mark Hankinson.

The core DPWS project team involved in the preparation of the Eurobodalla IWCM Strategyincluded:

! Roshan Iyadurai

! Annalisa Contos

! Ross Bailey (Project Manager)

The DPWS core project team was supported by the following DPWS staff:

! Garth Dickinson

! Vu Dao

! Lara Hess

! Col Nalty

! Jenny Reid (Publications)

! John Anderson (Reviewer)


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Executive Summary

Water is a precious natural resource essential for the maintenance of ecosystems and all humanactivities. The degradation of our rivers, groundwaters and estuaries provides clear evidence thatNSW water resources are under stress. New water legislation has been introduced to protect waterfor present and future generations. Integrated water cycle management is an innovative way ofmanaging urban water for local water utilities, which incorporates all components of urban waterservices. The aim is to achieve optimum water use to reduce the human impacts on waterresources.

Introduction

Integrated water cycle management (IWCM) is an innovative way of managing the urbanwater services for local water utilities. IWCM aims to combine all aspects of watermanagement and treat the system as an interacting whole, whereas traditional watermanagement looks at each component of the urban water system (water supply, sewerage,stormwater) in isolation. With IWCM, water use is optimised while minimising impacts to theenvironment and other water users.

IWCM is based on three simple questions:

! What is the problem? relates to water cycle management impacts (or perceivedimpacts) as well as water management problems. To answer this questionnecessitates an understanding of the catchment in order to set a benchmark on theresource needs and availability.

! How do we fix the problem? looks at addressing water management problemsand requires an understanding of State Government water reform policies, whichdescribe key water management issues and the appropriate managementresponses to them. Since there is more than one management option, a balancedoutcome planning examining the triple bottom line (TBL) of social, environmentaland financial bottom line is used to select the best overall option.

! The last question, How do we know the problem is fixed? is the process bywhich we confirm that all impacts are managed to the desired level, and water useis optimised using social, economic and environmental objectives.

The structure of this report is based on answering these three fundamental questions. PartA and Part B of the report deal with the first of these questions by identifying the issuesaffecting Eurobodalla’s water services. Parts C and D then look at how the issues identifiedin the first parts of the report can be managed. Finally, Part E looks at identifying measuresto ensure that the problems are fixed.


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What are the Issues?

The NSW water reforms aim to achieve a better balance between water use and environmentalprotection through setting environmental objectives for all NSW rivers which will cover river flow andwater quality objectives.

Water-sharing plans are being developed to protect our rivers, which become particularly vulnerableduring low flow periods.

Eurobodalla Shire Council’s (ESC) water supply, sewerage and stormwater infrastructurerequires upgrading to meet population growth and legislative standards. Developing anIWCM strategy is a structured process designed to evaluate integrated water managementopportunities within individual towns and the Shire as a whole. Thus the IWCM strategydeveloped in this report details the Eurobodalla community and Council’s vision to manageurban water services within the local catchment context.

The broad IWCM strategy objectives are to achieve more efficient water use, to reduceenvironmental impacts from water diversions, urban drainage and treated wastewaterdischarges, and to reduce long term costs of water services for Eurobodalla Shire residentsand businesses. Some of the specific issues impacting upon Eurobodalla’s water servicesare listed below.

! Water Reforms

! Pricing Reforms

! Legislative Compliance Responsibilities

! Catchment Management Issues

! Urban Planning Issues - the Shire’s population is projected to grow from 33 100 in2001 to about 47 500 in 2031

! Urban Water Management Issues:

− Urban Water Use

Analysis indicates that the Shire’s annual urban water needs will increasefrom the current rate of 5 300 ML/a to 7 000 ML/a in the next three decadesif current water use practices and trends continue.

− Urban Water Discharges

In the next three decades the wastewater flows are expected to increase by30% from 4 500 ML/a to 5 850 ML/a. On-site systems account for around15% of wastewater produced in urban areas of Eurobodalla. Approximately85% (3 820 ML/a) receives secondary treatment at one of the Council’s fiveSTPs.


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How Do We Fix the Issues

! The need for new infrastructure can be reduced or delayed by using a variety of IWCMtools.

! Important components of the Shire wide scenarios are expanded demand managementprograms, introduction of rainwater tanks and better management or enhancement of on-site wastewater systems.

! Regional water supply infrastructure requirements include additional delivery capacity,water filtration and additional future water storage.

! Improvements can be made to the reticulated sewerage schemes and the management ofon-site systems to reduce the impacts on environmental water quality.

! Water efficiency can be further improved through the development of a number of newwater reuse schemes.

! The new infrastructure options can be combined with IWCM measures to produceintegrated Shire-wide scenarios to optimise social, environmental and financial outcomes.

Regional Water Supply Management Strategy

Opportunities for Managing Regional Water Demand

Eurobodalla has made significant gains in water conservation and demand reductionthrough the ‘user pays’ pricing policy and community awareness programs. Achieving moresustainable water use involves a multi-faceted approach. There are a variety of IWCM toolsavailable to reduce water demands and achieve more sustainable outcomes at the regionallevel. Fact sheets of IWCM tools can be found in Section 4 of the report. How these can beapplied for Eurobodalla is found in Section 8.1. The triple bottom line (TBL) assessmentcarried out on all the demand side opportunities, has bundled planning controls,unaccounted for water assessment and loss reduction program, water pricing, waterconservation education program targeting outdoor watering use and non-residential wateruse and an active showerhead retrofit program as the main elements of a comprehensivedemand management program.

Opportunities for Developing the Local Supply Sources

Three rainwater tank opportunities were identified as local supply sources.

1. Rainwater tanks in all new developments

2. Rainwater tanks in all new developments and 20% of existing developments

3. Rainwater tanks in all new developments and 40% of existing developments.

According to the TBL assessment, options 2 and 3 ranked as equally suitable options interms of environmental, social and financial criteria. Whilst the option of mandatingrainwater tanks in all new developments and retrofitting 40% of existing developmentsachieves the best environmental outcomes, it is the most expensive option in terms ofcommunity costs. Water savings through mandating rainwater tanks in all newdevelopments plus retrofitting 20% of existing houses has been included in the integratedregional supply options. Other potential local supply source opportunities includestormwater reuse and residential greywater reuse.


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Opportunities for Developing Regional Supply Sources

The existing supply infrastructure, limited only by the current extraction license, is adequateto meet demands for the next 50 years or more. However, the system operates belowdesign optimum due to operational constraints, the main one being the limitation onpumping water during turbid river conditions. In addition, Council has elected not to pumpduring periods of low flow due to environmental concerns for the health of the river. Thishas required Council to enforce water restrictions at a greater frequency than the systemdesign. Immediate, short- and long term measures have been identified to improve thesystem reliability.

Immediate Infrastructure Measures

! Relocation of the Malua Bay booster pumps to Mossy Point

! Upgrading of power supply to Moruya River pumps

! Installation of pumps or variable speed drives to overcome the flow mismatchbetween the low and high level pumps at Tuross River intake

! Improved telemetry and control elements on reservoirs and valves

! Provision of rechlorination facilities at strategic locations

Short term measures. These include the ability to harvest higher river flows, the ability totransfer and store water quickly in Deep Creek Dam, and measures to reduce demands.The works would include:

! A dedicated pipeline between Moruya River intake and Deep Creek Dam

! Filtration of the water supplied to the consumers

Long term measures. The main long term measure includes the provision of additionalwater storage to maintain supplies during drought periods. The drought storage could beprovided by enlarging the existing Deep Creek Dam, by providing a new off-river storage inthe central or southern area of the Shire or through desalination.

Supply Opportunities

Four regional supply opportunities have been examined. Each incorporates the immediateand short term measures but consider different long term options. The secure yield of thesystem is based on protection of low river flows. In the short term an initial environmentalflow regime (95/30 flow rule) with a more conservative environmental flow (80/30 flow rule)being introduced in 2020. An explanation of the environmental flow regimes is located inSection 6.1.1.

Opportunity 1. - Enlarge Deep Creek Dam. The present value per ML of yield is $7.70 -$9.50.

Opportunity 2. - New Southern off-river storage filled from high flows in the Tuross River.The present value per ML of yield is $8.70.

Opportunity 3. - Central off-river storage built on Barretts Creek and supplied by high flowsin the Moruya River. Water extraction from the Tuross River would cease. The presentvalue per ML of yield is $12.60.

Opportunity 4. Desalination of seawater. The present value per ML of yield is $8.10.

A triple bottom line (TBL) assessment indicates that opportunity 2, a new Southern dam,presents the best future supply for Eurobodalla. The dam would be built when required(subject to future reviews and population growth). This is the preferred supply opportunity


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as it reduces the risk to supply of algal blooms as well as reducing the risk of loss of supplyin the South of the shire due to pipeline breaks (see section 8.3).

Opportunities for Reclaimed Water

Eurobodalla Shire Council reclaims the sewage effluent to achieve environmental andsocial benefits where it is economically viable and socially acceptable. Currently about 5%of the Shire’s effluent is reused at Batemans Bay and Moruya Golf Courses. An additional5% of this is used in the sporting fields at Moruya Reclaimed water is also proposed to bemade available for agricultural and industrial reuse in conjunction with sewering the NorthMoruya Industrial Estate. The IWCM strategy has identified a number of additionalreclaimed water opportunities within the Shire, and these are presented in Section 8.3. Thegenerally high rainfall and seasonal nature of the NSW south coast climate limits reuseopportunities to mainly the dry season in late spring and early summer. Thus, practicalreuse strategies should aim to reuse a high percentage of dry weather flows. If allopportunities listed below were to be implemented, it would result in excess of 60%beneficial reuse of dry weather flows in the Shire. The proposed opportunities include:

! A possible residential reuse system for the Rosedale development. The systemwould feature a water reclamation plant at Tomakin and a reticulation systemspecifically constructed for the delivery of reclaimed water for garden irrigation,toilet flushing and potentially for washing machines use.

! Supplying the dairy farm area around Moruya River with reclaimed water producedfrom the STPs located north of Moruya (referred to as the Northern scheme).

! Supplying the agricultural area near Bodalla with reclaimed water from both theBingie and Narooma STP’s (referred to as Southern Scheme).

! Local reuse for irrigation for example on golf courses and parks.

! There is potential to use reclaimed water from the northern reuse scheme to meetenvironmental flow needs in the Moruya River. The reclaimed water used forenvironmental flow substitution would be treated to a high standard to beacceptable for this purpose. This would allow Council to extract additional waterduring low flow periods to supply to the community. The viability and sustainabilityof this opportunity needs further investigation.

! Recharging the groundwater aquifer around Broulee and South Durras forsubsequent removal by residents for external and toilet use. The viability andsustainability of this opportunity needs further investigation.

Integrated Options

Traditionally, water utilities have focused on developing greater supply sources to meet thegrowing water needs and community expectations. With the emphasis on maintainingreliable water supplies, little consideration has been given to the environment. Havingidentified the various water resource opportunities, the next step involves bundling theopportunities to form integrated options. The selected regional water supply option,opportunity 2, was bundled together with the various reuse and recycling options to formintegrated options. These are discussed in Section 8.5. These integrated scenarios formthe basis of the Shire-wide scenarios (Section 10).

Local Water Strategies

IWCM options have been proposed for 15 towns and villages in the Eurobodalla Shire toaddress the local landscape, water services and community issues. A summary of therecommended integrated options for each town is given in the following table.


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Town Integrated Option

South Durras Harvested roof water supplemented with reticulated water from a localsupply source and enhanced management of existing on-site facilities

NelligenHarvested roof water supplemented with reticulated water from the regionalscheme and the provision of reticulated sewerage system with transfer tothe Batemans Bay system and greywater reuse

Batemans BayTransfer of southern catchment sewage to Tomakin STP, upgradeBatemans Bay STP and transport system, stormwater quantity and qualitycontrol in high and low priority catchments and open space reuse

Rosedale and Guerilla BayProvision of reticulated sewerage system with sewage transferred toTomakin system with greywater reuse of suitable systems and rainwaterharvesting utilising disinfected tanks

Tomakin and Surrounds

Improved management of the existing sewerage system, optimisation of thetreatment plant to handle increased loads in the future from both the localarea and Southern Batemans Bay, disinfection of the effluent andstormwater quantity and quality control in high and low priority catchments.

Moruya and Moruya HeadsImproved management of the existing sewerage system, reuse of effluenton open spaces and in the proposed industrial development and stormwaterquantity and quality control in high and low priority catchments.

Congo Improved management of existing water supply and enhanced managementof existing on-site facilities.

Tuross Heads Improved management of the existing sewerage system, disinfection of theeffluent and effluent reuse on golf course.

BodallaProvision of reticulated sewerage system with sewage treatment using apackage treatment plant. Greywater reuse by suitable systems andrainwater harvesting utilising disinfected septic tanks

Potato Point Provision of reticulated sewerage system, transfer to Bodalla system withgreywater reuse and rainwater harvesting

Dalmeny, Kianga and Narooma

Improved management of the existing sewerage system, optimisation of thetreatment plant to handle increased loads in the future, disinfection of theeffluent, reuse of effluent on open spaces and stormwater quantity andquality control in high and low priority catchments.

Mystery Bay Enhanced management of existing on-site facilities

Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba Centralised management of effluent from on-site facilities with agriculturalreuse

Akolele To be sewered in conjunction with Wallaga Lake Heights

The TBL assessments show that with the increased use of IWCM solutions, additionalbenefits accumulate, resulting in lower overall costs, and improved social andenvironmental outcomes.

Shire-wide Water Cycle Management Scenarios

The following Shire-wide scenarios have been based on the regional integrated options,and have taken into account the individual local water strategies. They arerecommendations and may be modified to reflect the priorities and preferences of individualcommunities.


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Shire-Wide Scenarios

Scenario Description

Waterwise education

Provision of reticulated water for high priority villages

Provision of reticulated water for low priority villages

Agricultural reuse

Southern dam capacity 5 600 ML

Transfer Batemans Bay southern catchment sewerage to Tomakin STP and enhanceexisting Tomakin STP capacity, upgrade Batemans Bay transport systems and STP

Enhance the existing Narooma STP capacity when load meets capacity

Improved management of urban stormwater in high priority catchments

Traditional Solution

NPV $198.5 M

Provision of reticulated sewerage for high and low priority villages

Comprehensive demand management




Integrated Scenario 1

NPV $90.2 M

Enhanced management of on-site systems

Comprehensive demand management and water sensitive urban design

10 kL rainwater tanks for all new developments and in 20% of existing houses

Southern dam capacity 900 ML



Provision of reticulated sewerage for high priority villages


NPV $103.9 M



10 kL rainwater tanks for all new developments and 20% of existing houses

Provision of reticulated water supply to high priority villages

Southern dam capacity 930 ML



Reticulated sewerage for high priority villages


NPV $105.5 M




Provision of reticulated water supply to high and low priority villages





NPV $108.2 M



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Scenario Description




Reclaimed water reuse for agriculture


Transfer Batemans Bay southern catchment sewerage to Tomakin STP andenhance existing Tomakin STP capacity, upgrade Batemans Bay transportsystems and STP




NPV $126.2 M






Reclaimed water reuse for aquifer recharge for subsequent non-potable water use

Reclaimed water reuse for non-potable water use in new developments (dualreticulation)

Southern dam capacity 840ML





NPV $126.7 M

Provision of reticulated sewage for high and low priority villages


10kL rainwater tank for all new developments and 20% of existing houses



Reclaimed water reuse for aquifer recharge for subsequent non-potable water use

Reclaimed water for non-potable water use in new developments (dualreticulation)

Reclaimed water reuse for environmental flow substitution



Improved management of urban stormwater in high and low priority catchments

Provision of reticulated sewage for high and low priority villages


NPV $123.7 M

Southern dam needed between 2035 and 2040

The TBL assessment table below provides the comparative environmental, social andeconomic perspective of each water cycle management scenario.


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Integrated Scenarios0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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ENVIRONMENTALEnsure the efficient use of the fresh waterresource 0 1 2 2 2 3 3 3

Minimises water extractions and protectslow flows 0 1 2 2 2 3 3 3

Minimises green house gas emissions 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 1

Minimises pollutants being discharged to theaquatic environment 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 3

Minimises urban stormwater volumes 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 3

Ensure sustainable practices 0 1 2 2 2 3 3 3

Environmental Sum 4 7 11 10 11 14 14 16Environmental Rank 8 7 4 6 4 2 2 1SOCIALImproves security of town water supply 0 1 2 2 2 3 3 3

Improves the quality of drinking water 0 0 0 2 3 3 3 3

Improves urban water service levels 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 3

Increase public awareness of urban waterissues 1 2 3 3 3 3 3 3

Minimises non-compliance to legislation 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Protects public health 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3

Social Sum 7 9 12 15 17 18 18 18Social Rank 8 7 6 5 4 1 1 1ECONOMIC

Water Supply 110.3 64.2 73.1 74.7 76.8 76.8 77.3 71.2

Sewerage 79.7 26.1 30.7 30.7 31.4 40.8 40.8 40.8NPV @ 7% in $m

Stormwater 8.5 0 0 0 0 8.5 8.5 11.7

Sub-total 198.5 90.3 103.8 105.4 108.2 126.1 126.6 123.

7

Water Supply 0 -124 -144 -137 -128 -128 -122 -149

Sewerage 0 -192 -186 -186 -181 -145 -145 -145Change in the typicalresidential rate bill fromthe traditional scenario Stormwater 0

Financial Rank 8 1 2 3 4 6 7 5

TBL Sum 24 15 12 14 12 9 10 7TBL Rank 8 7 4 6 4 2 3 1

Water Supply 0 46.1 37.2 35.6 33.5 33.5 32.9 39.1

Sewerage 0 53.6 49.0 49.0 48.3 38.9 38.9 38.9Savings fromTraditional Case(NPV @ 7%) Stormwater 0 - - - - 0 0 +3.2


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How Do We Know the Issues Are Fixed?

Eurobodalla’s integrated water cycle management strategy offers significant environmental, socialand economic benefits.

The overall result of the IWCM process for Eurobodalla is better environmental and socialoutcomes at a lower cost. The outcomes of the strategy provide a baseline against whichto benchmark future reviews and ESC's journey towards achieving sustainable integratedwater cycle management. The identified outcomes include:

Environmental Outcomes

! A reduction in the amount of water drawn for urban supply from the Shire’s riversthrough demand management measures and use of rainwater tanks.

! Better protection of low flows and preservation of natural flow patterns leading toimproved environmental water quality and improved aquatic habitat conditions.

! A reduction in future water storage requirements needed to provide the higher levelof low-flow protection.

! Reduced pollution of the waterways and coastal lakes through improvedwastewater and stormwater management, source control, sewage pump stationand treatment plant upgrades.

! Reduced effluent discharges to waterways through the reductions in urban wateruse, stormwater inflow and groundwater infiltration, and the development of waterreuse systems, leading to improved recreational water quality.

! Improved management of existing on-site wastewater systems in the villagesresulting in lower environmental public health risk and improved sustainability oflocal aquifers.

! Reduces greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption.

! Streamlined subsequent environmental impact assessments, reducing study timesand costs.

Social Outcomes

! Improved drought security and reliability of supply through increased deliverycapacity and faster refilling of the Deep Creek storage.

! Improved water quality and public health protection for regional water supplyconsumers through the construction of water filtration plants.

! Existing deficiencies in the levels of service to consumers are addressed.

! In one integrated option there is an opportunity for further savings by deferring theneed for a Southern dam beyond the adopted 30 year planning horizon by usingreclaimed water to meet environmental flow needs.

! Provision of backyard supply sources (rainwater tanks) provide customers withsupply source choice and an appreciation of their water use pattern resulting inlower water use in the long term.

! The comprehensive demand management program in addition to delivering savingsin water bills will also result in electricity savings.


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! Integrated solutions that closely match community wants and expectations.

Economic Outcomes

The savings have been achieved due to the application of the IWCM process that enabledscheme components to be ‘right’ sized and optimised. From the table it could be seen thatthe greater the integration of the water sources the greater the economic saving with higherenvironmental and social outcomes

The recommended scenario, Scenario 5, is 36% cheaper in terms of present value than thetradition solution (Section 10). It results in a saving of $273 in a typical rate bill comparedwith the traditional option Moreover the integrated scenarios deliver significantly moreenvironmental, social and resource sustainability benefits.

To realise and sustain these outcomes Council requires both physical assets and non-structural solutions. The non-structural solutions include:

! Coordinated data and asset management systems

! Common water fund and appropriate pricing policies

! Environmental, OH&S and public health monitoring programs and systems

Although this strategy has been developed for a planning period of 30 years, the strategyreview cycle should be every 5 years and not greater than 10 years.


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Table Of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION 11.1 Overview 1

1.1.1 The Integrated Water Cycle Management Process 11.1.2 Balanced Outcomes Planning 11.1.3 Principles of Integrated Water Cycle Management 21.1.4 Objectives of Integrated Water Cycle Management

Strategy 21.2 The Water Cycle 3

1.2.1 The Natural Water Cycle 31.2.2 The Human Water Cycle 41.2.3 Integrated Water Cycle Management 5

1.3 Background to Eurobodalla Shire’s Integrated Water CycleManagement Strategy 5

1.4 Eurobodalla Shire’s Progress So Far 61.5 Where To From Here? 6

PART A WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE? 7

2 STRATEGIC BUSINESS OBJECTIVES 92.1 Overview 92.2 The Business Objectives 10

3 COMMUNITY WANTS, NEEDS AND FEEDBACK 133.1 Community Wants and Needs Identification 13

3.1.1 Environmental Values in Relation to Urban Waters 133.1.2 Urban Development 133.1.3 Issues for Future Development of Urban Water

Services 133.1.4 Options to be Considered in the IWCM Strategy 133.1.5 Community Preferences 14

3.2 Community Feedback 14

4 INTEGRATED WATER CYCLE MANAGEMENT TOOLS 154.1 Overview 15

5 INTEGRATED WATER CYCLE MANAGEMENT OPTIONSASSESSMENT CRITERIA 27

5.1 Overview 275.2 The Assessment Criteria 27

PART B WHAT ARE THE ISSUES? 29

6 WHAT ARE EUROBODALLA’S ISSUES? 316.1 Government Initiated Reform Compliance Issues 31

6.1.1 Water Reforms and the Water Management Act2000 31

6.1.2 Pricing Reforms 336.1.3 Legislative Compliance issues 34

6.2 Catchment Issues 366.2.1 Environmental Issues 366.2.2 Water Quality Issues 37

6.3 Urban Planning Issues 376.3.1 Population Distribution 376.3.2 Shire-wide Population Growth 38


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6.3.3 Population Served With Council Water Services 406.3.4 Shire-wide Housing 406.3.5 Residential Growth 426.3.6 Data Accuracy 436.3.7 Tourist Impacts 43

6.4 Urban Water Management Issues 436.4.1 Urban Water Use and Discharge – Past and

Present 446.4.2 Urban Water Use and Discharge – Future

Predictions 476.5 Infrastructure Performance Issues 51

6.5.1 The Regional Water Supply 516.5.2 Sewage Treatment Issues 576.5.3 Stormwater Issues 58

PART C HOW DO WE FIX THE ISSUES 59

7 PART C INTRODUCTION 61

8 REGIONAL WATER CYCLE MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES 638.1 Opportunities for Managing the Regional Water Demands 63

8.1.1 Status of Current Measures 638.1.2 Introduction 638.1.3 Planning Controls 648.1.4 Water Conservation Education 658.1.5 Residential Water Efficiency Program 688.1.6 Non-residential Water Efficiency Program 698.1.7 Unaccounted for Water Assessment and Loss

Reduction 708.1.8 Water Pricing Opportunity 728.1.9 Water Waste Ordinance Opportunity 738.1.10 Comprehensive demand management program 77

8.2 Opportunities for Developing the Local Supply Sources 788.2.1 Roof Water Harvesting 788.2.2 Stormwater Harvesting 828.2.3 Residential Greywater Reuse 828.2.4 Benefits of Utilising Local Water Sources 83

8.3 Opportunities for Developing the Regional Supply Sources 838.3.1 General Overview 838.3.2 Immediate Measures 848.3.3 Short term Measures 848.3.4 Long term Regional Supply Opportunities 85

8.4 Opportunities for Reclaimed Water Use 908.4.1 Project Initiatives 918.4.2 Reclaimed Water Volumes 918.4.3 Reclaimed Water Use 91

8.5 Regional Integrated Water Cycle Management Options 988.5.1 Overview 988.5.2 Description of the Regional Water Supply

Integrated Options 99

9 LOCAL WATER MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES 1059.1 Introduction 1059.2 South Durras 106

9.2.1 Background 1069.2.2 What Are the Issues? 1079.2.3 How Do We Fix the Problems? 1089.2.4 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios 114

9.3 Nelligen 1179.3.1 Background 1179.3.2 What are the Issues 118


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9.3.3 How Do We Fix the Problems 1199.3.4 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios 124

9.4 Batemans Bay and Surrounds 1279.4.1 Background 1279.4.2 What Are the Issues? 1299.4.3 How Do We Fix These Issues? 1329.4.4 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios 137

9.5 Mogo 1409.5.1 Background 1409.5.2 What Are the Issues? 1419.5.3 How Do We Fix the Problems? 141

9.6 Rosedale and Guerilla Bay 1429.6.1 Background 1429.6.2 What Are The Issues 1439.6.3 How Do We Fix The Problems 1449.6.4 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios for

Rosedale and Guerilla Bay 1499.6.5 Triple Bottom Line Assessment for Rosedale and

Guerilla Bay 1509.7 Tomakin and Surrounds 151

9.7.1 Background 1519.7.2 What Are the Issues? 1539.7.3 How Do We Fix these Issues? 1559.7.4 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios 157

9.8 Moruya and Moruya Heads 1599.8.1 Background 1599.8.2 What Are the Issues? 1609.8.3 How Do We Fix These Issues? 161

9.9 Congo 1659.9.1 Background 1659.9.2 What Are the Issues? 1669.9.3 How Do We Fix the Problems? 166

9.10 Bodalla 1719.10.1 Background 1719.10.2 What Are the Issues 1729.10.3 How Do We Fix the Problems? 1739.10.4 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios 1759.10.5 Triple Bottom Line Assessment 176

9.11 Potato Point 1789.11.1 Background 1789.11.2 What Are the Issues? 1799.11.3 How Do We Fix the Problems 1799.11.4 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios 183

9.12 Dalmeny Kianga and Narooma 1869.12.1 Background 1869.12.2 What Are the Issues? 1879.12.3 How Do We Fix these Issues? 1889.12.4 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios 191

9.13 Mystery Bay 1939.13.1 Background 1939.13.2 What Are the Issues? 1949.13.3 How Do We Fix The Problems? 1949.13.4 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios 198

9.14 Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba 2019.14.1 Background 2019.14.2 What are the Issues? 2029.14.3 How Do We Fix the Problems? 2029.14.4 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios 204

9.15 Akolele 2079.15.1 Background 2079.15.2 What Are the Issues? 208


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9.15.3 How Do We Fix the Problems? 208

10 SHIRE WIDE INTEGRATED WATER CYCLE MANAGEMENTSCENARIOS 209

10.1 Overview 20910.2 Scenario Building 210

10.2.1 Description of the Shire wide Water CycleManagement Scenarios 212

10.3 Assessment of Integrated Water Cycle ManagementScenarios 219

PART D HOW TO DELIVER THE SCENARIOS 223

11 TIMEFRAME FOR SCENARIO IMPLEMENTATION 225

12 MANAGEMENT AND PROCUREMENT METHODS 23512.1 Management Methods 23512.2 Procurement Methods 236

PART E HOW DO WE KNOW THE ISSUES ARE FIXED? 237

13 OVERVIEW 23913.1 Study Outcomes 239

13.1.1 Economic Outcomes 23913.1.2 Environmental Outcomes 24013.1.3 Social Outcomes 241

13.2 How to Realise and Sustain the Outcomes 24113.3 Strategy Review Cycle 242

14 BIBLIOGRAPHY 243


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APPENDICIESA Strategic Business Objectives

B Community Workshop Outcomes

C Coarse Screening

D Acceptable Water Quality and Treatment Requirements for End Uses

E Developing Growth Rates and Demand at a Water Reservoir Level

F Details of Existing Regional Water Supply Infrastructure

G Yield Analysis (Separate Volumes x 3)

H Water Treatment Processes

I Distribution Requirement Assessment

J Moruya River to Deep Creek Dam Pipeline Size and Rough SelectionAssessment

K Dam Site Selection and Engineering Assessment (Separate Volume)

L Regional Water Supply Opportunities: Summary of Costs

M Desalination

N1 Regional Reuse Scheme Cost Estimate

N2 Fact Sheet on Hydroponic Enterprises

O Regional Water Supply Integrated Options: Costs and Present ValueEstimates

P Description of Village Sewerage Management Systems

Q Cost Estimate and NPV for Batemans Bay Sewerage TreatmentOpportunities

R Eurobodalla Shire Sewerage Costs for Existing Town Systems

S Cost Estimates for Villages Water Supply and Sewerage

T Cost Estimates for Shire Wide Scenarios

U IWCM Financial Plans

V Current Education Initiatives

W Urban Stormwater Issues, Management and Opportunities(Separate Volume)

X Small Town Risk Assessment

Y The Impact of Connecting Residents to Trunk Mains

Z Rainwater Tanks


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TABLES

Table 3-1 Community Expectations 14

Table 5-1 IWCM Assessment Criteria 28

Table 6-1 Population Projection 39

Table 6-2 Internal and External Water Use by Dwelling Type 45

Table 8-1 Annual Unaccounted-for Water Figures From 1995 to 2001 71

Table 8-2 Triple Bottom Line Assessment for Regional Water DemandOpportunities 75

Table 8-3 Percentage of Total Regional Demand That Can Be SuppliedThrough Rainwater Tanks (With No Other Demand Measures) 79

Table 8-4 Proposed Rebates For Rainwater Tank Installation 79

Table 8-5 Single Household Cost to Rainwater Tank With Council Rebate 80

Table 8-6 Total Yearly Community Costs for Rainwater Tanks Installation(including rebate) 80

Table 8-7 Triple Bottom Line Assessment for the Regional Rainwater TanksOpportunities 81

Table 8-8 Scheme Estimates of Long Term Regional Supply Opportunities 85

Table 8-9 Social and Environmental Aspects – Long term Supply Opportunities 87

Table 8-10 Triple Bottom Line Assessment of Regional Water SupplyOpportunities 88

Table 8-11 Comparative Costs for Stand Alone Supply Demand Sensitivities 90

Table 8-12 Reclaimed Water Volume Projections 91

Table 8-13 Costs for the Regional Reclaimed Water Scheme 98

Table 8-14 Regional Water Supply Integrated Options 99

Table 8-15 TBL Assessment for the Regional Water Supply Options 104

Table 9-1 Integrated Water Cycle Management Opportunities for South Durras 110

Table 9-2 Social and Environmental Aspects of the Medium to Long TermOpportunities for South Durras 113

Table 9-3 Integrated Scenarios for South Durras 115

Table 9-4 Triple Bottom Line Reporting for South Durras 116

Table 9-5 Integrated Water Cycle Management Opportunities for Nelligen 120

Table 9-6 Social and Environmental Aspects of the Medium to Long TermOpportunities for Nelligen 123

Table 9-7 Integrated Scenarios for Nelligen 125

Table 9-8 Triple Bottom Line Assessment for Nelligen 126

Table 9-9 Current and Future Peak Day Demands for Batemans Bay 131

Table 9-10 Medium to Long term Water Cycle Management Opportunities forBatemans Bay 134

Table 9-11 Social, Financial and Environmental Aspects of the SewageManagement Options for Batemans Bay 136

Table 9-12 Triple Bottom Line Assessment of the Sewage Management of theWater Cycle in Batemans Bay 137

Table 9-13 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios for Batemans Bay 138


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Table 9-14 Triple Bottom Line Reporting for Batemans Bay 139

Table 9-15 Integrated Water Cycle Management Opportunities for Rosedaleand Guerilla Bay 145

Table 9-16 Social and Environmental Aspects of the Medium to Long termOpportunities for Rosedale and Guerilla Bay 147

Table 9-17Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios for Rosedale andGuerilla Bay 149

Table 9-18 Triple Bottom Line Assessment for Rosedale and Guerilla Bay 150

Table 9-19 Current and Future Average and Peak Day Demands for Tomakin 152

Table 9-20 Costing of Management Opportunities in Tomakin and Surrounds 156

Table 9-21 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios for Tomakin andSurrounds 157

Table 9-22 Triple Bottom Reporting for Tomakin and Surrounds 158

Table 9-23 Costing of Management Opportunities for Moruya and MoruyaHeads 162

Table 9-24 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios for Moruya andMoruya Heads 163

Table 9-25 Triple Bottom Line Reporting for Moruya and Moruya Heads 164

Table 9-26 Costs of Opportunities for Congo 168

Table 9-27 Integrated Water Cycle Management Opportunities for Bodalla 174

Table 9-28 Social and Environmental Aspects of the Medium to Long TermOpportunities for Bodalla 175

Table 9-29 – Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategies for Bodalla 176

Table 9-30 Triple Bottom Line Assessment for Bodalla 177

Table 9-31 Integrated Water Cycle Management Opportunities for Potato Point 180

Table 9-32 Social and Environmental Aspects of the Medium to Long TermOpportunities for Potato Point 183

Table 9-33 Integrated Scenarios for Potato Point 184

Table 9-34 Triple Bottom Line Assessment of Scenarios for Potato Point 185

Table 9-35 Medium to Long Term Water Cycle Management Opportunities forDalmeny, Kianga and Narooma 189

Table 9-36 Social and Environmental Aspects of the Medium to Long TermOpportunities for Dalmeny, Kianga and Narooma 190

Table 9-37 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios for Dalmeny,Kianga and Narooma 191

Table 9-38 Triple Bottom Line Assessment of Scenarios for Dalmeny, Kiangaand Narooma 192

Table 9-39 Cost Estimates of Medium to Long Term Water CycleManagement Opportunities for Mystery Bay 195

Table 9-40 Social and Environmental Aspects of The Medium to Long TermOpportunities for Mystery Bay 197

Table 9-41 Integrated Scenarios for Mystery Bay 198

Table 9-42 Triple Bottom Line Assessment of Mystery Bay 199

Table 9-43 Integrated Water Cycle Management Options for Central Tilba andTilba Tilba 203


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Table 9-44 Social and Environmental Aspects of The Medium to Long TermOpportunities for Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba 204

Table 9-45 Integrated Scenarios for Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba. 205

Table 9-46 Triple Bottom Line Assessment of Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba 206

Table 10-1 Shire Wide Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios 211

Table 10-2 TBL Assessment for Shire Wide Scenarios 220


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FIGURES

Figure 1-1 The Natural Water Cycle 3

Figure 1-2 The Modified Water Cycle 4

Figure 1-3 The Integrated Water Cycle 5

Figure 6-1 Demographic Profile 38

Figure 6-2 Historical Population Graph 38

Figure 6-3 Past and Future Growth Rates 39

Figure 6-4 Population Served with Water and Sewerage Services 40

Figure 6-5 Historical Dwelling Growth 41

Figure 6-6 Past and Future Holiday Dwellings as a Proportion of the TotalHousing Stock 41

Figure 6-7 Historical Occupancy Levels 42

Figure 6-8 Past and Future Household Size 42

Figure 6-9 Proportion of Water Harvested from Each River 44

Figure 6-10 Urban Communities Water Consumption Profile 45

Figure 6-11 Historic Residential Demands 46

Figure 6-12 Forecast of Regional Schemes Average Annual Water Demand 48

Figure 6-14 and Figure 6-13 shows the regional schemes current and futureaverage annual and peak day water demand splits between thenorthern, central and southern urban areas. 48

Figure 6-14 Split of the Average Annual Regional Demands by Area –Contemporary Approach 49

Figure 6-15 Peak Day Demand Forecast – Contemporary Approach 49

Figure 6-16 Forecast of Regional Schemes Residential Demands 50

Figure 6-17 The Effect of a 95th Percentile 30% Access Licence Condition onSecure Yield 56

Figure 6-18 The Effect of an 80th Percentile 30% Access Licence Condition onSecure Yield 57

Figure 8-1 Typical Residential Water End Uses for 2002 and 2032 with naturalpropagation of water efficient appliances 68

Figure 8-2 Major Water Users by Customer Category (ML) 70

Figure 8-3 Bulk Production, Metered Consumption and UFW Figures From1995 to 2001 71

Figure 8-4 Potential Water Savings Through a Comprehensive DemandManagement Program 77

Figure 8-5 Topographic Layout of Northern Regional Scheme 95

Figure 8-6 Southern Regional Reuse Scheme 96

Figure 9-1 South Durras Location 106

Figure 9-2 Aerial Photograph of South Durras 107

Figure 9-3 Nelligen Location 117

Figure 9-4 Aerial Photograph of Nelligen 118

Figure 9-5 Batemans Bay Topographic Map 127

Figure 9-6 Batemans Bay Stormwater Sub-Catchments 129


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Figure 9-7 Mogo Topographic Map 140

Figure 9-8 Rosedale and Guerilla Bay Location 142

Figure 9-9 Aerial Photograph of Rosedale and Guerilla Bay Showing TheirProximity to Tomakin and Mossy Point 143

Figure 9-10 Tomakin Topographic Map 151

Figure 9-11 Tomakin Stormwater Sub-Catchments 153

Figure 9-12 Moruya Topographic Map 159

Figure 9-13 Location of Congo 165

Figure 9-14 Aerial Photograph of Congo 166

Figure 9-15 Location of Bodalla 171

Figure 9-16 Aerial Photograph of Bodalla 172

Figure 9-17 Potato Point Location 178

Figure 9-18 Aerial Photograph of Potato Point 179

Figure 9-19 Dalmeny, Kianga and Narooma Topographic Map 186

Figure 9-20 Dalmeny/Kianga/Narooma Stormwater Sub-Catchments 187

Figure 9-21 Mystery Bay 193

Figure 9-22 Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba Location 201

Figure 9-23 Akolele Topographic Map 207

Figure 10-1 Traditonal Scenario 212

Figure 10-2 Integrated Scenario 1 213







Figure 12-1 Management Option 1 235




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Glossary of Abbreviations and Terms

Blackwater Water from the toilet

Dual Reticulation The provision of reclaimed water through a second set of pipesfor non-potable uses, in addition to potable water through the firstset of pipes

DCP Development Control plan

DUAP Department of Urban Affairs and Planning (now Planning NSW)

DLWC Department of Land and Water Conservation

ESC Eurobodalla Shire Council

EPA Environmental Protection Authority

Greywater Water from a household, excluding toilet water

ha Hectares

IWCM Integrated water cycle management

kL Kilolitres (1 000 litres)

kL/d Kilolitres per day

kL/a Kilolitres per annum

L Litre

L/d Litre per day

LEP Local environmental plan

ML Megalitres (1 000 000 Litres)

ML/d Megalitres per day

ML/a Megalitres per annum

NPV Net present value

Off River Storage A storage (often located on an intermittent stream) to which waterfrom a river is diverted during times of high flow for use duringtimes of low flow

Potable Water Water suitable for consumption

RWT Rainwater tank

REP Regional environmental plan

SEPP State Environmental Planning Policy

Stormwater Detention Holding stormwater on-site for a period of time before releasing itdownstream

Stormwater Retention Keeping stormwater on-site for reuse

STP Sewage Treatment Plant

WFP Water filtration plant

WM Act Water Management Act (2000)

WSUD Water sensitive urban design


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95/30 Refers to a condition under which water is licenced for extractionfrom the river. 95 refers to the 95th percentile of flows, that is thehighest 95% of the time the river flows the water can beextracted. The remaining 5% of the time is when the river is littlewater and this may not be extracted. 30 refers to the the amountof water in the river that must be shared between the users (30%)

80/30 Refers to a condition under which water is licenced for extractionfrom the river. 80 refers to the 80th percentile of flows, that is thehighest 80% of the time the river flows the water can beextracted. The remaining 5% of the time is when the river is littlewater and this may not be extracted. 30 refers to the the amountof water in the river that must be shared between the users(30%). An 80/30 condition protect the river more than a 95/30condition


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1 Introduction

1.1 Overview

Water is a precious natural resource essential for the maintenance of ecosystems andhuman activities. NSW is now at the limits of its available water resources and there is clearevidence of the degradation of our rivers, groundwaters and estuaries. In response, newwater legislation has been introduced in NSW to provide for the sustainable and integratedmanagement of the State’s water sources for present and future generations.

Integrated Water Cycle Management (IWCM) by local water utilities is a way of managingthe urban water cycle in which all parts of the water system are integrated so that water isused optimally. This optimal use should result in minimal impact on the water resource andon other resources and users. For a local water utility this means that the three main urbanservices – water supply, sewerage and stormwater – should be planned and managed in anintegrated manner to ensure that the maximum value is obtained from the resource, andthat environmental impacts are minimised. Integration also means that local watermanagement is integrated with other human waste management and recycling processessuch as garbage removal, and various external elements. These elements may includeissues of global importance such as the greenhouse effect, as well as the naturalprocesses within the catchment areas, Commonwealth and State policies, neighbouringwater utilities and the community.

1.1.1 The Integrated Water Cycle Management Process

The IWCM process is based on three simple questions, which are:

! What is the problem? relates to water cycle management impacts (or perceivedimpacts) as well as water management problems. To answer this questionnecessitates an understanding of the catchment in order to set a benchmark on theresource needs and availability.

! How do we fix the problem? looks at addressing water management problemsand requires an understanding of State Government water reform policies, whichdescribe key water management issues and the appropriate managementresponses to them. Since there is more than one management option, a balancedoutcome planning is used to select the best overall option.

! The last question, How do we know the problem is fixed? is the process bywhich we confirm that all impacts are managed to the desired level and water use isoptimised using social, economic and environmental objectives.

1.1.2 Balanced Outcomes Planning

The balance outcomes process aims to give equal weight to each of the three parts of thetriple bottom line (environment, social and economic) when choosing new managementoptions. The six steps of balanced outcomes planning are:


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1. Setting goals

2. Identifying management options

3. Coarse screening of options

4. Economic analysis and ranking of the options

5. Bundling the options to achieve goals

6. Examining trade-offs and revising goals

1.1.3 Principles of Integrated Water Cycle Management

Integrated Water Cycle Management is based on the following set of guiding principles:

! Consideration of all water sources (including effluent and stormwater) in waterresource planning

! Consideration of all water users (including the environment)

! Sustainable and equitable use of all water sources

! Integration of water uses and natural water processes, and

! A whole of catchment integration of natural resource use and management.

1.1.4 Objectives of Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy

The objectives of an Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy are as follows:

! To identify key water cycle issues in Eurobodalla Shire

! To identify the urban context for these issues, and

! To offer management options that can control these issues.


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1.2 The Water Cycle

1.2.1 The Natural Water Cycle

Figure 1-1 The Natural Water Cycle

The natural water cycle is nature’s system of water circulation. Water falling as rain istranspired by trees and vegetation, percolates into groundwater or runs into lakes, rivers oroceans from which it evaporates, to fall again as rain in an endless cycle. This is shown inFigure 1-1.


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1.2.2 The Human Water Cycle

Figure 1-2 The Modified Water Cycle

Mankind alters the natural cycle by diverting water for human use, and returning treatedwastewater and stormwater to the environment. This often causes significant impact on theorganisms living in and activities depending on the land and water environment. This isshown in Figure 1-2.


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1.2.3 Integrated Water Cycle Management

Figure 1-3 The Integrated Water Cycle

As illustrated in Figure 1-3, the IWCM improves the efficiency of human water use throughthe steps of diversion, storage, distribution, use, treatment and recycling so that needs aremet with least cost to users and least impact on the environment. This report outlines theopportunities and options available for the community of Eurobodalla Shire to achieve thesegoals.

The concepts of integrated water cycle management include:

! Consideration of all parts of local water systems

! Optimising water use

! Waste minimisation to reduce pollution loads and water quality impacts

! System simplification and recycling to reduce costs and impacts

! Energy minimisation.

1.3 Background to Eurobodalla Shire’s Integrated Water Cycle ManagementStrategy

Eurobodalla Shire Council’s (ESC) water supply, sewerage and stormwater infrastructurerequires upgrading to meet population growth and legislative standards. To address thecurrent and emerging issues within the catchment context, it was decided to holistically


6

review and evaluate how the urban water cycle in Eurobodalla Shire could be improved.Thus this strategy will be used to demonstrate that the improved management of the ‘urbanfootprint’ can help to achieve Council’s strategic business objectives, State resource policyobjectives and community expectations for natural resource management. Importantly, thestrategy is:

! Driven by the local community and has whole of government support

! Holistic and comprehensive

! Long term in its horizon (30 years), but should be reviewed every five years

! Flexible to accommodate future uncertainties

! Economically, environmentally and socially responsible.

1.4 Eurobodalla Shire’s Progress So Far

The IWCM strategy process for Eurobodalla began in mid-2001 with the Department ofLand and Water Conservation (DLWC) undertaking a ‘Concept Study’ for Eurobodalla ShireLocal Government Area. This study identified the key water cycle issues for Eurobodalla(Objective 1) and identified the urban context for these issues (Objective 2). The results ofthis study (Eurobodalla’s water issues) were presented to Council at the strategic businessobjectives workshop and have been summarised in Part C.

During the preparation of the concept study, DLWC and Eurobodalla Shire Councilengaged the Department of Public Works and Services (DPWS) to help in identifying anddetailing the management options that would have the potential to control the issuesidentified.

In November 2001, Council staff developed the strategic business objectives for the futuremanagement of the urban water cycle in Eurobodalla Shire. Following development of theobjectives, the first round of community consultation for the Integrated Water CycleManagement strategy was undertaken. Separate meetings were held at Narooma, Moruyaand Batemans Bay, to identify the management options that the community would like tosee implemented in the future, along with ratification of the strategic business objectives.The Council has since ratified the strategic business objectives.

In November 2002, a summary document containing the study findings prepared andpresented to Council to seek Council’s input and approval to seek wider community inputbased on the summary document. In November 2002, the second round of communityconsultation was undertaken, where the water cycle management options identified in thefirst round of consultation, together with other opportunities and options, were presented.Separate meetings were again held at Narooma, Moruya and Batemans Bay.

In October 2002 a two day inter-agency workshop was held to identify any issues andconcerns the agencies may have with the current management of the water services andthe proposed future water management opportunities and to seek ‘in principle’ support toIWCM opportunities. To seek community document was posted on Council’s web pageand was made available at Council offices. Community feedback was sought until mid-February 2003. The community feedback and responses to the feedback are contained inAppendix B.

1.5 Where To From Here?

Parts D and E of this strategy address how Eurobodalla’s IWCM will be delivered in thefuture, along with a timeframe for the various delivery stages.


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Part AWhere Do We Want To Be?

This Part provides an overview of Council’s strategicbusiness objectives for the future management of theurban water cycle, and the community’s wants andpreferences with respect to future water cyclemanagement opportunities.


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2 Strategic Business Objectives

2.1 Overview

A workshop involving key Council staff was held in November 2001, to clearly define thebusiness objectives for the future management of the urban water cycle for Eurobodalla. Inorder to assist in the development of the strategic business objectives, Council’sManagement Plan and the existing water and sewerage strategic business plans wereconsulted together with the State’s South East Catchment Management Blueprint (Ref. 3)and the EPA’s Water Quality and River Flow Interim Environmental Objectives (1999).

The Strategic Business Objectives define Council’s long term goals for the management ofits landscape and the services it provides, in this instance the water services, and theoutcome on which it would like to be measured.

Since the services it provides are community oriented and have an influence on thelandscape, Council has long recognised the need to measure its water businessoutcomes/performance not only in terms of financial bottom line but also taking into accountthe broader environmental and social bottom lines. To meet these outcomes and to audit itsperformance, Council provides appropriate internal support processes, systems andstructures.

Strategic Business Planning for both the outcomes and internal drivers is developed byCouncil staff using their normal business planning. In the case of Eurobodalla, its businessplan for water services was over five years old. Thus at the beginning of this study Councildecided to review its Strategic Business Objectives relating to the outcomes area offinance, environmental and social. A facilitated workshop was held with Council staff at thebeginning of this study (November 2001). Key representatives from DLWC attended theworkshop to make presentations on current government reforms and the future direction ofthe water industry. The workshop was facilitated by DPWS.

The contemporary strategy planning was used for the development of the objectives in thethree outcome areas of finance, environment and social. The contemporary strategyplanning requires the identification of objectives that are measurable, the index to bemeasured (KPI) and the associated target. This assists Council to directly assess eachIWCM strategy against the strategic business objective and the associated target.

In developing the objectives, the environmental outcome was looked at from theperspective of compliance and requirements. The financial outcome looked at both the costand revenue sides, and the social outcome looked at product/service quality andcharacteristics for the different customer categories in each of the water supply, sewerageand stormwater service lines.

Identifying the objectives of the internal support processes, systems and structures isbeyond the scope of this study. Based on the outcome of this IWCM strategy, Councilshould develop the appropriate objectives, KPI’s and targets for each of these internaldrivers using the guidelines for preparing the strategic business plans for water andsewerage (Appendix A).


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2.2 The Business Objectives

The following lists represent the objectives developed for the three outcomes reportingareas. Appendix A contains information on how each objective will be measured, with theirrespective target. It also provides information as to which water service the objectiveapplies. Underpinning these objectives is the need to conserve, efficiently use, reclaim andrecycle urban water to maximise economic and community benefits and minimiseenvironmental impact.

Environment

! Ensure efficient use of drinking water

! Ensure the sustainability of the water resources

! Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

! Help protect catchments and estuaries

! Protect the health and diversity of the receiving waters

! Ensure the sustainability of reuse areas

! Minimise the impact of stormwater runoff from existing landuse

! Maximise beneficial reuse

! Minimise the impact of the stormwater generation potential of future developmentthrough sustainable development and design

! Protect the recreational value of the waterways and beaches.

Social

! Maintain continuous access to service

! Maintain continuous water supply to towns

! Protect the public safety of the urban community

! Protect the urban properties and premises

! Enhance the ‘nature coast’ perception amongst visitors

! Minimise water supply interruptions

! Protect public health

! Provide good quality drinking water

! Maintain adequate pressure at the household

! Maintain adequate fire fighting services

! Increase public awareness of urban water issues

! Increase customer satisfaction.


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Financial

! Improve efficiency of systems

! Reduced debt reliance

! Provide services that are equitable and affordable

! Minimise the impact on current ratepayers for future infrastructure development

! Reduce illegal activities such as waste dumping

! Minimise non-compliance with legislation

! Improve the performance of the assets


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3 Community Wants, Needs andFeedback

3.1 Community Wants and Needs Identification

Facilitated community consultation sessions were carried out at Narooma, Moruya andBatemans Bay in November 2001 to identify community concerns with respect toEurobodalla’s water services. The community consultation sessions provided a forumthrough which the community was able express their wants and needs for the futuresustainable management of the water services. The community identified a broad range ofopportunities that required consideration in the IWCM strategy. The collated concerns,wants and options are listed below.

3.1.1 Environmental Values in Relation to Urban Waters

! Water conservation

! Environmental protection

! Sustainable design

! Environmental flows.

3.1.2 Urban Development

! Improved development controls

! On-site stormwater detention for new developments

! Independence of villages in terms of waste management and sustainabledevelopment

! Improved planning instruments and environmental impact assessments.

3.1.3 Issues for Future Development of Urban Water Services

! Secure water supply

! Reuse

! Alternative water sources

! Public health.

3.1.4 Options to be Considered in the IWCM Strategy

! Rainwater tanks

! Subsidies/incentives for water saving

! Stormwater collection

! Off-river storage dams.


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A more comprehensive list of the above concerns, wants and options is provided inAppendix B, along with information showing where and how these concern wants andoptions s have been addressed in this report.

3.1.5 Community Preferences

Table 3-1 below provides a summary of community preferences with respect to the futuremanagement of their urban water cycle from the November 2001 meeting. The table alsoprovides the community’s expectations of each water cycle management option in terms ofsocial and environmental outcomes. Appendix B contains the outcomes of the first round ofcommunity consultation.

Table 3-1 Community Expectations

Community ExpectationsIssue Option

Social Environmental

Increase our stored water (bigger dam) 1 1

Improve our water quality (treatmentplants) 3 1

Saving water (demand management) 3 3

Recycling water you have already used(effluent and stormwater reuse) 3 2

Capturing your water needs locally(rainwater harvesting) 3 3

Using ocean water (desalination) 3 1

ReliableWater Supply

Using recycled groundwater (effluentrecharge of aquifer) 3 2

Water sensitive urban design 3 3

Non-structural stormwater 3 2

Improved treatment 3 2

Sewage system integrity 3 3

Planning 3 3

Returned flows 3 2

Environmental flows (leaving water inthe river) 3 2

HealthyWaterways

Education 3 3

Scale: High = 3, Medium = 2, Low = 1

3.2 Community Feedback

The approach adopted by Council top gain community feedback on the options was to havea series of information sessions and then to publicly display a summary document forresidents to submit comments. The community information sessions were held in Narooma,Batemans Bay and Moruya. The last date receive comments was 15th February 2003.Appendix B contains the community feedback received and the responses to it.


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4 Integrated Water CycleManagement Tools

4.1 Overview

IWCM tools is a list of traditional and emerging opportunities that are available tocommunities for the management of their water services. These opportunities could beutilised independently or conjunctively depending upon community preferences and thetriple bottom line benefits they offer for the local area.

The fact sheet for each opportunity provides a brief overview of the opportunity, exampleswhere it is used and the benefits is offers.


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FACT SHEET 1

Water Sensitive Urban Design

What is Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)?" WSUD is the consideration of the opportunities and linkages between urban design,

landscape, architecture and water management. It considers all aspects of IWCM as part ofthe design process for site and urban development.

" WSUD aims to keep the balance between infiltration and runoff from site and urban areas asclose as possible to the pre-development balance.

" WSUD is an important concept where water use can be optimised through effective planningundertaken prior to development. This applies to whole-of-development design as well asdesign of individual dwellings.

" WSUD tools include:

♦ rainwater tanks♦ drainage lines along contours♦ grassed swales to filter out contamination♦ stormwater detention and exfiltration ponds♦ non-disturbance of natural drainage lines♦ water efficient household devices♦ use of drought-tolerant plant species♦ on-site greywater reuse

♦ reclaimed water reuse in garden watering and toilets.

" Eurobodalla Shire Council’s Stormwater Management Plan has identified a number ofmeasures to minimise stormwater impacts. These include source control rather than remedialend-of-pipe management options, and the encouragement of water-sensitive urban subdivisiondesign through policies, DCP and building codes. Specific WSUD opportunities for Eurobodallaare discussed in section 8.1.3.

Examples" Wyong Shire Council has approved the design of a new subdivision in Warnervale that is

utilising ideas such as rainwater tanks, grassed swales and subsoil infiltration drains, ratherthan conventional stormwater pipe drainage practices.

" A subdivision at Figtree Place in Newcastle has been constructed to include many features ofwater-sensitive urban design, including underground rainwater tanks and gravel-filledinfiltration trenches. This subdivision has been designed in such a way that stormwater runofffrom the site has virtually been eliminated. It has resulted in considerable savings.

Benefits" Reduced stormwater runoff from urban lots

" Reduced pollutant loads of receiving waters

" Allows for the potential down-sizing of proposed stormwater infrastructure

" Increased aquifer recharge

" Reduce demand on potable water supply

" Reduce cost of water supply and stormwater infrastructure.


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FACT SHEET 2

Planning Controls

What are Planning Controls?" Planning controls are legal instruments made under the Environmental Planning and

Assessment Act 1979. They consist of local environmental plans (LEPs), regionalenvironmental plans (REPs) and state environmental planning policies (SEPPs), whichdescribe the current planning status and/or future developments of an area. LEPs are made byCouncil and dictate the types of developments allowed in each zone of a local governmentarea.

" Development control plans (DCPs) are detailed guidelines that illustrate the controls that applyto a particular type of development or in a particular area. A DCP refines or supplements aREP or LEP.

" Urban water needs are dictated largely by local environmental planning, urban subdivisiondesigns, and building designs, before the householder exercises choice.

" Council has the opportunity to play an important role in reducing future water consumption.This may be achieved through the use of planning controls, for example, that mandate theinstallation of water efficient appliances and water sensitive gardens, through its role as thedetermining authority for the majority of developments in the area.

" Over the last decade many councils have developed planning frameworks to reduce waterconsumption and to minimise stormwater runoff. Incorporated into this framework is the watersensitive urban design concept (fact sheet 1).

Examples" Eurobodalla Shire Council, through its Residential Design and Development Guidelines DCP

and building codes, encourages the use of energy efficient fixtures and appliances. Thisprogram also indirectly encourages improved water use efficiency. Installing AAA rated showerroses, for example, saves hot water and therefore energy for heating. However, the presentfocus of the DCP is energy abatement and does not explicitly mention water conservation.

Benefits" Provides a strong conservation message to the community

" Reduces pollutant loads of receiving waters

" Reducing or delaying large infrastructure costs both up and downstream (e.g. size of mainsand STP augmentations)

" Allows Council to exercise discretion on which end uses and areas of the water cycle tomandate

" Allows Council to set controls before market forces influence customer’s purchasing decisionsof appliances

" Increases environmental benefits through better planning, water and energy use

" Reduced greenhouse gas emission


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FACT SHEET 3

Rainwater Tanks

What are Rainwater Tanks?" Rainwater tanks store rainwater runoff from roofs. Rainwater is funnelled along gutters into

downpipes, which are connected to the tank. In high rainfall areas, it is possible to harvestconsiderable amounts of roofwater using rainwater tanks. Rainwater tanks offer an alternativewater supply for use in the home and/or garden.

" Rainwater tanks may be used as a separate supply source (not supplemented by town water),or they can be designed to receive a ‘top up’ of town water. A rainwater tank designed for non-potable indoor uses, for example toilet flushing, typically requires a top up system using tricklefeed technology.

" Rainwater tanks can form an integrated part of the main water supply system, and be subjectto the same restrictions during drought periods as the reticulated supply.

" The recovery of roof water is not only a function of rainfall and tank size, but also a function ofwater use. Tanks are more likely to be full during or following wet weather when garden waterneeds are low. Connecting tanks to supply water for the toilet and washing machines increasesthe utilisation of the rainwater tank and therefore increasesthe amount of water tanks can collect every year.

Benefits" Rainwater tanks collect water from the local area, and if

used correctly, are an effective way to take the demandand pressure off our limited water resources, our riversand storage facilities.

" Rainwater tanks are able to capture roofwater followingsmall rainfall events during drought periods.

" By storing rainwater runoff from your roof, rainwater tanks can provide a valuable water sourcefor flushing toilets, in washing machines, watering gardens and washing cars.

" Using rainwater for gardens, washing machines or toilets will save money on water bills.

" Rainwater tanks improve environmental quality through conserving our valuable drinking waterand reducing the demand on our water supply (conserving water also reduces the chemicaland energy requirements for treating and transporting water to your home via the mainssupply).

" Rainwater tanks can help manage stormwater runoff through reducing the amount ofstormwater leaving your property, thereby reducing flooding.

" Rainwater tanks promote awareness of water conservation issues through practice.


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FACT SHEET 4

Effluent Reuse

What is Effluent Reuse?" Effluent reuse involves the utilisation of suitably treated wastewater for beneficial uses. It

represents a significant move away from the traditional notion of effluent being considered onlyas a waste product, which is conventionally disposed of through ocean or waterway discharge.

" Water from sewage treatment plants can be treated to a standard suitable for a range ofapplications including industrial reuse, agricultural reuse, non potable domestic reuse, urbanopen space reuse and indirect potable reuse (the level to which water must be treated fordifferent end uses is described in Appendix D).

" Site-specific analysis is required to assess the balances of water, nutrients, organics andsoluble salts to identify the most cost-effective and sustainable options for on-land disposal ofwastewater. Ongoing monitoring is important to ensure sustainability.

Examples" The REMS (reclaimed effluent management scheme)

project in the Shoalhaven is an extensive irrigation schemeutilising wastewater from the region. The irrigation schemecomprises 14 dairy farms, a golf course and sporting fields.Water is delivered at a constant rate into balancing pondson user’s land (see picture right) (www.shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au).

Benefits" Reclaimed water, used in place of fresh water, reduces the pressure on treated water for non-

potable uses (e.g. open area irrigation) and provides a drought proof irrigation water supply.

" Effluent reuse assists in the preservation of fresh water supplies as well as reduces the needto use commercial fertilisers on crops and pastures. Treated effluent contains water, plantnutrients and organic matter, which together can improve soil fertility and encourage plantgrowth.

" Effluent reuse can provide regeneration of deteriorated habitats (wetlands).

" Reduces the impact of wastewater discharges on waterways, and enhances resource recyclingwith water returned at an earlier stage of the water cycle for recycling.

" Promotes awareness of water conservation issues through practice.

" Assists in meeting legislative and regulatory compliance, and license conditions (e.g. load-based licensing).

" The use of reclaimed water can have economic benefits, depending on connection fees andcharge per volume, and can reduce the costs of fertilisers. (Suitable studies are necessary toprevent costly soil structure problems caused by too many nutrients).


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FACT SHEET 5

Effluent Return Flows

What are Effluent Return Flows?" Effluent return flow is the process of returning highly treated wastewater to waterways. Under

the Water Management Act 2000, credits can be gained from return flows, allowing towns toaccess greater extraction volumes. However government agencies have not yet agreed onwater quality requirements and flow regimes for return flows.

" If there are users downstream of the discharge point, the return flow can be credited againstthe town’s extraction limit and the town may extract more water.

Benefits" Increased volume and improved variability of environmental flow releases (thus reducing the

impact on ecological processes).

" Reduces stress on natural habitats.

" Increases yield (security) of the supply in drought or dry periods.

" Enhanced resource recycling, with water returned at an earlier stage of the water cycle forrecycling.

" May downsize or delay the need for other water supply augmentation options (e.g. a dam).


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FACT SHEET 6

Greywater Reuse

What is Greywater Reuse?" Greywater refers to all wastewater from households excluding toilet water (blackwater). It

includes water from the laundry, sinks and dishwashers, and contains less nutrients andpathogens than blackwater. It can be collected and treated separately using on-site systems.

" Greywater is typically reused for irrigation purposes.

" The greywater can be treated and disinfected, which can reduce nutrient and bacteria and thenbe disposed of through either sub-soil or spray irrigation.

" If the greywater is not disinfected, it should be disposed through subsoil irrigation. NSW Healthadvises that if the whole greywater stream, (including kitchen wastewater) is being used forirrigation, it go through a vessel such as a baffled septic tank because it acts as an efficientgrease trap and anaerobic digester before application.

" If kitchen waste is excluded, NSW Health advises the greywater stream should go through astilling and cooling chamber of about 1 cubic metre before sub-soil disposal.

" On-site greywater treatment has the potential to reduce water consumption from othersources.

" A house with greywater treatment needs to be plumbed to separate the greywater from theblackwater. Treatment is still required for the blackwater, which may range from a compostingtoilet to connection to a reticulated sewerage system.

" Greywater reuse in sewered areas requires consideration of the NSW Health policy GreywaterReuse in Sewered Single Domestic Premises (2000).

Examples" Recent UK studies have shown that greywater could be treated to residential reuse grades

using aerated biological filters and membrane bioreactors but the corresponding breakevenunit water costs were in the order of A$5.00/kL. The development of cost effective residentialgreywater reuse technologies is still in the experimental stage.

Benefits" The use of greywater systems on areas connected to the reticulated supply can reduce the

hydraulic loads on the sewerage system and sewage treatment plant.

" Water is recycled on-site.

" Reduces water bill.

" On a small scale (residential) maximises potable water used for potable uses.

" Maintains an awareness of water conservation issues through practice.

" Potential downstream benefits including reducing or delaying large infrastructure and operatingcosts (size of mains and STP augmentations, pump out costs).

Potential Hazards" Household greywater is biologically active and can contain significant levels of bacteria and

other pathogens, which may increase if the greywater is stored for lengthy periods withouttreatment. For this reason, health authorities prefer sub-surface irrigation methods.

" Another hazard with untreated greywater systems is the potential for clogging of subsurfacesystems by the soaps and oils contained in the greywater.


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FACT SHEET 7

Stormwater Management and Reuse

What is Stormwater Reuse?" Stormwater reuse involves capturing, storing and treating stormwater to a suitable level for a

variety of beneficial reuses. The most common use is for open space or agricultural irrigation.

" Impermeable surfaces associated with urban development increase the volume of runoff inurban areas, and consequently the volume of pollutants entering the environment.Conventional stormwater management has traditionally focused on diverting urban runoff outof built areas as rapidly and efficiently as possible through drainage systems incorporatingunderground pipes and overland flow paths.

" There are a variety of tools to improve stormwater quality, including litter traps, pit inserts,grass swales, bio-retention trenches and sand filters for control at source points, and grosspollutants traps, sediment traps and constructed wetlands for end-of-pipe uses.

" Until recently, little recognition has been given to utilising this resource or to protecting thequality of the water leaving urban areas. Stormwater harvesting can be incorporated into localstormwater detention and water quality control features.

" Eurobodalla Council’s Stormwater Management Plan has identified a number of measures tominimise stormwater impacts. These include source control rather than remedial end-of-pipemanagement options. Stormwater management opportunities are discussed in Appendix Wand section 8.2.2.

" Based on water quality and construction requirements it is generally more cost effective toutilise harvested stormwater in water quality control ponds for public landscape needs ratherthan to supply residential consumers.

Examples" The Sydney Olympic Park project harvests stormwater from the water quality control ponds. In

a natural setting following a rainfall event, any water that has not infiltrated the subsurface willrun off the site and be transported to a nearby waterway. This runoff can be intercepted,collected and stored in a detention basin for later non-potable household use or municipallandscape irrigation. The yield from a stormwater harvesting systems during dry periods isdependent on the amount of storage provided.

Benefits" The temporary storage and reuse of flood waters will have the effect of attenuating the peak

flow rate of discharge downstream, which should reduce the size of drainage works requireddownstream.

" Reduces stormwater and flooding impacts.

" Recycling occurs on or near site.

" Reduction in treated water demand and fresh water supplies for non-potable uses such asirrigation.

" Slows or halts the export of pollutants and contaminants from the catchment to other sensitiveenvironments.

" Potential to provide new / enhanced natural habitats (for native flora and fauna) or aestheticfeatures in urban environments (artificial water bodies).

" If open space is available it can be a cost effective means of upgrading stormwater capacities,

" Reduces erosion associated with runoff.


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FACT SHEET 8

Demand Management

What is Demand Management?" Water demand management incorporates conservation measures that improve water use

efficiency, increase water reuse and recycling, and minimise water waste.

" It includes measures such as pricing, water efficient devices and water conservation programs.

" Water saved through more efficient water use is as effective as making wateravailable through constructing new supply infrastructure capacity, with manyadditional environmental benefits.

" Demand management incorporates many tools ranging from efficient fixturessuch as AAA rated shower roses and appliances to non-structural solutionssuch as education campaigns and demonstrations.

Examples" As part of Sydney Water’s demand management program, a pilot scheme was implemented in

Shellharbour with approximately 25% of households participating in the program, a figure thatgreatly exceeded the anticipated uptake level of 10%. An assessment of the water demandreductions achieved by the program to date indicate that about 20-25 kL/household/a has beensaved.

" Lismore City Council, as one of the four constituent councils of Rous Water, the bulk watersupply authority for the north coast of NSW, commenced a demand management strategy in1996, which included a residential retrofit program The trial consisted of retrofitting low flowshower roses and dual flush toilets to a total of 470 customers. The resulting water savingswere in the order of 24 kL/household/a for the showerheads and 35 kL/household/a for thetoilets. The total cost of the trial, including administrative costs and rebates, was about$28 000. The trial yielded water savings at a cost of 12 c/kL for the shower roses and 30 c/kLfor the toilet retrofits.

Benefits" Increases community awareness of importance of water conservation.

" Reduces water consumption.

" Saves Council and the individual household money.

" Decreases greenhouse gas emissions through reduced hot waterconsumption and reduced pumping.

" Decreases pressure on natural environments through decreasedwater demands.

" On a small scale (residential) maximises potable water used forpotable uses

" Potential up and downstream benefits include reducing or delaying large infrastructure costs(size of mains and STP augmentations) and operating costs, for example potential to decreasetreatment costs (and chemical use).

" Reduces the frequency and severity of water restrictions.


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FACT SHEET 9

Loss Reduction

What is Loss Reduction?" Unaccounted-for water (or non-revenue water) is that portion of bulk water production that the

water utility cannot bill as it does not reach the customers’ meter.

" Unaccounted-for water comprises leakage from the distribution system due to breakages andoverflows from reservoirs, illegal connections, fire fighting, mains flushing, overhead fillers anderrors in system flow meters.

" Loss reduction involves reducing the proportion of water lost through the distribution systemdue to breakages and overflows.

" The first stage in a loss reduction program involves accounting for where water is lost in thesystem and determining the amount that is lost.

" Over time, a well-designed leakage reduction program will identify leakage trouble spots andallow for programmed maintenance of these areas. As part of the program, system-wide waterconsumption is monitored allowing more rapid identification of leaks and illegal connections.Areas of the distribution system with high pressure can be targeted through a pressurereduction program, which will also contribute to reduced leakage.

Examples" Specific loss reduction opportunities can be found in section 8.1.7.

Benefits" Better understanding of system-wide water consumption.

" Decreased extraction rates for the same volume of water supplied.

" Decreased long term operating costs.

" Greater income for the same volume of water supplied.

" Identification of trouble spots and quicker response time.

" Increased confidence in metering equipment and the data collected.


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FACT SHEET 10

Dams and Storages

What are Dams and Storages?" Off-river storage (often located on an intermittent stream) involves diverting water from a river

to a storage facility.

" A dam involves building a structure across the river to regulate the flow of water.

" The need for dams and off-river storage cannot be considered in isolation, but rather requiresconsideration in the context of all water supply options due to the significant environmental,social and financial impacts.

" In terms of environmental and financial costs, off-river storage represents a more sustainableoption than damming rivers. Off-river storages allow water to be pumped out of the river andstored during high flow periods. During low flow periods (drought) the water in the river can beleft untouched and the water in the storage used to supply consumption needs.

" Off-river opportunities are discussed in section 8.3.4 and appendix K.

" The advantage of keeping water in a dam or storage is that it allows water to undergo somenatural disinfection processes, which can form part of a multi-barrier approach to protect publichealth. However, storing water in dams increases the risk of a blue green algae outbreak in thewater supply.

Examples" Deep Creek Dam is an off-river storage that stores water from the Deua and the Buckenboura

rivers during high flow periods. It supplies water to the Shire during times of low river flows.

Benefits" Increases the security of supply.

" Can be designed to maintain environmental objectives with flexibility in mind.

" Reduces the pressure on more sensitive environments (sacrifice and save).

" Reduces the severity of restrictions.

" Increases environmental flows during drought.


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FACT SHEET 11

Decentralised Sewage Management

What is Decentralised Sewage Management?" Decentralised sewage management is an alternative option to connecting all properties to a

centralised sewage treatment system. It can treat sewage from a single household or a smallcommunity.

" Decentralised sewage management includes septic systems and aerated treatment witheffluent disposal options including pump-outs, adsorption trenches, lined evapotranspirationbeds and spray irrigation.

" In Eurobodalla there are currently 3 400 on-site sewage treatment systems registered withCouncil. The cumulative effects of multiple poorly performing and aging systems can besignificant. The Wallis Lakes oyster incident provides a good example of the potential risks andflow on effects from poorly treated sewage.

" Decentralised sewage management systems should meet the following environmental andhealth performance objectives over the long term:

♦ Minimised risk to public health

♦ Protection of land

♦ Protection of groundwater

♦ Conservation and reuse of resources

♦ Protection of community amenity

♦ Protection of surface waters.

♦ Specific decentralised sewage management opportunities can be found in section 9.

Examples" The towns of Nelligen, South Durras, Bodalla, Mystery Bay, Akolele, Potato Point, Tilba Tilba,

Central Tilba, Rosedale, Guerilla Bay and Congo use decentralised sewage systems.

Benefits" Can adapt the system to reflect local characteristics

" Sewage is treated on site.

" Effluent treated to a high quality can be used locally.

" Improved compatibility with other IWCM options.

" Downstream benefits including reducing or delaying large infrastructure costs (size of mainsand STP augmentations).


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5 Integrated Water CycleManagement OptionsAssessment Criteria

5.1 Overview

Having briefly outlined ‘where we want to be’ from the Council, community and governmentperspective, criteria for assessing the various IWCM opportunities and options could thenbe developed.

5.2 The Assessment Criteria

Table 5-1 below presents the assessment criteria that were used for ranking each IWCMoption developed in this report.


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Table 5-1 IWCM Assessment Criteria

Environmental

Efficient use of fresh waterresource

Options that result in savings in town water resources (low flow toilets andshowers, water pricing, rainwater tanks).

Minimises low flow waterextractions

Beneficial use of alternative water resources providing ecosystem protection,increase extraction during high flows.

Minimises greenhouse gasemissions

Postponement or cancellation of construction, minimises energyconsumption, and promotes the use of green energy.

Minimises pollutants beingdischarged to the aquaticenvironment

Improves water, sewage and stormwater systems, which reduce the level ofnutrients, chemicals, suspended solids and pathogens entering theenvironment.

Minimises urban stormwatervolumes

Options that result in reduced volume and velocity of stormwater discharge,e.g. retention/detention basins.

Ensure sustainable land usepractices

Options that ensure land management practices are sustainable includingthose that result in increases in riparian vegetation, reduction in soil erosion,management of acid sulfate soils, etc.

Social

Improves security of townwater supply

Options that reduce the potential for water restrictions and/or meet growthrequirements.

Improves the quality ofdrinking water

Options that increase the quality of the potable water supply including landmanagement and treatment technologies.

Improves urban water servicelevels

Ensures adequate pressure needs for domestic and fire fighting requirements,reduces service interruptions, sewage blockages, customer complaints.

Increase public awareness ofurban water issues

Options that improve the public awareness of the urban water cycle, e.g.public education in programs for water efficiencies, litter reduction and wastedumping.

Minimises non-compliance topolicy and legislation Option that recognises all policy and legislative issues.

Protects public health Options that improve drinking water quality, recreational water quality andaquatic seafood water quality.

Enhances the ‘nature coast’perception

Options that support the image of the area with regard to being ecologicallysustainable and pristine.

Financial

Minimises the impact of futureinfrastructure development oncurrent ratepayers

Options that consider inter- and intra-generational equity.

Improves the performance ofthe assets Options that make existing assets last longer and/or operate more efficiently.

Provides services that areequitable and affordable

Options that consider equity and affordability issues, particularly in relation tosmall communities.

Improves efficiency ratios Options that improve the operational efficiency of assets and service delivery.

Reduces debt reliance Options that help to reduce the amount of money Council (and ratepayers)have to borrow and pay back.


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Part BWhat Are the Issues?

This part provides an overview of the issues relating toreform and legislative compliance, catchmentmanagement, urban planning, water infrastructureperformance and community expectation.


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6 What are Eurobodalla’s Issues?

6.1 Government Initiated Reform Compliance Issues

In the early 1990s, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), consisting of the PrimeMinister, State Premiers, Territory Chief Ministers and the President of the Australian LocalGovernment Association agreed to implement the national competition policy acrossAustralia. The policy framework was based on macro- and micro- economic reforms acrossthe various levels of governments to achieve efficiency, equity and transparency ingovernance and to achieve sustainability in resource management. The implementation ofthe national competition policy is Commonwealth funded, with payments based upon thecompletion of certain levels of the policy. The NSW Government has therefore embarkedupon a number of independent but related reforms within the framework of the competitionpolicy. Some of these reforms, relevant to this study, include the water reforms, full costrecovery service pricing of essential monopoly community services, transparencies indecision making and regional capacity building. The subsequent sections provide a briefoverview of these reforms and Eurobodalla’s compliance status with these reformobjectives.

6.1.1 Water Reforms and the Water Management Act 2000

The water reforms are a key driver of change for all water users. In 1994, COAG agreed toimplement the strategic framework to achieve an efficient and sustainable water industry.The water reform aims to achieve clean healthy rivers and sustainable water use inconsultation with the community and stakeholders. As part of these reforms the NSWgovernment introduced the Water Management Act 2000 (WM Act).

The WM Act introduced in 2000 aims to achieve a better balance between water use andenvironmental protection by setting environmental objectives for all NSW rivers coveringriver flow and water quality objectives. The Act acknowledges the environment as alegitimate water user and therefore aims to ensure that it is guaranteed a certain allocationof water. The aim of the Act is to clearly identify all water users, and formalise their shareand access rights.

Under the WM Act, draft management plans are to be developed for each landmanagement area in the State. In the Eurobodalla Shire, the three main catchments, Clyde,Tuross and Moruya, require management plans to be developed. Water-sharing plans areone of the many plans included as part of the management plans. These plans willestablish the environmental water rules, the requirements for basic landholder rights, therequirements for water extraction under access licenses, and the bulk access regime (BAR)for extraction licenses.

The BAR refers to water available for extraction after provisions have been made forenvironmental water and basic landholder rights. Various classes of environmental waterhave been identified for the purpose of setting the BAR. The rules for the identification,establishment and maintenance of each class of environmental water (environmental waterrules) are to be established for all of the water sources in the State, by means of amanagement plan.

Once the provisions to satisfy basic landholder rights and the environmental water ruleshave been established, water will then be allocated under access licenses. Access licensesfall into a number of categories and are subject to a system of priority.


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! Local water utility access licenses, major utility access licenses and domestic andstock access licenses have priority over all other access licenses.

! Regulated river (high security) access licenses have priority over regulated river(general security) access licenses and regulated river (supplementary water)access licenses.

! Finally regulated river (general security) access licenses have priority overregulated river (supplementary water) access licenses.

All water rights are reduced in periods of low flow, although those with a higher prioritylicence will have their allocation diminished at a lesser rate.

The amount of water required to be left for the environment has yet to be determined by thewater management committees. It is likely though that the first water-sharing plan willrequire that the lowest 5% of the flows be left for the environment (95th percentile). Whenthe plans are reviewed after the mandated 10-year period, it is possible that in light ofadditional environmental data the environment may be allocated the lowest 20% of theflows (80th percentile). Of the water left in the river it is likely that only 30% will be availablefor extraction by all users.

It is generally accepted that ecosystems are highly vulnerable during low flow periods, butthat natural flow regime variations are important to ensure a healthy and diverse ecologicalcommunity. Developing draft management plans can be difficult in the absence of river flowmanagement plans and specific local scientific knowledge about the ecology andconservation values of these river systems. It has been suggested that the precautionaryprinciple be adopted in the future planning of the regional water supply scheme and in thedevelopment of draft management plans. The precautionary principle states that if there arethreats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, a lack of full scientific certaintyshould not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmentaldegradation.

Under the WM Act, town water use is subject to a maximum extraction volume. Thismaximum volume can be calculated in one of three ways:

Existing entitlement: Many towns already have a volume entitlement specified in theirworks license or in a legal agreement.

Reasonable entitlement: The volume of water the town can extract is calculated byreference to the demographic and geographic characteristic of the town, assumingreasonable demand management measures are in place.

System capacity: A volume of water calculated on the basis of the current yield of thewater management works.

Where the volume calculated for the access license is greater than the volume currentlyused, the town may need to seek the Minister’s consent before extracting this extra water.

Town water access licenses are to be reviewed every five years and varied according to thechanges in population. However no allowances for additional water for new or expandedindustries are made in this review. For Eurobodalla this means that additional water needsfor commercial, agricultural or industrial uses within a town water supply will need to be metby:

! Surplus water within the town’s defined license volume

! Water efficiency gains

! The industry obtaining their own access through the purchasing of water from otherusers.


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Thus when considering the supply of non-urban users, Council must consider how it willsource the water before committing to supply them. Other water sources may beappropriate for such users (e.g. reclaimed effluent).

Protection of River Flows and Aquifers

The water reforms aim to improve the health of rivers and groundwaters to ensure longterm, secure and viable regional economies. The quality and quantity of water available inthe rivers and streams is seen as an indicator of degradation.

As part of the NSW Government’s reforms to ensure the long term sustainability of therivers, Water Quality and River Flow Interim Environmental Objectives have beendeveloped by the EPA (1999). These objectives are designed to guide plans and actions toachieve healthy waterways. The water management committees, in developing the watermanagement plans, are required to utilise these objectives.

The water quality objectives aim to protect:

! Aquatic ecosystems

! Visual amenity

! Primary contact recreation

! Secondary contact recreation

! Livestock water supply

! Irrigation water supply

! Homestead water supply

! Drinking water

! Aquatic foods.

The river flow objectives aim to:

! Protect pools in dry times

! Protect low natural flows

! Protect important rises in water levels

! Maintain wetland and floodplain inundation

! Mimic natural drying in temporary waterways

! Maintain natural flow variability

! Manage groundwater for ecosystems

! Minimise effects of weirs and other structures.

The IWCM strategy for Eurobodalla is an important step in achieving the overall reformobjectives. In particular this strategy addresses:

! Community and stakeholder consultation in the formulation of strategies

! Innovation in the development of urban water services infrastructure

! Water conservation and water quality management, and its importance in thecatchment context

6.1.2 Pricing Reforms

A brief review of ESC’s current pricing policy for water services indicates the following non-compliance:


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! The process used for establishing fixed water and sewerage service accesscharges is not transparent.

! The NSW Government recently released guidelines for best practice standard forwater and discharge prices. ESC water use charges are close to best practice.Sewer discharge pricing for non-residential developments requires addressing tocreate equitable charges and recoup true costs of operations.

! Although the Council has established the ‘true’ cost of providing water, sewerageand stormwater services to new developments, the current level of developercontribution is far less than this ‘true’ cost. This results in significant subsidy todevelopers by the existing ratepayers and also results in revenue loss to Council.

! There is inadequate funding for urban stormwater management and treatmentmeasures and for catchment improvement works. This is in part due to the fact thatthe cost of providing these services is funded through the general rates, which arecurrently ‘pegged’ by the State Government.

6.1.3 Legislative Compliance issues

The NSW Government, through the use of a number of legal instruments, regulates theprovision of water services by ESC. The key administering agencies responsible for theselegal instruments, along with other relevant responsibilities, are listed below.

Eurobodalla Shire Council

! Preparation of LEPs and DCPs

! Development approvals under Part 4 of the Environmental Planning andAssessment Act 1979, which are required to be consistent with relevant SEPPs andREPs

! Development and ongoing operation of the water, sewerage and stormwatersystems schemes

! Owners of the physical water infrastructure assets

! Local area and infrastructure management and planning approvals under the LocalGovernment Act 1993

! Funds maintenance and upgrading of physical water infrastructure assets

! Lower South Coast REP No. 2 – Provides a framework for local planning anddevelopment in the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla Shire.

Department of Land and Water Conservation

! Administration of the Water Management Act 2000 and the Native VegetationConservation Act 1997

! Licensing provisions under the Rivers and Foreshores Improvement Act 1948, andthe Water Act 1912 (these provisions are still in force until repealed in mid-2003)

! Financial subsidy under the Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Schemesprogram

! Local Government Act 1993 section 60 approvals for water supply and sewerageschemes and infrastructure including trade waste discharge to sewer


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! Natural resource (river flow, groundwater and land) management

! Water and sewage treatment plant approval for rural water utilities

Environment Protection Authority

! Pollution regulators

! Development concurrence approval for pollution mitigation facilities under theProtection of the Environment Operations Act 1997

! Licensing of sewerage systems, including STPs and effluent reuse schemes, underthe Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997

! Licensing discharge from water treatment plants under the Protection of theEnvironment Operations Act 1997

! Pollution reduction programs and load based licensing

! Water Quality and River Flow Interim Environmental Objectives

! Draft Effluent Reuse Guidelines

! Funding of stormwater quality objectives

Planning NSW

! Planning approvals under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979and various SEPPs, for example SEPP 4, SEPP 26, SEPP 14, SEPP 33, SEPP 71

Department of Health

! Protection of public health under Public Health Act 1991

Department of Local Government

! Policy and legislative framework for local government

Southeast Catchment Management Board and South Coast Water ManagementCommittee

! River flow and quality objectives

! Development of the water-sharing plans

! Development of Catchment Management Blueprints (formerly CatchmentManagement Plans)

Other agencies and their responsibilities are discussed below.


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Healthy RiversCommission

- Long term sustainability of water catchments andresources including effluent management

Work Cover Authority- Workplace and employee safety

- Dangerous Goods Act 1975 for the storage of chemicalsrequired for STPs and WTPs.

NSW Fisheries

- Protection of fishing industries, aquatic habitat andthreatened species under Fisheries Management Act1994

- Approvals for dredging works to be carried out.

NSW National Parks andWildlife Service

- National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974

- Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995

- Manages National Parks and the protection of threatenedspecies in Eurobodalla’s catchments.

NSW Agriculture- Provides advice on protection and management of

agricultural resources

- Provides advice on reclaimed water irrigation schemes.

Sydney CatchmentAuthority - SEPP 58 Protecting Sydney’s Water Supply.

Forestry - Manages land in Eurobodalla’s water catchments

6.2 Catchment Issues

An area bounded by natural features such as hills or mountains, where all runoff waterflows to a low point, is a water catchment. Eurobodalla has three major catchments, Clyde,Tuross and Moruya. Water extracted from the Buckenboura, a tributary of the Clyde, theDeua, which flows into the Moruya, and water taken directly from the Tuross, make up theEurobodalla town water supply. In additional there are numerous small coastal catchmentsthat contain intermittently open coastal lakes and small coastal inlets. These lake systemsare of environmental significance and are sensitive to impacts from neighbouringdevelopments. The Southeast Catchment Management Board oversees the managementof these catchments.

It is important that catchments are managed in a sustainable fashion and that the land useswithin a catchment are consistent with the physical features of the land. Catchmentobjectives provide direction for the management of the catchment.

6.2.1 Environmental Issues

The following points are a summary of the main environmental issues in Eurobodalla.

! Erosion in the upper Deua catchment due to deforestation, causing high levels ofsediment washout into downstream river reaches and estuary

! Agricultural water use during low flows is impacting on river health

! Areas of dryland salinity

! Algal blooms reported in Moruya Estuary

! Uncontrolled microbiological, nutrient and sediment runoff from farms and irrigationareas


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! Uncontrolled access to water courses for farm animals

! Septic tank discharges in wet weather

! Water quality issues within the closed lagoons. These can be due to naturaldecomposition of seaweed or urban nutrient impacts from runoff.

6.2.2 Water Quality Issues

Water quality provides an important indicator of overall catchment health. One of the mainenvironmental objectives of catchment management is to monitor and manage the activitiesthat impact upon the catchment. The Clyde, Tuross and Moruya Rivers have failed to meetfive of the EPA’s Water Quality and River Flow Interim Environment Objectives (Integratedwater catchment quality plan) criteria. These failed criteria are listed below.

! Faecal coliforms

! pH

! Turbidity

! Nutrients

! Dissolved oxygen (DO).

6.3 Urban Planning Issues

6.3.1 Population Distribution

The Eurobodalla Shire covers a large area and varied landscapes, and is bordered by theTasman Sea in the east, the coastal mountains to the west, Wallaga Lake in the south andLake Durras to the north. More than 85% of the Shire population live along the coast, with50% of the coastal population located in the Batemans Bay/Tomakin area. Narooma andMoruya are the other two main business centres, which account for about 20% of thecoastal population. The remaining coastal population (15%) is scattered among thenumerous small villages along the coast.

The remaining 15% of the shire population who live away from the coast are predominantlylocated along the major river flats, as their livelihood is based on agriculture. The mainagricultural produce from the Eurobodalla Shire consists of dairying, cattle beef and fodder.Other significant industries include tourism, oyster farming and forestry.

Demographic Profile

Analysis of the recent census population data shows that around 30% of the population inthe Eurobodalla Shire are aged 60 or older (see Figure 6-1 below). The 20 to 25 and 26 to29 age group represents the lowest proportion of the population under the age of 80. Theemigration of young adults from the shire and immigration of retirees to the Shire is afamiliar trend across NSW coastal communities.


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rsea

s vi

sito

rs

A g e G r o u p

Num

ber o

f Per

sons

Figure 6-1 Demographic Profile

6.3.2 Shire-wide Population Growth

The available census records show that the shire has been experiencing a steadypopulation growth and that the population has doubled since 1980. Characteristic of mostcoastal centres in NSW, the 1980s was a period of high population growth stemmingpredominantly from the migration of retirees into the shire. The last decade wascharacterised by slow but positive growth. The 2001 census shows that the populationgrowth continues to rise but not as rapidly as experienced in the 1980s (see Figure 6-2below).

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001

Year

Popu

latio

n

Figure 6-2 Historical Population Graph


39

To develop a cohesive IWCM strategy for the next three decades it is necessary to considerhow rapidly, and in which localities, the population is expected to grow. As part of this study,previous population projections have been reviewed in consultation with Council’s townplanners. A study undertaken by Macoun (1998) noted that the population was not growingas fast as that predicted using the 1996 Department of Urban Planning and Affairs (DUAP,now Planning NSW) projections. These projections were based on the 1991 census. Thestudy by Macoun kept the gradient of the DUAP low growth curve and corrected for thelower population.

Since this study, population projections have become available from the Australian Bureauof Statistics based on the 1996 and 2001 census figures. Thus, in this IWCM strategy thepopulation projections have been adjusted for the actual growth rate recorded in the shireand are shown in Table 6-1. Further detail on growth rates can be found in appendix E.

Table 6-1 Population Projection

Year Shire Population

2001 33 140

2004 34 694

2009 37 085

2014 39 422

2019 41 697

2024 43 932

2029 46 173

2032 47 514

Table 6-1 shows that the shire population is predicted to increase by about 50% over thenext 30 years. Growth is expected to be concentrated in the north of the shire, and thisregion is predicted to account for about 50% of the total growth. An independent studycommissioned by Council (Census Applications Australia, 2002) confirms these projections.

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040

Five Years Ending

Popu

latio

n G

row

th R

ate

Historical

ABS Forecast

Adjustment and Extrapolationof ABS Forecast

Figure 6-3 Past and Future Growth Rates


40

Although the rural population (that population living away from the coast) is only a smallproportion of the total shire population, the recent deregulation of the dairy industry coupledwith low demand for beef cattle has resulted in the subdivision of many farms. Council isproactively managing the subdivision of these farming properties to ensure the water cycleis managed sustainably within each property. Developing future growth and IWCMstrategies for rural subdivisions is beyond the scope of this project.

6.3.3 Population Served With Council Water Services

Figure 6-4 shows the population currently serviced by Council’s water supply and seweragesystem. This figure also represents the expected future demand of these services over thenext 30 years.

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

50,000

1981 1991 2001 2011 2021 2031

Year

Popu

latio

n

ObservedAdjusted ABS ForecastRural PopulationPopulation Served with WaterSewered Population

Figure 6-4 Population Served with Water and Sewerage Services

Figure 6-4 shows that currently 82% of the shire population are provided with reticulatedwater from a Council-managed system. This figure also shows that 75% of the shirepopulation is currently serviced with Council’s reticulated sewer system.

6.3.4 Shire-wide Housing

When examining the water services needs, it is important to consider not only the numberof people but also the type of dwelling they live in. Analysis of the dwelling occupancy andownership information shows that during the 1996 census about 52% of the dwellings wereunoccupied and/or owned by people living outside the shire. The corresponding figuresfrom the 2001 census revealed an increase in the proportion of dwellings being occupied bytheir owners. This shows that in addition to the growth in overall dwelling numbers, thereare a higher number of existing dwellings becoming permanently occupied. The graphsbelow show the growth in new dwellings (Figure 6-5) and owner occupancy trends (Figure6-6 and Figure 6-7) over the last few years.


41

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002

Year

Num

ber o

f Dw

ellin

gsHouseFlats/ApartmentsOther DwellingsAll Dwellings

Figure 6-5 Historical Dwelling Growth

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

1981 1991 2001 2011 2021 2031

Year

% H

olid

ay D

wel

lings

Holiday Houses

Holiday Semis and Flats

Holiday Houses and Semis

Holiday Flats

Figure 6-6 Past and Future Holiday Dwellings as a Proportion of the Total HousingStock


42

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005Year

% O

ccup

ancy

% occupiedseparate houses

% Occupied Semi-detached, row orterrace house,townhouse, flat, unitor apartment

% occupiedseparate houses orsemis

% occupied flats

Figure 6-7 Historical Occupancy Levels

6.3.5 Residential Growth

Residential demand forecasts can be made by assessing rates and trends in demographicfactors such as population growth, the number and type of residential dwellings, occupancyrates and dwelling consumption. The residential population in the Eurobodalla Shire hasgrown over time (as shown in Figure 6-2). Growth is expected to continue in the future butat a decreasing rate.

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 2026 2031

Year

Hou

seho

ld S

ize

Household size -occupied separate houses

Household size -Occupied Semi-detached,row or terrace house,townhouse, flat, unit orapartmentHousehold size -occupied separate housesor semis

Household size -Occupied flat, unit orapartment

Figure 6-8 Past and Future Household Size


43

Dwelling occupancy (the number of people per dwelling) has steadily declined over time. Itis expected that occupancy ratios will continue to decline into the future, although the rate ofdecline is predicted to be slower than in the past. Figure 6-8 indicates that the averagehousehold size for flats, units or apartments is expected to decrease from 1.65 in 2011 to1.61 by 2032. The dwelling occupancy ratios for houses and semis are also expected todecrease from 2.3 in 2011 to 2.1 by 2032.

6.3.6 Data Accuracy

The various methods of data collection used in the past have resulted in a number ofdiscrepancies, making it difficult to determine the number of water accounts in Eurobodalla.A house count was carried out in 2001 for the Batemans Bay Sewerage Strategy thatcounted the number of dwellings connected to the Batemans Bay STP. In 2002 theremaining towns and villages connected to the regional scheme were counted. As aconsequence there were dwellings in the Batemans Bay area connected to water but notsewered that were missed through this data collection procedure. In addition futureprojections were done at a reservoir zone level and did not consider houses suppliedthrough pressure reducing valves.

The house count data determined the number of flats in the shire. A query of the number ofbills sent out showed that there are over 1 000 more bills sent out each year than metersread. This discrepancy is likely to arise from the vacant lots, which are billed the standingcharge but are not metered. Some blocks of flats have only a single meter for the building;thereby a count of the meters underestimates the true number of flats. Records shows thatthe current house count is 15 227, meter count is 16 364 and billing count is 17 357.

6.3.7 Tourist Impacts

The shire’s commitment to maintain the natural and scenic landscape, combined with themild climate and proximity to Canberra, makes the area a popular tourist and holidaydestination. Available data shows that on average 30% of the holiday/touristaccommodation is occupied year-round. During the peak Christmas/New Year and schoolholiday period, the majority of the holiday accommodation is occupied.

The varying peak tourist/holiday season load and the increase in the proportion of thedwellings with owner occupancy poses a challenge for water infrastructure planning. Theaim is to minimise the provision of redundant infrastructure that is only utilised during peakload periods without compromising the catchment and specific water services objectives.Additionally, the IWCM strategies proposed in this plan need to be sufficiently flexible toaccommodate unforeseen increases/decreases in the predicted population trends.

6.4 Urban Water Management Issues

Urban water management issues are a consequence of population increase and theassociated urban development. It is expected that the current pattern of population growthwill continue to be concentrated along the coastal areas of the shire. Therefore it is likelythat current and future water cycle management impacts will reflect this pattern and beconfined mainly to these coastal areas.


44

6.4.1 Urban Water Use and Discharge – Past and Present

Urban Water Use

The current average water consumption of Eurobodalla’s urban population is about5 300 ML/a. The majority of this water is disinfected with chlorine and is delivered throughCouncil’s regional water supply scheme. The water needs of the residents at Nelligen,South Durras and Congo are met privately by roof rainwater and backyard bore water.During periods of drought and prolonged low rainfall periods, the individual residents buytheir water from the regional scheme. Water service issues relating to each town andvillage are discussed in more detail in part C.

Historical water usage records available since the mid-1980s for the regional schemesuggests that the extraction of fresh water from the three rivers, namely Buckenboura,Moruya and Tuross Rivers, has steadily increased with population growth. Records showthat in the past four years, the average annual water consumption (5 300 ML/a) servicedthrough the regional scheme fluctuated by as much as 11% over the same period. Thesefluctuations are due in part to climate effects and tourist numbers. Figure 6-9 below showsthe proportion of water extracted from the three river sources.

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

Year

ly R

iver

Inta

ke (M

L)

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Year

B/Boura Tuross RiverMoruya

Figure 6-9 Proportion of Water Harvested from Each River

Figure 6-9 shows that the majority of the urban water demand is supplied by Moruya River.This correlates to the concentration of the shire’s population in the northern areas, and thenortherly location of the off-stream storage. With the regional scheme being reliant on theMoruya River, urban water usage impacts on this river the most. The health of the riverenvironment is also particularly vulnerable during periods of low river flows, as in mostyears low flow coincides with high urban water demand periods. Records show that thecurrent average daily water use by the regional scheme consumers is approximately14.5 ML/d. This figure increases to 32 ML/d during the typical summer holiday period.

Figure 6-10 shows the current urban annual water consumption profile.


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Total Houses62.30%

Total Flats7.80%

Motel3.90%

Caravan Parks6.70%

Office/Retail9.90%

Urban Irrigation0%

Industrial0.70%

Institutional/Public8.30%

Total Houses

Total Flats

Motel

Caravan Parks

Office/Retail

Urban Irrigation

Industrial

Institutional/Public

Figure 6-10 Urban Communities Water Consumption Profile

Figure 6-10 shows that the greatest proportion of urban water consumption is for residentialuse (62%), followed by retail/office and institutional use. Further analysis of the residentialsector indicates that approximately 60% of water is used by permanent residents and theremainder by tourists and/or non-resident ratepayers. Records for the last three yearsindicate that the average annual consumption by permanent residents was approximately576 kL/a per property, with a positive variation of 28% due to climate variation. Table 6-2breaks residential water use into internal and external usage, and provides the quantity ofwater used by each dwelling type.

Table 6-2 Internal and External Water Use by Dwelling Type

Dwelling Type Use % of TotalDwelling Use

VolumeL/d/dwelling

Internal 76.5% 441.3Permanent Houses

External 23.5% 135.6

Internal 82.1% 341.2Holiday Houses

External 17.9% 74.4

Internal 79.2% 323.4Permanent Flats

External 20.8% 84.9

Internal 84.3% 251.5Holiday Flats

External 15.7% 46.8

The past consumption data (Figure 6-11) also shows that since the introduction of the ‘userpays’ pricing model in 1993, average water usage per house, excluding climate influences,has remained relatively stable. Although the average water consumption in Eurobodalla islow compared to most other coastal communities in the state, given the climatic condition ofthe area it is considered that there is scope to further improve water use through theadoption of more water-efficient and conservation practices. Water efficiency measures andconservation practices are discussed in part C.


46

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002

Year

Ann

ual V

olum

e (M

L/Yr

)

Permanent Houses Holiday Houses

Figure 6-11 Historic Residential Demands

Records show that non-metered consumption supplied through the regional schemeequates to an additional 16% (approximate) to the annual consumption. The reportedsystem loss rates are high in comparison to other NSW town water supply systems (DLWCPerformance Comparisons 2001)

Figure 6-10 shows that the industrial demand supplied by the regional scheme is small. Anyincrease in future industrial water demand needs to be fulfilled by acquiring newentitlements in the market and/or by accommodating growing industrial water needs withinthe existing town water entitlements (see Water Management Act in section 6.1.1 for furtherdetails).

Urban Water Discharge

Urban wastewater has increased with population growth and currently stands atapproximately 4 500 ML/a. Approximately 85% (3 820 ML/a) of wastewater produced in theurban areas of Eurobodalla receives secondary treatment at one of the Council’s fivesewage treatment plants. Of the total secondary treated effluent, approximately 13%(500 ML/a) is beneficially reused for irrigation at local golf courses and playing fields. Theremaining effluent is discharged to the ocean. On-site systems account for the remaining15% of urban wastewater not treated at an STP.

The secondary treated effluent from four of the five plants undergoes passive or naturaldisinfection prior to discharge. The effluent from the Moruya plant is artificially disinfectedusing an ultraviolet irradiation plant before being discharged to the environment. The dailyaverage wastewater treated by the five plants is approximately 8 ML/d, and this volumeincreases by approximately 20% during the peak holiday/tourist season.

Wastewater from the villages of Nelligen, South Durras, Congo, Mystery Bay, Rosedale,Guerilla Bay, Bodalla, Potato Point, Central Tilba, Moruya Head, Turlinjah, Tilba Tilba andAkolele receives minimal treatment through on-site systems. This system of wastewatertreatment represents a substantial risk to the local environment and the public health of thecommunity. Council is currently implementing measures to improve the quality of thewastewater produced from Moruya Head, Turlinjah and Bodalla villages. Wastewater issuesrelating to each town and village are discussed in more detail in part C.

The discharge of stormwater from the urban areas has also been increasing steadily withpopulation growth and the expansion of the urban footprint. At present approximately,


47

68 ML/a of urban stormwater is discharged to the environment, consisting of approximately64 500 kg/a of total nitrogen and 8 500 kg/a of phosphorus (based on median year rainfall).Testing of urban stormwater from other coastal towns and villages suggests that urbanstormwater also contains significant loads of sediment, litter, bacteria and other pathogenicorganisms. At present there is limited urban stormwater quality control and management,and no beneficial reuse of stormwater. Continual urban development without consideringappropriate stormwater management options will result in the continual decline ofenvironmental water quality and represent an increased risk to public health. Thestormwater issues relating to each individual town and village are discussed in more detailin part C.

6.4.2 Urban Water Use and Discharge – Future Predictions

Urban Water Use

The population of the Eurobodalla Shire is expected to increase by 50% over the next threedecades, with most of this increase being accommodated within the major coastal urbancentres, as either new subdivision or as infill development within existing residential areas.This increase in population will correlate to a growing demand for water, and consequentlyincrease wastewater and urban stormwater volumes.

The future urban water demands have been projected using three approaches as follows:

! Traditional approach

! Contemporary approach

! Demand Managed approach (see section 8.1 for details)

Traditional Approach – In this approach the water demands are projected by modellingthe individual end uses for a typical property and then extrapolating this per propertydemand to the whole community. The model is then calibrated against actual meteredquarterly consumption by estimating the residential indoor demand and the seasonaldemand variations. Thus the only factor that is considered to affect demand is populationgrowth. Macoun (1999) used this approach to forecast the demands. The populationforecast used was based on the low population increase predicted by DUAP.

Contemporary Approach – In predicting the water demands using this approach,consideration is given to the mandatory plumbing regulation governing the toilet cisternsand the future availability of plumbing fixtures and devices, and household white goods.Consideration is also given to Council’s current water conservation initiatives along with thepast climatic and economic influences on demands. The population growth rate used inthis approach incorporated the 2001 census and was lower than that used in the traditionalapproach as discussed earlier. The demand projected using this approach is referred to as‘baseline’ in Figure 6-12.

Figure 6-12. shows the predicted annual water demands until year 2032.


48

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

1982 1992 2002 2012 2022 2032

Year

Dem

and

ML/

a Historical Calender Year

Historical Water Year

Traditional

Baseline

Demand Management

Figure 6-12 Forecast of Regional Schemes Average Annual Water Demand

The figure shows that the water demands predicted using the traditional approach is about1000ML more than that predicted using the contemporary approach. Some of this extrademand could be attributed to the higher population projection in the traditional approach.

Both the traditional and contemporary demand projection approaches assumes that thecurrent water use practices and behaviour will continue as at present and the demandvariation to climate and tourist inflow will also continue as at present. The SupplementaryDemand Report prepared by DLWC provides additional information and assumptionsrelating to contemporary demand forecast approach used for this study.

Figure 6-14 and Figure 6-13 shows the regional schemes current and future averageannual and peak day water demand splits between the northern, central and southernurban areas.


49

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Year

Wat

er C

onsu

mpt

ion

ML/

yr

northcentralsouthTotal

Figure 6-14 Split of the Average Annual Regional Demands by Area – ContemporaryApproach

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035

Year

Dem

and

(ML/

d)

TotalNorthCentralSouth

Figure 6-15 Peak Day Demand Forecast – Contemporary Approach


50

Figure 6-14 shows that the northern, southern and central areas are all expected toexperience growing urban water demands, with the northern area likely to be the greatestcontributor to the regional scheme’s demand increases. Similarly, Figure 6-15 shows thatalthough all regions are expected to experience growing daily water demands, it is thenorthern area that is anticipated to experience the greatest rate of increase.

Figure 6-16 shows that as a proportion of total residential demand, flats/units will increasefrom 15% to 28% and the separate house demand will decrease from 85% to 72%.

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

Year

Ann

ual V

olum

e (M

L/Yr

)

Residential HousesHoliday HousesResidential FlatsHoliday FlatsTotal

Figure 6-16 Forecast of Regional Schemes Residential Demands

In the absence of specific future development proposals it has been assumed thatcommercial and institutional water use will increase in line with residential demand. Further,the above forecasts assume that non-metered usage will remain steady at about67 L/d/capita. Non-metered usage is the difference between total supply and total meteredconsumption. It comprises:

! Meter inaccuracy

! Authorised non-metered usage

! Leakage

! Breaks, and

! Regular mains flushing to maintain the integrity of the delivery and distributionsystem.

Urban Water Discharge

In the next three decades wastewater produced by the shire’s urban community is expectedto increase by 30% from 4 500 ML/a to 5 850 ML/a. It is expected that the average dailywastewater volume to be treated in the future by the seven treatment plants will beapproximately 11.2 ML/d, with an increase of approximately 20% during the peakholiday/tourist season. Based on current information, it is expected that about 5 150 ML/a(88%) of the future wastewater flow would be treated at the seven treatment plants inEurobodalla to a secondary standard before discharge to the environment. The expectedincrease in wastewater production requires appropriate management to ensure that thelocal environment and community health is not compromised. The opportunities available tofurther enhance the quality of the secondary treated effluent to increase its beneficial reuseis discussed in part C. Also discussed in part C is the best practice management andtreatment standards for wastewater produced in the unsewered villages.


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The volume of urban stormwater discharge will increase with the release and developmentof new urban subdivisions. Analysis indicates that if Council continues with its current urbanstormwater management policy and practices the increase in urban stormwater quantityand quality discharge would be in the order of 20-30% more than current levels. Theseincreases, if not managed adequately, will further impact on the local environment and maypose public safety issues. The opportunities available to further enhance the quality ofstormwater discharges and to increase the potential for beneficial reuse is discussed inpart C.

6.5 Infrastructure Performance Issues

The Eurobodalla water service system faces a number of infrastructure performance-related issues that need to be addressed in this IWCM strategy.

6.5.1 The Regional Water Supply

Description of Existing Scheme

The regional scheme harvests run-of-river flows from the Buckenboura, Moruya and TurossRivers. The water harvested from the Moruya and Tuross Rivers is fed directly into thereticulation network after disinfection with chlorine. Excess water from the Moruya Riverand water from the Buckenboura River is stored in the Deep Creek Dam off-river storage.The dam has a capacity of 4 900 ML and maintains supply during drought conditions andduring low and turbid river flow periods. The water from each source can be transferredalong the coast from Long Beach in the north to Mystery Bay in the south.

The Buckenboura River, a tributary of the Clyde River has historically been an unreliablewater source that has failed during several periods of drought. The Buckenboura Riversupply infrastructure consists of a concrete weir across the river and a pumping facility witha single pumping capacity of 2.9 ML/d and a parallel operating capacity of 4.8 ML/d.

The Moruya River is the main source of supply to the regional scheme. Harvested run-of-river flows are normally supplied to the communities situated between Long Beach in thenorth and Tuross Head in the south. Despite no surface flows during the droughts of the1980s and 1990s, limited extraction was feasible to maintain emergency supply. TheMoruya River supply infrastructure consists of a low and high head pumping facility with atransfer capacity of about 16.4 ML/d.

The Tuross River is the main source of supply to the southern section of the regionalscheme from Bodalla to Mystery Bay. Despite no surface flows during the droughts of the1980s and 1990s, limited extraction was feasible to maintain emergency supply. TheTuross River supply infrastructure consists of a low and high head pumping facility with atransfer capacity of about 6.7 ML/d.

The Quality of the Source Waters

Council routinely monitors the water quality of the supply sources and the distributed waterat strategic locations. This routine monitoring is carried out in accordance with the NSWHealth quality assurance requirements under the Public Health Act 1991, to monitor longterm trends and for operational and emergency response management.

In 1997 Council undertook a comprehensive water quality monitoring program over atwelve-month period. The aims of this study were to:

! Better understand the seasonal variation of the water quality from the varioussources


52

! Examine the performance and adequacy of the barriers and managementprocedures in place to minimise the supply of poor water quality

! Determine the water quality parameters that frequently exceed the failure criteriaand the consequences of these failures.

The Australian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines were used as the failure criteria whenassessing the medium to long term consequences and service provision risk.

The study found that the water quality of the supply sources is influenced by weatherpatterns and activities in the catchment. It concluded that whilst the combination ofmanagement procedures and barriers are effective in reducing the supply of poor waterquality, they do not meet the current best management practice standards.

Security of Supply

Security of supply is a measurement of the reliability of the water supply headworks; in thiscase the source rivers and the dam, particularly during drought periods. Supply security isconsidered to be adequate when reasonable customer demands can be met on mostoccasions without restrictions.

The NSW Government has defined ‘secure yield’ as the maximum supply rate that can bemaintained by the supply system without exceeding any one of the following threeacceptability criteria (NSW Government, Water Supply and Sewerage ManagementGuidelines, 1991):

! Reliability – The proportion of the supply that is unrestricted. Over any extendedperiod, restrictions should not be in place for more than 5% of the time. InEurobodalla for example this would mean that based on 100 years of stream flowthe total duration of water restrictions would be less than 60 months.

! Robustness – The average frequency of restriction should be less than once every10 years. More precisely there would be less than a 1-in-10 chance of having toimpose restrictions in any one year.

! Security - The storage will not be drawn down to below a critical level that wouldprevent Council providing even a basic supply or require alternative supplymeasures. The IWCM strategy guards against this scenario by ensuring that thesystem can supply 80% of unrestricted demand from the time restrictions areimposed. This is based on the conservative assumption that the full drought ofrecord could recommence at this time.

The above three acceptability criteria are commonly referred to as the 5/10/20 rule. Implicitin this rule is the trade-off between risk, community costs and social expectations. This rulewas developed and adopted by the NSW Government in the mid-1980s and has since beenused in the water supply planning for nearly all country towns in NSW. Although the IWCMstrategy guards against storage levels being drawn down to a critical level by ensuring thatthe system can supply 80% of unrestricted demand from the time restrictions are imposed,this margin will reduce over time with aggressive demand management.

The calculation of secure yield requires modelling of the water supply source and system,which is related to the following:

! Weather pattern in the water supply catchment and the urban areas

! The environmental needs of the rivers including access sharing rules with otherwater users

! The quantity of water that can be stored


53

! The rate of storage depletion during drought and filling after drought

! The ability to conserve water during drought

Setting the security of supply standard defines the yield of the system, and consequentlythe future supply infrastructure provision requirements. For a given level of demandreduction there is a trade-off between the setting of security of supply standards and thetiming and extent of supply source development.

At one end of the spectrum, an attempt to ‘drought proof’ the regional scheme would incurconsiderable capital expenditure and environmental costs, while at the other end insufficientsupply source infrastructure will put the Eurobodalla community at increased risk of runningout of water, with associated economic and social impacts. The 5/10/20 rule aims toachieve this balance and allows the comparison of different systems. The rules allow asystem to be developed that would provide sufficient storage and management of watersupply through a worse drought than on record. Management during a drought would beassisted by Council’s restriction policy. Whatever drought it is designed for there is always astatistical possibility of a worse drought occurring.

The Eurobodalla Shire’s restriction policy aims to maintain a balance between minimisingthe frequency of restrictions and maximising the duration that stored water can be made tolast in a drought. The key steps in Council’s current restriction policy are:

Level 1 Restrictions

Level 1 restrictions are implemented when the Deep Creek Dam storage level falls below80% and supplies from the rivers are no longer practical or very limited.

There is a ban on the use of fixed watering devices such as sprinklers (including pop-ups)and unattended hoses with the exception of:

! Hand-held hoses

! Micro and drip irrigation systems

! Bowling and golf club greens

! Commercial market gardens and nurseries

! Turf wickets available to the general public

! Public or commercial swimming pools and essential areas.


Level 2 restrictions are implemented when Deep Creek Dam storage level falls below 70%by volume.

There is a complete ban on the use of fixed watering devices such as sprinklers (includingpop-ups) and unattended hoses with the exception of:

! Bowling and golf club greens

! Commercial market gardens and nurseries

! Turf wickets available to the general public

! Public or commercial swimming pools


54

! Essential areas (for reasons such as public health) with the concurrence of theWater and Waste Manager.

Spring loaded taps are to be installed at boat ramps.

Micro irrigation systems and hand-held hoses for garden watering and other external usesincluding motor vehicle, boat washing and supply to private swimming pools are restrictedto a total of a 60-minute period between the hours of 6.00am and 8.00am or 5.00pm and8.00pm daily. Hand-held hoses are to be limited to one hose per property, and washingdown of driveways and footpaths is not permitted, except by bucket.

Businesses such as car yards, public passenger bus services, taxi companies and otherorganisations, required under regulations of the RTA to keep vehicles in a clean state, arerestricted to washing vehicles between the hours of 10.00am and 12 noon daily.


Level 3 restrictions are implemented when water can only be drawn from Deep Creek Damand its storage level falls below 50% by volume.

The restrictions are as per Level 2 with the permitted time reduced to a total of 30 minutesbetween the hours of 6.00am and 8.00am or 5.00pm and 8.00pm. Permissible days arereduced to Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Businesses such as car yards, public passenger bus services, taxi companies and otherorganisations, required under regulations of RTA to keep vehicles in a clean state, arerestricted to washing vehicles between the hours of 10.00am and 12 noon daily onMondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.


Level 4 restrictions are implemented when water can only be drawn from Deep Creek Damand its storage level falls below 40% by volume.

There is a complete ban on the use of running hoses or taps for any external purpose, withno exemptions. Water is available for domestic use only and essential areas (for reasons ofpublic health).

Restrictions after the Drought has Broken

The restrictions will remain in force depending on the storage levels in Deep Creek Dam toallow the water supply system to replenish the dam at maximum capacity.

1. Deep Creek Dam volume is less than 50% - Level 2 restrictions to be applied.

2. Deep Creek Dam volume is between 50% and 70% - Level 1 restrictions to beapplied.

3. Deep Creek Dam volume in excess of 70% and level rising - no restrictions to beapplied.

Modelling of the Regional Scheme

The regional scheme was modelled using the last 104 years of daily stream flow sequenceup to 2001, the above security of supply criteria and the current supply extraction licenceconditions. The modelling shows that the existing supply infrastructure can maintain anannual supply of 8 200 ML/a (i.e. secure yield of 8 300 ML/a). This supply rate is far inexcess of the current annual demand of 5 300 ML, however Council’s operating strategylimits run-of-river pumping during turbid stream flow periods (as this results in water beingsupplied to the consumer that does not meet the ADWG for turbidity). This limitation on


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pumping effectively reduces the security of supply resulting in more frequent restrictionsthan predicted (3 times in the past 15 years compared with modelling parameters of 10restrictions every 100 years). A filtration plant would eliminate the need for turbidity limit onrun-of-river pumping and would restore the original secure yield under the current licenceconditions. The current licence condition allows all the water available at the intakes to beextracted to meet the urban demands. As a result there is no explicit protection of thedownstream environment and water users particularly during low flow periods. However, inrecognition of the social and environmental values, Council generally tends to ceasepumping when flows in the rivers are low. This has also contributed to lower supply securityand more frequent restrictions than the model suggests, which is based only on the licencecondition.

Current Security of Supply Status

Figure 6-17 shows that the secure yield of the existing scheme based on the current licenceconditions is about 8 200 ML/a. Based on population projections, the existing system ofsource infrastructure is adequate to supply demand for the next 40+ years. However, due toCouncil’s operating strategy, which limits extraction when the river water is turbid andprotects low flows by ceasing to pump, the actual secure yield is likely to be substantiallyless. Due to the lack of operational turbidity data the secure yield based on the currentoperational strategy cannot be accurately quantified at this stage.

Whilst the above observations are based on system modelling outcomes, in thedevelopment of the model care has been taken to ensure that it represents the actualsituation as far as practical. There are still areas of uncertainty, and in developing the modelthe following assumptions have been made:

! Extraction is not constrained by water quality of the supply sources (e.g. turbidity)

! The accuracy of the system modelling outcome is limited by the extent andaccuracy of the last 104 years of historic stream flow and rainfall data used

! Any changes to catchment land use and irrigation practices will not significantlyalter the stream flow sequence

! Future climate will be statistically similar to the observed historic climate

! Future urban water use pattern will be statistically similar to observed historic usagepatterns and that the current legislation and community ‘consciousness andawareness’ on conservation will continue

! The population of Eurobodalla will continue to increase albeit at a slower rate thanin the past and that it will remain a popular tourist and holiday destination.

Environmental Flow and Access Sharing

As discussed in section 6.1.1, the Water Management Act will affect how much water isavailable for harvesting during low flow periods. Leaving water for the river environment willimprove the environmental health and the long term sustainability of the river, however italso reduces the secure yield of the water supply system. The quantity of water required forthe environmental flows has yet to be decided by the water management committees. Atthe inter-agency meeting (October 2002) it was agreed that the future planning shouldconsider the following cease to pump and flow access conditions as the base level casesfor the three supply sources:

! Within the first 10 year cycle of the water sharing plan, cease to pump whenMoruya, Tuross and Buckenboura Rivers flow drops below 12 ML/d, 17 ML/d and1 ML/d respectively at the water supply intake (95th percentile).


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! In subsequent reviews of the water sharing plans the cease to pump level may beconservation and an 80th percentile cease to pump level should also be evaluated.

! In both the above cases, when flow is above the cease to pump level, maximumwater extracted by all users should not exceed 30% of the total flow.

! All local runoff from the catchment of the Deep Creek off-river storage will beretained in the storage.

Figure 6-17 shows the impact of the proposed 95/30 licence conditions on the secure yieldof the regional scheme.

0

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1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040

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sum

ptio

n M

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Historical Annual Demands

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With Demand Management

Current Secure Yield

Secure Yield with 95/30access

Figure 6-17 The Effect of a 95th Percentile 30% Access Licence Condition on SecureYield

Figure 6-17 show that through incorporating the 95/30 supply constraints, the existingsystem of source infrastructure is adequate to supply the demand for the next few years,beyond which an increase in supply transfer rate and storage is required to supply the longterm demands.

Figure 6-18 presents the impact of the 80/30 conditions on the secure yield of the regionalscheme. This graph shows that the implementation of the 80/30 supply constraints wouldsignificantly reduce the secure yield below the current demands necessitating an immediateexpansion to the transfer rate and storage capacity.


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0

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Secure Yield with 80/30access

Figure 6-18 The Effect of an 80th Percentile 30% Access Licence Condition on SecureYield

From this analysis it is concluded that alteration to the current licence conditions to formallyincorporate low flow and percentage of total flow protection will reduce the ability of theexisting system of source infrastructure to supply demands in the future. To meet thissource infrastructure shortfall, water conservation and supply development strategies areoutlined in subsequent chapters. These measures together will maintain security of supplyduring drought while catering for population growth and development.

6.5.2 Sewage Treatment Issues

The following is an overview of the sewage treatment issues in the Eurobodalla Shire.

! The Batemans Bay sewerage system is under stress and experiences sewageoverflows from the sewer network

! Odour complaints

! Pollution reduction programs (PRPs) have been issued for Moruya and BatemansBay STP

! Unsewered villages in sensitive areas pose a significant environmental and healthrisk

! Sewerage systems are vulnerable to power blackouts

! Lack of storage and detention within systems

! Peak loads in tourist/ holiday season becoming longer duration as retirees settle.


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6.5.3 Stormwater Issues

The Eurobodalla Shire Stormwater Issues and Management Opportunities (Ref. 3) reporthas identified the main stormwater issues in the Eurobodalla area (Appendix W). Asummary of these issues is given below.

! Aging pipes and incomplete network causing localised flooding

! Impact of occasional sewer overflows on stormwater quality

! Nature and state of the infrastructure is unknown

! Poor quality stormwater is affecting water quality

! Discharges to SEPP 14 wetlands

! Stormwater flooding

! Stormwater inflows into sewer system.


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Part CHow Do We Fix the Issues

This Part develops solutions to the issues. Solutionsare developed at regional, local and shire-wide level.


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7 Part C Introduction

In this part, the ‘how to fix’ or in other words ‘how to get to where we want to be’ question isconsidered and addressed using the IWCM concept.

Since the urban areas are distributed and the issues are unique to each area, this requiresunique solutions to meet the aspirations and demands of each community and the localenvironment. There is a need to consider the ‘how to’ at both the regional and local levels.The IWCM options identified at both levels are then combined to form shire-wide scenarios.Accordingly, this part of the report evaluates opportunities at both the regional and locallevels, and then provides the shire-wide solutions.

It is important to realise that the ‘how to’ could be achieved in a number of ways which donot necessarily rely solely on the provision of new infrastructure. Other measures includenon-build management opportunities. Thus the ‘how to’ consists of both structural and non-structural solutions.

In assessing the opportunities and options available, a triple bottom line (environment,social and economic) ranking was used as part of the balanced outcomes planning. Foreach of the opportunities and options identified, a score ranging from 0 to 3 has beenassigned. A score of 0 is representative that the opportunity does not meet the criteria, anda score of 3 means that the opportunity is well suited to achieving the objectives of thecriteria.


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8 Regional Water Cycle ManagementOpportunities

8.1 Opportunities for Managing the Regional Water Demands

8.1.1 Status of Current Measures

Eurobodalla has made significant gains in water conservation and demand reduction. Forexample:

! The ‘user pays’ pricing and community awareness programs have resulted in thehousehold water consumption being on average 20-30% lower than many othercoastal towns in NSW.

! About 10% of the total reclaimed water produced is recycled.

! Planning and building controls that actively promote energy efficiency have alsosignificantly contributed to lower water consumption and the reduction ofgreenhouse gas emissions.

8.1.2 Introduction

Whilst the current demand reduction measures have been successful in reducing per capitawater consumption, the annual water consumption will continue to grow as the populationincreases resulting in environmental impacts. The community and Council together havethe opportunity to develop further strategies at their own discretion to slow the growth inwater consumption. It is important to note that in order to protect and sustainably managethe water resources for the future, Eurobodalla would need to continue a sustained pursuitof a multi-faceted approach to water conservation and demand reduction.

Recommended water conservation and demand reduction programs to be implemented byCouncil should include elements such as, water demand reduction through appropriateplanning controls, improved water efficiency, increasing water conservation awarenessthrough promotion and education, distribution system loss reduction, pricing, urban waterharvesting and water recycling. Effective initiatives are also required to ensure sustainablecommercial growth as increased future commercial water requirements will not beaccommodated for by the new licensing regime under the Water Management Act.

It is crucial that these efforts be sustained and the benefits achieved a decade in advanceof future supply augmentation decisions. The best way to ensure that any waterconservation strategy undertaken will provide long term results is for Council to make a firmcommitment to the program. This commitment may take many forms, some of whichinclude providing an upper level Council policy covering water conservation, providingadequate staffing resources and making funds available to implement and effectivelymonitor the program options, and including Council’s operations as an integral part of theprogram.

The specific staging of the individual options may change depending on the uptake levelsand demand reductions achieved by the water conservation strategy. Therefore it isimportant that Council provide resources to monitor the effectiveness of measures thathave been implemented. The direct effects of some components of the demand


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management program such as the education campaign will be difficult to quantify inisolation of concurrently run measures.

The main advantage of water conservation measures from both the residential and non-residential sector is the downsizing and deferral of future water supply augmentation costs.There are also benefits by way of reduced annual operating costs for water treatment anddistribution and reduced annual operating costs for wastewater collection, treatment andrecycling. Some water conservation measures will also reduce household energy bills.

8.1.3 Planning Controls

During the community consultation period, several of the villages were opposed to theprovision of reticulated water and sewerage services as it is seen as a means to facilitatemedium density development. However strategic planning via environmental planninginstruments (EPIs) offers a means by which to regulate development and ensure that it isundertaken in a sustainable manner. The preparation of EPIs is a transparent process,which encourages community participation and review. Limiting development shouldtherefore be effectively achieved through planning controls such as zoning, rather thanlimiting the provision of water and sewerage services.

Eurobodalla Council has addressed the energy efficiency of residential housing in itsResidential Design and Development Guidelines Development Control Plan (Ref. 3). TheDCP contains specifics on the energy efficiency and the associated greenhouse gasemissions for various elements of residential housing. This includes hot water systems,however the efficiency of water using appliances and practices that affect other areas of thewater cycle such as water sensitive urban design are not specifically covered.

Planning Control Opportunity

Water Efficiency

There is scope for Council to include water efficiency clauses in the Residential Design andDevelopment Guidelines DCP because in many instances water efficiency indirectlypromotes energy efficiency. For example the installation of AAA rated shower heads andenergy efficient clothes washing machines will reduce hot water consumption and thusenergy consumption. The inclusion of other water efficiency measures such as low flowdual flush toilets and the planting of drought-resistant native plant species for householdsmay portray a greater water conservation message in the Residential Design andDevelopment Guidelines DCP.

Council has the opportunity to increase water efficiency in new residential dwellings byincluding specific clauses in this DCP that cover minimum performance standards for allwater using fixtures. Water efficient appliance and fittings such as water efficient showerroses and aerated taps with Aqualoc tap valves or similar can be installed in new houses atlittle or no extra cost. Some measures are already included in the local Eurobodalla Shirebuilding code and inclusion in development control plans has been proposed.

Water-Sensitive Urban Design

Water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) incorporates both the temporary and permanentstorage of stormwater to reduce the peak flow velocity and the volume of water leaving theurban environment. It aims to keep the balance between infiltration and runoff from theurban allotment as close as possible to the pre-development balance. Typical urbandesigns increase stormwater runoff by 30% or more due to the addition of impervioussurfaces to the landscape. Better control of the flow and retention of stormwater in theurban landscape can reduce garden water and landscape water needs at little or no extracost. Techniques to reduce flow velocities and volumes from the block can be achievedthrough the use of rainwater tanks, natural filtration, surface storage and infiltration intoaquifers. The benefit of incorporating WSUD in new developments extends beyond solely


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reducing the pressure on drainage systems, with WSUD able to achieve a significantreduction in the volume of pollutant loads entering the environment.

Thus to gain maximum benefit from this opportunity the Residential Design andDevelopment Guidelines DCP is extended to cover the following elements as a minimum:

! AAA water efficient appliances including low flow shower heads, 6 L/3 L dual flushtoilets and aerated taps

! Elements of water-sensitive urban design

! Rainwater tanks plumbed for garden watering, toilet flushing and washing machineuse (see Appendix Z on roofwater harvesting), and

! Site runoff and nutrient loads limited to less than 5% of undeveloped runoff (inaccordance with Draft Strategic Business Objectives in Appendix A).

This opportunity assists Council in meeting its Draft Strategic Business Objectives(Appendix A) of 100% of development proposals incorporating water resource conservationconcepts.

8.1.4 Water Conservation Education

Promoting the water conservation message through current Council educational programshas raised the community’s awareness to important water related issues. This awarenesshas been heightened by the low storage levels and water restrictions that currently existwithin Eurobodalla Shire and other areas of NSW. The challenge for Council is to ensurethat this increased awareness is translated into lasting behavioural change of customers’patterns of water use. Residential outdoor water use, which includes garden watering, carwashing, hosing down of hard surfaces and the filling of swimming pools is one area thathas the potential for significant water savings from improved customer education. Changingthe wasteful outdoor water practices of permanent residents and tourists and holiday-makers alike is a key goal of a water conservation education campaign. Furtheropportunities to enhance the water conservation message include increasing communityinvolvement at a local level, targeting specific groups within the community with speciallytailored sessions and promoting the Standards Australia Water Conservation Rating andLabelling Scheme for water-using appliances.

Water Conservation Education Opportunity

Target Groups

Experience elsewhere shows that generic efficiency programs targeting all customercategories are not as effective as programs that specifically target a portion of thecommunity. The residential sector is the largest collective water user within the EurobodallaShire. Therefore an effective program that specifically addresses domestic water-efficientappliances has probably the greatest capacity to produce significant savings in water use.Opportunities are also available to reduce the demands for non-residential users by tailoringefficiency programs based on the type of industry and the customer’s specific water use.

The community is in a key position to become actively involved in the development of waterconservation programs. Incorporating valuable community knowledge is advantageous inmany respects, but perhaps the greatest benefit is the sense of ownership that thecommunity can claim for programs that they have helped develop. This in turn will lead toincreased uptake levels for any programs that are implemented and therefore improvedresults.


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While Council has implemented many educational programs aimed at schools and thegeneral community, it is recommended that Council develop programs that specificallytarget other groups.

! Builders and plumbers are one such group that will provide extra benefits to theoverall results of a water savings program. Specifically targeting builders andplumbers as part of a water conservation education program will yield benefitsbecause of their technical knowledge and the personal contact that they have withhome owners. They are also independent of Council’s operations and provideanother avenue to spread the water conservation message.

! Architects, landscape gardeners, nursery owners and property developers can alsoplay an important part in conveying the message of water conservation to new andexisting home owners if they are targeted appropriately. Hunter Water, inconjunction with the Master Builders Association, has implemented the EcoBuildadvisory service for both building professionals and residential customers, whichprovides information regarding water conservation technologies to incorporate intonew or existing dwellings.

! Council staff can also be targeted for special education sessions that cover water-saving practices both at work and in the home. This will have the benefit of directlyreducing Council’s water use but will also provide a positive example to friends andneighbours of staff members. Tourists and holiday-makers represent another groupthat Council should consider targeting with a specific education campaign. Theinflux of tourists, predominantly during the hottest months of the year when peakdemand is at its greatest, represents a significant contributor to excessive waterusage.

Labelling of Water-Efficient Appliances

The Standards Australia Water Conservation Rating and Labelling Scheme is a nationalinitiative that is designed to provide an easy to understand rating system for the efficiency ofdomestic water-using fixtures. The scheme provides each appliance with a rating of either‘A’, ‘AA’ or ‘AAA’ in a scale of increased water efficiency. This allows customers to makemore informed decisions when purchasing water-using appliances.

As public awareness regarding water conservation issues improves and new technologiesbecome available, it is assumed that customers will be more prepared to alter their waterusage practices so that overall consumption is reduced.

Garden Watering and Other Outdoor Water Uses

Improved garden watering practices has the potential to produce significant water savings.Areas of garden watering that are available to ESC to target include higher efficiencywatering systems, appropriate watering times, and planting drought-resistant species andappropriately landscaped gardens.

Studies have shown that households that use fixed watering systems consume up to 35%more water than the average household does. A study into outdoor water use in Canberraconducted by the CSIRO estimated that watering the garden only twice a week would resultin a 25% saving in outdoor water consumption. Also, using a tap timer would provide a 20%saving and installing a drip system would yield a 10% saving in outdoor water usage. Newtechnologies are available on the market that are less water intensive than existingmethods of watering such as sensor-controlled systems that only water the roots of plantsonce the soil moisture reaches a set value.

Watering gardens in the early morning and evening will reduce evaporation as well askeeping grass at a reasonable length rather than very short. Using hand-held sprinklers forgarden watering uses less water than automatic and fixed sprinkler systems and has the


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added advantages of better coverage and being able to reduce waste by better targetingthe actual garden area to be watered.

More appropriate gardens and landscaping also reduce water usage. Drought-resistantnative flora species, converting lawn areas that require large amounts of water to mulchand altering watering habits will also reduce external water demand. Home owners whowater their lawns less regularly force the root system to grow deeper into the soil and thusbe more efficient at extracting moisture from the soil.

While garden watering is the major component of residential outdoor water consumption,car washing, hosing down of hard surfaces and filling swimming pools collectively alsorepresent significant water use. Because of many wasteful practices in this area there isconsiderable scope to reduce water consumption from these end uses through a waterconservation education program.

Washing cars with a bucket rather than with a hose, sweeping hard surfaces rather thanhosing down and keeping swimming pools covered to reduce evaporation losses are allimprovements to outdoor water usage practices that can be relayed to customers throughthe education program. Washing cars over grassed areas rather than on hard surfaces willalso have benefits for the stormwater drainage system.

Water Audit and Retrofit Program

A retrofit program (discussed in Section 8.1.5 and 8.1.6) coupled with a water audit canform an important component of the information provided to customers in an educationcampaign. Conducting a water audit by a suitably experienced officer provides a face-to-face contact that is important in delivering the water conservation message. Water auditscan be carried out for both residential and non-residential customers, however the waterusage assessment will change for different non-residential industries.

The officer will provide an assessment of each customer’s current water use and theefficiency of existing water-using appliances. This will allow recommendations to be madeas to how the customer can further reduce water consumption. It is also important toemphasise the dollar savings that are available to customers who implement therecommended water conservation measures, in addition to the benefits to both Council andthe environment,. The costs and benefits of this part of an education program are includedin the retrofit program rather than as part of the water conservation education opportunity.

Water Conservation Education Costs

An allowance of $50 000 per annum for the first 4 years and $25 000 per annum for thesubsequent 4 years and then $10 000 per annum thereafter has been made for thedevelopment and implementation of a coordinated water conservation and educationprogram incorporating the measures discussed above. It is estimated that this programcould save 0.57 ML/d. Ideally a coordinator would be employed to manage the educationprogram, or alternatively hire consultants with marketing and PR experience in runningsimilar programs. Having an ESC staff member manage the education program and theoverall demand management strategy would provide better control and results.

Demonstration House

Another important component for ESC to consider in improving the efficiency of water useand as part of an education campaign is a water-efficient demonstration house. This wouldprovide practical, easy-to-use and inexpensive examples of water-efficient appliances thatcustomers can implement in their own homes. New technologies that reduce the waterconsumption for both internal and external end uses should be included in thedemonstration house.

To help offset the capital costs associated with building the demonstration house,sponsorship can be sought from companies with water-efficient products, which would allow


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their products to be used and provide exposure to home owners. A whole range of moresustainable solutions could be included in the demonstration house such as improvedenergy efficient appliances, which would yield greater sponsorship opportunities. The costsinvolved with a demonstration house would be significant and any undertaking would needto be thoroughly assessed by ESC before commencement.

8.1.5 Residential Water Efficiency Program

Current and Future Residential Water Consumption

In section 6.4.1 the current water use in the shire was examined. Figure 6-10 showed thatthe residential water consumption accounts for 70.1% of the total shire usage, therefore aprogram to target residential water usage is recommended.

Figure 8-1 shows the daily residential end uses for an average household for 2002 and howthey have been modelled to change by 2032.

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Figure 8-1 Typical Residential Water End Uses for 2002 and 2032 with naturalpropagation of water efficient appliances

Figure 8-1 above shows that on average, in excess of 80% of the water used in householdsmay be attributed to showering, garden watering, clothes washing and toilet flushing. Anyprogram to reduce residential water consumption should therefore target these areas. Thefigure also shows how the typical residential water uses will change over the planninghorizon due to the natural propagation of water-efficient appliances such as toilets, showerheads and clothes washing machines. It can be seen that the toilet demand will significantlyreduce between 2002 and 2032. The water consumption for both shower roses and clotheswashing machines will also fall over this period but to a lesser extent. The reason for thesignificant fall in water demand for toilet flushing is due to the mandatory installation ofwater-efficient dual flush toilets through plumbing codes. The installation of other water-saving fixtures however is governed by consumer choice and market forces.


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Active Retrofit Opportunity

Rather than wait for the natural propagation of water-efficient appliances to occur over timeas old models are replaced, ESC have the option to speed up this process through anactive residential retrofit program. This program involves retrofitting existing houses, ratherthan new dwellings, with water-using appliances and fittings of increased water efficiency.This usually involves replacing the appliance before it has worn out. Therefore financialincentives are often required from the water utility to encourage customers to install morewater-efficient appliances in the home. New technologies to reduce outdoor water usagesuch as drip sprinkler systems and soil moisture sensors that control the operation ofautomatic sprinkler systems are now available on the market, however financial incentivesmay also be needed to increase sales.

Implementation

As part of this strategy study, a preliminary analysis has been carried out. However, beforea retrofit program is undertaken a detailed demand management strategy is required todetermine the most cost effective retrofit program. Rather than simply increasing thequantity of efficient end use fixtures over the whole shire, different residential customergroups can be targeted depending on their water consumption habits. Home owners withsubstantial areas of lawn and garden, and especially those who live in new subdivisionswith newly established gardens, can be targeted for outdoor education and financialincentives. Pensioners who live in older houses can be targeted for retrofitting of low flushvolume toilets or cistern displacement devices and tap aerators. All state housing dwellingscan be included in an indoor retrofit program and include tenants in an outdoor water useeducation campaign.

From the data regarding the relative demands and the replacement costs of the residentialend use fixtures, any retrofit demand management program that targets residentialcustomers should be in the following order of priority;

! Shower roses

! Garden watering systems

! Clothes washing machines

! Tap aerators, and

! Toilets.

A preliminary analysis has been carried out that indicates that an active retrofit targeting thereplacement of shower heads with AAA rated shower heads would achieve an annual watersaving of 0.69 ML/d on its own. The cost if an active retrofit program has been estimated at$100 000 per annum for four years. A trial program should be initially undertaken by Councilto gauge community acceptance and uptake levels for the retrofit scheme and to assessspecific customer groups and areas to target.

Financial incentive programs to encourage the purchase of more efficient washingmachines and garden watering systems may be considered after the shower headreplacement program has been run. Actual uptake levels from the showerhead retrofitprogram could be used as an indicator for other proposed programs. The replacement of11 L single flush toilets with 6 L/3 L dual flush toilets may be justified later within the periodcovered by this study.

8.1.6 Non-residential Water Efficiency Program

From Figure 6-10 in section 6.4.1 it was shown that the metered consumption for the non-residential sector accounts for 29.9% of the total shire water demand. Therefore reducingwater consumption in the non-residential sector can provide significant savings to overallconsumption. The best method of reducing the water consumption of non-residentialcustomers is by undertaking water audits, which are similar to those discussed in section


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8.1.4 for the residential sector. These audits may be conducted as a free service by Councilat a nominal cost and provide advice to the organisation on how to best conserve water andhence reduce their water bills. The customers targeted by such a scheme could beidentified through the volume of water used from water bills or by their particular industry.

Program Based on Industry Type

Conducting water audits on an industry-by-industry basis allows programs to be initiatedthat have similar salient features for different companies. By analysing the meteredconsumption records it is possible to determine which industries have the highest individualwater use. The industries that contribute the greatest to water consumption in EurobodallaShire include hospitality such as motels and clubs, hospitals, caravan parks, retirementhomes grouped by category type. The industries that contain the 35 highest water users inthe shire are shown diagrammatically in Figure 8-2 below.

101.7

56.462.7

29.3

27.3

18.211.8

10.9

Caravan Parks (10)Houses (5)Clubs (9)Business (3)Retirement Homes (2)Motels (3)Community Centre (1)Hospitals (2)

Figure 8-2 Major Water Users by Customer Category (ML)

From Figure 8-2 it can be seen that caravan parks and motels are the largest non-residential contributors on an industry basis to water demand. Therefore these would bespecific customer categories that would yield significant water savings from water auditsand therefore be high on the list of industries for water audits to target.. Interestingly,residential dwellings also appear among the highest water users.

Council water use should not be exempt from the water audit process. Many of ESCoperations could potentially benefit from more water-efficient practices, such as irrigation ofcouncil gardens and parks, public toilets and beach showers. These demands may beunmetered and as such are easy to overlook in a demand management strategy.

8.1.7 Unaccounted for Water Assessment and Loss Reduction

It is important for ESC to accurately understand the current level of unaccounted for water(UFW). Unaccounted-for water is usually in the range of 7–25% of bulk water supply and ingeneral this figure is related to the age of the distribution system and distribution pressure.Anecdotal evidence suggests that water utilities tend to have a base UFW level of about 7–8% for fire fighting, mains flushing and other utility activities. This figure also coversbreakages, overflows and difficult to trace illegal connections. Therefore an UFW level of 7–8% is difficult to improve upon. However ESC’s UFW level of around 15% offers scope for


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improvement, with potentially substantial financial gains to Council available throughreducing the system leakage.

Council’s annual bulk production and metered consumption figures and the resultingunaccounted-for water level from 1995 to 2001 are given in Table 8-1 below.

Table 8-1 Annual Unaccounted-for Water Figures From 1995 to 2001

Year Production(ML/a)

Consumption(ML/a)

Unaccounted-for Water (ML/a)

Unaccounted-for Water (%)

1995 4 294 3 257 1 037 24.1%

1996 4 201 3 378 823 19.6%

1997 4 890 4 010 880 18.0%

1998 4 000 3 546 454 11.4%

1999 4 755 3 996 758 15.9%

2000 5 032 4 181 851 16.9%

2001 4 694 4 536 158 3.4%

It can be seen from the above table that the level of UFW has generally been between 10and 20% of bulk production. The 1995 figure was higher than this range and the value for2001 was 3.4%, which would reflect metering inconsistencies rather than real data. Anaverage figure of 16.4% has been assumed for this study (DLWC Eurobodalla ShireIntegrated Water Cycle Plan Supplementary Demand Report, 2002). Comparison of thebulk production, metered consumption and UFW figures are shown graphically in Figure8-3 below.

0

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2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001Year

Ann

ual D

eman

d (M

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Annual ConsumptionAnnual ProductionUnaccounted for Water

Figure 8-3 Bulk Production, Metered Consumption and UFW Figures From 1995 to2001

Experience with other NSW councils that have implemented various metering and lossreduction measures, suggests that an unaccounted-for water figure of about 15% could bereduced to 8-9% (DLWC Performance Comparisons, 2000/01). A two-stage approach is


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recommended to achieve this, with the first stage determining the current level ofunaccounted-for water, which would include assessing the existing metering system andinitiating metering improvements wherever necessary. The second stage is the lossreduction program, which involves implementing various techniques to reduce systemlosses.

Unaccounted for Water Assessment Opportunity

The determination of the current levels of unaccounted-for water would be achievedthrough assessing the existing system and installing additional bulk water metering wherenecessary, specifically at key reservoirs and pipelines in the short term, with expansion toall reservoirs in the long term. This critical assessment of ESC’s distribution system willensure the detection of any flows that are not currently measured. In addition known pointsof water use should be metered, including overhead fillers and Council sites. A program toregularly calibrate the existing bulk water meters should be commenced and any faultymeters be either repaired or replaced. The calibration of existing bulk water meters can becarried out in conjunction with reservoir draw-down tests. An assessment of customer watermeters that have been in service for over 10 years would yield a number of low or zeroreading meters. Replacing faulty customer meters would provide more accurateconsumption records and increased revenue for Council.

Loss Reduction Opportunity

Once the existing system flows are determined and all bulk water meters are readingaccurately, preliminary water balances can be used to prioritise the areas for loss reductionprograms. These priorities can be refined until the target level of unaccounted-for water ismet. Water balances and minimum nightly flow tests can be undertaken at a reducing scaleto narrow the leakage search area. At the individual pipeline scale, physical detectionequipment such as spikes and transmitters or correlators that are operated by suitablyexperienced personnel is required. The identification of areas of high pressure in thedistribution system and the installation of pressure reducing valves will help to reduce theoverall system losses by reducing the incidence of burst mains and also the flows from anyruptures.

Benefits and Costs

As part of the regional supply strategy, this opportunity has been costed at $100 000/a forthe first four years and $20 000/a thereafter and is estimated to save 910 kL/a.

8.1.8 Water Pricing Opportunity

A major instrument of demand management in the urban water sector has been pricereform. The key element of this reform has been the move away from a ‘rating’ structurebased on property value to a ‘pay for service’ system that involves charging for water basedon the volume of water consumed. ESC introduced a ‘user pays’ pricing structure in 1993.This has resulted in a reduction in water consumption in the non-residential sectors.

ESC’s current water charges comprise:

! Water access charge – a fixed charge that varies only according to meter size.Most domestic customers have a standard 20 mm diameter meter and thereforecurrently pay a uniform water access charge. Consumers with larger meters payhigher access charges.

! Water usage charges - these charges are applied to measured consumption at thecustomer’s meter. Thus every drop if water that passes through the meter ischarged. The current charge is $0.65/kL.


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ESC’s strong belief that water conservation can be promoted through appropriate pricinghas been put into practice with the progressive increase in water prices over a number ofyears. Water pricing has increased by 5c/kL/a over the past five years. However, ESC alsorecognises that it is desirable to have prices cost-reflective to ensure that those consumerson low incomes and businesses (and associated employment opportunities) are notdisadvantaged. Current water prices are not sufficient to promote conservation practices byaffluent water customers, and also do not adequately reflect the externalities of water usesuch as the cost to the shire for environmental degradation caused by volume extractions.

There are novel approaches to water pricing currently being trialled water authorities both inAustralia and overseas that may bring about reductions in water demand. Two tier waterusage charges can be introduced that have a lower charge below a certain limit and anincreased charge for higher users. The charges can be set so that low income earners arenot disadvantaged and that the more affluent customers have an incentive to use watermore efficiently.

Another pricing option available to Council may be to provide increased water usagecharges during periods of peak demands or periods of hot, dry weather. Eurobodalla Shirehas a large influx of holiday-makers during the summer period and these people may not beas sensitive to the local water conservation issues as permanent residents. Thereforeintroducing increased water prices during these periods could provide a strong message toall water users that water demands need to be reduced.

Council will need to couple any price increase with an extensive educational campaign toexplain the reasons behind these decisions and the benefits to the community and to theenvironment.

Water pricing is an important demand management tool. Under NSW Water SupplySewerage and Trade Waste Pricing Guidelines (DLWC), water usage charges shouldprovide users with the appropriate pricing signal. Under best-practice pricing principles, theprice should reflect the long run marginal cost (LRMC) of the water supply system.

Marginal cost calculations result in a usage charge/kL that reflects the cost of supply. Thecurrent usage charge is 65c/kL which is significantly lower than the LRMC. This results ininefficient use of water resources and leads to a number of cross-subsidies between waterusers. It is estimated that a real increase in the usage charge to around $1.20/kL isappropriate, with a significant decrease in the fixed access charge. The increased usagecharge will result in a reduction in demand of approximately 0.11ML/day.

Transition to the new pricing structure can be immediate, with the fixed charge beingreduced at the same time to maintain Council's revenue base at an appropriate level. Tominimise anxiety in the community, it should be explained that as both the usage chargeand fixed charge are being adjusted, average water bills will remain at current levels. Itshould also be emphasised that low and moderate water users will benefit from the pricingadjustment and that all users will benefit from the demand reduction effect of the changethrough lower treatment and transfer and capital investment costs that will be passed ontoconsumers through lower water bills.

8.1.9 Water Waste Ordinance Opportunity

Water waste ordinance can be viewed as a method of water conservation, howeverbecause of limited community acceptance should only be introduced out of necessity.Members of the community may consider restrictions as an imposition and take up anemotive debate over their introduction. Water restrictions can adversely impact upon thehigh proportion of retirees in the area who spend a large amount of their leisure timegardening. Allegations may also be made by the community that inadequate managementof the water resources has lead to the need for water restrictions. Therefore it is importantthat a rational, thorough and transparent decision-making process is followed and that theconclusions reached are conveyed to the community.


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Even though water restrictions are generally viewed as an effective method of demandmanagement, there is evidence to suggest that in some circumstances they may initially,result in increasing demand. Rather than instilling a conservation mentality in customer’sminds, some water users may not have realised that water was in short supply but feel thattheir present situation is too important to reduce consumption and instead increase theirwater use. This is usually seen when restrictions have only recently been introduced andthe level is not very strict. Increased demand reduction will generally occur as the level ofrestrictions is increased and the need to conserve water is conveyed to the community.Also the ability of Council to enforce these restrictions through fines and penalties isimportant to the community’s adherence to them.

The present community sentiment toward water restrictions is that they are an impositionfrom Council and are only required during periods of severe drought. However, there is anopportunity to use the introduction of water restrictions in a broader context within in ademand management framework. Restricting garden watering to early morning andevening is one water restriction strategy that could be applied permanently. This strategynot only achieves positive outcomes in terms of water efficiency, but it is more beneficial forgeneral plant health and growth. One of the major challenges facing ESC through theimplementation of the water conservation strategy is to change customers’ currentbehavioural patterns of water use. As community awareness of water conservation issuesincreases through the implementation of a successful demand management program, agreater acceptance toward these issues is likely to result. This may also result in a changeto the community’s current perception of water restrictions. Rather than only introducerestrictions during periods of severe drought, they could be used to help raise awarenessand reduce peak seasonal summer demands by introducing mild restrictions everysummer. The political repercussions of any decision made with regard to water restrictionswould need to be determined by Council prior to their introduction.


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Table 8-2 Triple Bottom Line Assessment for Regional Water Demand Opportunities

Planning Controls Water Conservation Education Water Use Efficiency

Wat

er E

ffici

ency

WSU

D

DC

P C

onte

nt

Targ

et G

roup

s

Labe

lling

of w

ater

appl

ianc

es

Gar

den

Wat

erin

g

Res

iden

tial W

ater

Audi

t

Non

- R

esid

entia

lW

ater

Aud

it

Dem

onst

ratio

nH

ouse

Show

erhe

adR

etro

fit

Toile

t Ret

rofit

Was

hing

Mac

hine

Reb

ate

UFW

and

Los

sR

educ

tion

Wat

er P

ricin

g

Wat

er w

aste

ordi

nanc

e

ENVIRONMENTAL

Efficient use of fresh water resource 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Minimises low flow water extractions 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Minimises greenhouse gas emissions 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Minimises pollutants being discharged to the aquatic environment 1 3 2 1 1 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0

Minimises urban stormwater volumes 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

Ensure sustainable practices 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 2

Environmental Sum 13 18 17 12 13 13 11 11 12 13 13 13 13 11 11

Environmental Rank 3 1 2 10 3 3 12 12 10 3 3 3 3 12 12

SOCIAL

Improves security of town water supply 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 2 1 3 3 2 3 3 2

Improves the quality of drinking water 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Improves urban water service levels 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 2 2

Increases public awareness of urban water issues 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 3 3

Minimises non-compliance to policy and legislation 3 3 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 2

Protects public health 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

Social Sum 10 12 12 8 8 8 6 6 5 8 8 7 11 11 9

Social Rank 5 1 1 7 7 7 13 13 15 7 7 12 3 3 6

FINANCIAL

Benefit / Cost ratio (Council) - - - - - 16 1.0 2.0 - 4.8 1.4 0.6 14 119 -

Financial Rank - - - - 2 7 5 - 4 6 8 3 1

TBL Score - - - - - 12 32 30 - 14 16 22 9 16 -

TBL Rank - - - - - 2 7 6 - 3 4 5 1 4 -Note: There is a lack of data for the water savings achievable with elements with a – in the Benefit cost ratio row . All planning options have been carried forward to the comprehensive demand management program.


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8.1.10 Comprehensive demand management program

The opportunities for managing the regional water demand have been assessed on a TBLbasis. The opportunities which give the best outcomes on a triple bottom line basis havebeen bundled together to form the comprehensive demand management program. Theelements of this program are:

! Planing control by means of a DCP covering water sensitive urban design andwater efficiency for all new developments and extensions

! Best practice water pricing

! Unaccounted for water assessment and loss reduction program

! An education program explaining the labelling of water efficient devices

! An active showerhead retrofit

! A water conservation education program targeting outdoor and non-residentialwater use

The potential water saving of the comprehensive demand management program,compared to the baseline case is shown in Figure 8-1.

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

2002 2007 2012 2017 2022 2027 2032

Year

Dem

and

ML/

a

BaselineDemand Management

Figure 8-4 Potential Water Savings Through a Comprehensive Demand ManagementProgram

This comprehensive demand management program should be reassessed when the IWCMstrategy is reviewed in 5 years time.


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8.2 Opportunities for Developing the Local Supply Sources

8.2.1 Roof Water Harvesting

In high rainfall areas, it is possible to harvest considerable amounts of roofwater usingrainwater tanks. Recovery of roof water is not only a function of rainfall and tank size androof size, but also a function of water use. The use of rainwater tanks as a supply sourceand water conservation measure in highly developed urban areas has increased in recentyears due to varied water applications and improved installations and technology.

In this study the roofwater harvesting using rainwater tanks was modelled as asupplementary source of supply for the mains water. That is, when available, the harvestedroof water is used first, with mains water meeting the residual demand.

The rainwater tanks installation scenarios analysed included:

! All new homes (permanent and holiday)

! All new homes plus 20% of existing homes

! All new homes plus 40% of existing homes.

For each of the above scenarios the harvested roof water was used for the following uses:

! Garden watering only

! Garden watering plus toilet flushing

! Garden watering, toilet flushing and washing machines.

Modelling was conducted on an individual allotment basis and as part of the regionalscheme. The modelling assumptions, input parameters and the modelling process andoutputs, are discussed in detail in the ‘Yield Study Report’ (see appendix G) and theRainwater Tank appendix (appendix Z)

Table 8-4 below presents the percentage of the annual regional demand that can besupplied by the harvested roof water for the various rainwater tanks installation andnominated end use scenarios.


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Table 8-3 Percentage of Total Regional Demand That Can Be Supplied ThroughRainwater Tanks (With No Other Demand Measures)

Rainwater Use 5 kLTank

10 kLTank

15 kLTank

20 kLTank

Garden Watering 3% 3% 4% 4%

Garden and Toilet Use 4% 5% 5% 5%New houses only

(7 430 dwellings) Garden, Toilet andWashing Machines Use 5% 6% 7% 7%


Garden and Toilet Use 5% 6% 7% 7%New houses and20% of existinghouses

(10 120 dwellings)Garden, Toilet andWashing Machines Use 6% 8% 9% 10%


Garden and Toilet Use 6% 8% 9% 9%New houses and40% of existinghouses

(12 810 dwellings)Garden, Toilet andWashing Machines Use 8% 10% 12% 13%

Rebates

Council can consider passing on their capital and operational cost saving to landownerswho install rainwater tanks as a rebate (Table 8-4). These calculations, taking into accountthe saving to Council in capital and operational costs, can be found in Appendix Z.

Table 8-4 Proposed Rebates For Rainwater Tank Installation

5 kL 10 kL 20 kL+

Garden use only $470 $640 $735

Garden use plus toilet and/or washing machines $510 $680 $780

Rainwater Tanks In All New Developments Opportunity

In this opportunity, 10 kL rainwater tanks could be mandated for all new developments, forgarden watering, toilet and washing machine use. This has the potential to reduced thedemands of the system by 425 ML/a or 6% of the regional water demands. Rebates couldbe offered either on installation or through developer contributions.

Rainwater Tanks In All New Developments And 20% Of Existing DevelopmentsOpportunity

In this opportunity, 10 kL rainwater tanks could be mandated for all new developments, forgarden watering, toilet and washing machines use. A rebate could also be offered for theinstallation of rainwater tanks for garden watering into existing developments. An uptake of20% may be achieved through the requirements to retrofit extensions to existing houseswith rainwater tanks. For existing houses rebates could be offered to offset the owner’scost. The opportunity has the potential to reduce the system demands by 510 ML/a or 7% oftotal regional demands.


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Rainwater Tanks In All New Developments And 40% Of Existing DevelopmentsOpportunity

In this opportunity, 10 kL rainwater tanks could be mandated for all new developments, forgarden watering, toilet and washing machines use. A rebate could also be offered for theinstallation of rainwater tanks for garden watering into existing developments. In trying toreach an uptake of 40% of existing houses an active promotion program is required. Thisopportunity has the potential to reduce regional water demands by 600 ML/a or 9% in anaverage year.

Community Costs of Rainwater Tanks

The cost for a householder to install a tank – taking into account the rebate offered bycouncil is shown in Table 8-5

Table 8-5 Single Household Cost to Rainwater Tank With Council Rebate

5 kL 10 kL 20 kL

Garden $1 730 $1 860 $2 765

Garden + internal use $1 620 $1 580 $2 385Note: Further details on installation costs can be found in appendix Z

The yearly community costs to install rainwater tanks in

! all new houses

! all new houses and 20% of existing houses

! all new houses and 40% of existing houses

within a 30 year period are shown in Table 8-6. The capital outlay costs do not include anyongoing Council costs for management of rainwater tanks or householder costs foroperation, maintenance and renewal of tanks and pressure pumps.

Table 8-6 Total Yearly Community Costs for Rainwater Tanks Installation (includingrebate)

Use 5 kL 10 kL 20 kL

Garden $428 579 $460 784 $684 983New Houses

Garden + internal use $401 328 $391 419 $590 844

Garden $583 644 $627 502 $932 819New + 20% ofexisting houses Garden + internal use $546 534 $533 039 $804 620

Garden $738 710 $794 220 $1 180 655New + 40% ofexisting houses Garden + internal use $691 740 $674 660 $1 018 395


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Table 8-7 Triple Bottom Line Assessment for the Regional Rainwater TanksOpportunities

10 kL RWTs in allnew

developments


developmentsplus 20%

existing houses


developmentsplus 40%

existing house

ENVIRONMENTAL

Ensures the efficient use of thefresh water resource 1 2 3

Minimises water extractions andprotects low flows 1 2 3

Minimises greenhouse gasemissions 2 2 2


2 2 2

Minimises urban stormwatervolumes 1 2 3

Ensures sustainable practices 1 2 3

Environmental Sum 8 12 16

Environmental Rank 3 2 1

SOCIAL

Improves security of town watersupply 3 3 3

Improves the quality of drinkingwater 0 0 0

Improves urban water service levels 2 2 2

Increases public awareness ofurban water issues 2 3 3

Minimises non-compliance tolegislation 2 2 2

Protects public health 0 0 0

Social Sum 9 10 10

Social Rank 3 1 1

FINANCIAL (Community Costs)

NPV ($m over 30 years) 4.86 6.93 9.00

Financial Rank 1 2 3

TBL Sum 7 5 5

TBL Rank 3 1 1

Technically Council will not incur any costs with the implementation of the above rainwatertank opportunities. The cost of employing these options would be incurred by thelandowner, who would then be eligible for a rebate. This rebate would reflect the capital andoperating savings to Council as a result of the reduced impacts on the water supply system.

The financial costs given in the table reflect the costs that will be experienced by thecommunity with the implementation of each of the rainwater opportunities. According to the


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above TBL assessment, mandating rainwater tanks in all new developments and in 20%and 40% of existing houses rank as equally suitable options in terms of environmental,social and financial criteria. Whilst opportunity 3 achieves the best environmental outcomes,it is the most expensive option in terms of community costs.

It is important to note that rainwater tanks are a relatively new concept to many people livingin areas supplied with reclaimed water and it is therefore difficult to predict their uptake bythe community. Whilst Council should aim to retrofit rainwater tanks in 40% of existinghouses, this in reality may be difficult to achieve.

Council has the opportunity to incorporate provisions into its DCP that make anydevelopment application for house extensions or alterations exceeding a certain amount(say $100 000) be subject to the mandatory installation of a rainwater tank. Through takingthis approach it may be possible to achieve a goal of a 20% retrofit of rainwater tanks inexisting houses.

Having taken into account the various issues surrounding rainwater tanks, mandatingrainwater tanks in all new developments plus 20% of existing houses has been carriedthrough to the regional supply options.

8.2.2 Stormwater Harvesting

There is the potential to incorporate stormwater harvesting into local stormwater detentionand water quality control features. Preliminary calculations for Eurobodalla Shire rainfallconditions indicate that a 100 ha catchment draining to a 5 ML water quality control pondwould yield up to 50 ML of water for open space irrigation in a year of average rainfall andabout 30 ML in a dry year.

The potential for stormwater harvesting in Eurobodalla Shire will vary considerablydepending on local topography and other factors. The cost of stormwater control ponds issite specific, so the unit cost of water from stormwater harvesting systems can varyconsiderably. It is likely to be more cost effective to utilise harvested stormwater in waterquality control ponds for public landscape needs rather than to supply residentialconsumers. Public open space within Eurobodalla was assessed for its suitability forstormwater harvesting. This is discussed further in the local water management plans andin section 6 of appendix W). Incorporating stormwater harvesting in new urban subdivisionsin most cases would be cheaper option. This should be covered by the development controlplan discussed in section 8.1.3.

Stormwater harvesting needs to be balanced with environmental considerations. While it isbeneficial to harvest excess stormwater runoff, harvesting all of the stormwater during dryperiods may impact adversely on local streams and waterways. In high rainfall locationssuch as Eurobodalla, with limited irrigation opportunities, it can be argued that it is morebeneficial environmentally to maximise use of reclaimed water first before implementingstormwater harvesting systems.

8.2.3 Residential Greywater Reuse

Specific greywater reuse is discussed further in the local water management opportunities.The provision of sewerage systems in currently unsewered areas allows the utilisation ofsuitable treatment systems for local greywater reuse. As there are currently no approvedgreywater treatment devices (besides those approved for on-site treatment of wastewater)no recommendations have been made for greywater systems in currently sewered areas. Inareas Council is proposing to provide a reticulated sewerage system, there is theopportunity for residents to retain their septic tanks and on-site treatment devices forirrigation purposes.


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8.2.4 Benefits of Utilising Local Water Sources

The advantages of harvesting water in the local area are:

! Increased yields during droughts

! The economic benefits of freeing up peak day capacity in the Eurobodalla systemto serve other users

! The garden water benefits to householders, particularly during droughts

! The environmental benefits of reduced freshwater diversions above the tidal limit

! The environmental benefits of reduced reclaimed water and stormwater dischargesto the estuary or the ocean

! Reduced stormwater infrastructure

8.3 Opportunities for Developing the Regional Supply Sources

8.3.1 General Overview

The introduction of environmental flow regime and water-sharing rules under the WaterManagement Act limits the secure yield of the existing regional water supply system.Among other factors the size and timing of the source infrastructure expansion alsodepends on the environmental flow regime and water-sharing rule that will be added to anynew licence condition.

Since it is widely accepted that the ecosystems and the conservation values can becomestressed during low stream flows, in the future water extraction for the regional schemewould predominantly be during high stream flows. This necessitates filtration of the supplysources in the short term to protect public health and targeted remedial works, andprotection of the riparian zones to improve the stream water quality in the long term. Thusall supply opportunities considered include filtration of the surface water supplies. Therecommended filtration processes include the mechanical and chemical-based dissolved airflotation sand filtration process and the physical and possibly chemical-free membranefiltration process.

In the long term, the base case environmental flow regime and total flow protection supplyaccess conditions could be accommodated either by providing new sources of supply (e.g.new off-river storage or desalination) and/or by utilising the existing sources moreefficiently. Supply opportunities have been developed based on both approaches and therisks and benefits of each opportunity are also outlined. Since all opportunities have socialand environmental impacts (e.g. other water users, ecosystems, conservation values, etc.),any decision to expand existing supply infrastructure and/or provide additional sourceswould be subject to extensive environmental impact assessment processes, includingcommunity consultation and detailed engineering studies.

Since the timing of the supply source expansions depends on a number of factors such asextraction regime, restriction policy and demand growth, the order in which theinfrastructure is expanded is crucial to the security of supply. The preferred order is toimprove the existing system reliability and then expand the extraction/transfer capacitiesalong with water filtration, followed by the expansion of drought storage facility. The first twomeasures are referred to as immediate and short term measures, and theexpansion/provision of the drought storage facility is considered as the long term option.


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8.3.2 Immediate Measures

The existing supply scheme has some inherent deficiencies. These deficiencies could beeasily overcome with appropriate immediate measures. Implementing the immediatemeasures will greatly assist Council to recover from the current drought and improve thesystem reliability. The deficiencies and the recommended immediate measures arediscussed below.

One of the problems Council regularly experiences after drought or after periods of beingsolely reliant on the dam is the long period it takes to fill the Deep Creek Dam. Additionally,Council is also reliant on Deep Creek Dam water to meet peak demands in the BatemansBay area, the reason for this being:

! the small gravity transfer rate between Moruya Main Reservoir and the dam

! the design and operational problems associated with the Malua Bay boosterpumping station, and

! the inability of Moruya River pumps to run in parallel.

Hydraulic analysis (see appendix I) indicates that the transfer rate from Moruya main toBatemans Bay could be increased by either relocating the existing Malua Bay boosterpumps and electrics to the disused Mossy Point booster pumping station, or by installing asmaller pump within the existing Malua Bay booster pumping station.

Analysis shows that relocating the existing pumps and the electrical components is a moreviable option than installing a smaller pump. This is due to the better dual functionality (i.e.relative ability to transfer more water in both directions by the same pump) achievable atMossy Point compared to Malua Bay. Upgrading the power supply to the Moruya Riverpumps will enable parallel operation of the pumps and the ability to harvest more water.

The second issue currently faced by Council is the inability of the Tuross River system tomeet peak demands due to inherent river extraction problems, the flow mismatch betweenthe low and high head pumps, and the inadequate power supply to run pumps in parallel.Council is currently implementing measures to overcome the river extraction problems.Council should also consider eliminating the flow mismatch between the low and high headpumps by either installing variable speed drives on existing pumps or by installing newerpumps. The power supply upgrade to the Tuross River pump station should also beexpedited.

The third issue is the inability of the existing telemetry and the control elements on thereservoirs and valves to operate in a narrow and more efficient range. Newer technologiesare now available to improve this situation. Therefore Council should consider undertakinga review of the current operating concept with a view to improving efficiency and capacity.

The fourth issue is maintaining an appropriate chlorine residual throught the system. Toaddess this requires the provision of rechlorination facilities at strategic locations.

8.3.3 Short term Measures

Short term measures include both the ability to harvest higher river flows and the ability totransfer and store water quickly in Deep Creek Dam. This could be achieved byimplementing the following works.

! A dedicated pipeline between Moruya River intake and Deep Creek Dam. It isproposed to locate the pipeline along the existing high voltage transmissioneasement. This will minimise environmental and social impacts during constructionand contain development within existing disturbed area. Economic analysis


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indicates that the optimum pipe diameter is 600 mm (see appendix J for additionalinformation).

! Filtration of the water supplied to the consumers. This could be achieved with twofiltration plants utilising either the dissolved air flotation with sand/coal filtration ormembrane filtration process (see appendix H for a discussion of water treatmentprocesses). One plant will be located near Denhams Beach reservoir (or nearMoruya main reservoir, See Appendix I) to serve the population between LongBeach and Tuross Head under normal periods and up to Central Tilba duringdrought periods. This plant will filter water sourced from the Buckenboura andMoruya Rivers as well as that stored in Deep Creek Dam. The other plant will belocated near the Tuross River Intake and will filter water sourced from the TurossRiver. It will predominantly serve the southern population from Bodalla to CentralTilba. The capacity of both treatment plants is dependent on the extent of bundlingwith the other sources and measures.

! Active water conservation program to bring about behavioural and cultural changein the use of water among the consumers. This program would be an extension ofCouncil’s current program and should include school, community and interest groupeducation through a number of communication channels.

8.3.4 Long term Regional Supply Opportunities

The long term regional supply opportunities are related to securing a water source orstorage to meet drought needs. This could be provided by enlarging the existing DeepCreek Dam, a new off-river storage and/or by the desalinisation of seawater. A review wasundertaken to evaluate the feasibility and cost of enlarging Deep Creek Dam and to identifyand cost new alternative dam sites in the central and southern area of the shire. The resultsof this review are included as appendix K. In summary the review identified two preferredsites in the southern area (Stoney Creek No. 2 and Tuross No. 2) and one preferred site(Barretts Creek) in the central area.

Table 8-8 provides the scheme cost of the regional water supply using the regional supplyopportunities. These scheme costs are based on meeting the base case environmental flowextraction regime of 95/30. Scheme costs to meet a more conservative than the base caseenvironmental flow extraction regime is provided at the end of this Section for comparisonpurposes (80/30 extraction).

Table 8-8 Scheme Estimates of Long Term Regional Supply Opportunities

Opportunity $/ML of Yield

1 Raise Deep Creek Dam 7.7-9.51

2 New southern off-river storage 8.7

3 New central off-river storage 12.6

4 Desalination as new supply source 8.1The cost of all opportunities includes common immediate and short term measures

Note 1 Costs vary depending on the location of the water filtration plant the northern area of the shire

Appendix L on regional water supply costs and present value analysis provides the detailedcosting information.


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Opportunity 1: Raise Deep Creek Dam

In this opportunity drought storage is increased by raising Deep Creek Dam. Theopportunity limits the environmental footprint of off-river storage mainly to previouslydisturbed areas and maximises use of the existing assets. The disadvantages of this optionare that the whole scheme’s drought security is confined to one storage and there is a limiton Deep Creek Dam’s capacity for expansion. Thus in the unlikely event of any major waterquality and/or structural problem with the dam, the ability of the headworks to meetdemands would be reduced. This opportunity would further stress the already stressedMoruya River by increasing extraction.

Opportunity 2: New Southern Off-River Storage

This opportunity involves a Southern off-river storage to be filled by high flow band waterfrom the Tuross River. This option spreads drought security over two storages, resulting ina reduced risk from water quality and/or structural problems. This opportunity also improvesoperational flexibility of the scheme whereby water could be selectively pumped from threeriver sources and moved in both directions to the demand centres. It also reduces theimpact that a trunk main break between Moruya and Narooma would have on supply to thesouth of the shire.

Further this opportunity helps to minimise urban extraction stress of the Moruya River bysharing extraction with the Tuross River. In the long term this opportunity would assist inmeeting peak day demand in both Southern and Central areas of the shire without majordistribution pipeline upgrades. It will also enable Council to meet at minimal cost any futureconservative river flow access regime.

Analysis indicates that it is possible to locate the storage high in a catchment to reduce theenvironmental impacts of a storage on the downstream catchment. Further, it is alsopossible to select a site that can be raised in the future to increase storage capacity.

Opportunity 3: New Central Off-River Storage

This opportunity is based on a central off-river storage to be filled from the high flow bandsof the Moruya River. Extraction of water from the Tuross River would cease, protecting thisriver from urban extraction. However, this opportunity would result in increasing urbanexpansion stress on Moruya River and risk to regional water supply through greater relianceon a single source.

Unlike opportunity 1 the drought security risk is spread over two storages resulting inreduced supply security risks from water quality and dam structural problems. Although, inthis opportunity, the regional scheme could be supplied from a single water filtration plant,in the long term the coastal distribution pipelines may require significant upgrading to meetpeak day demands.

Unlike opportunity 2, in this opportunity any breakage in the trunk main to Narooma couldresult in prolonged supply interruptions. Any future conservative river extraction regimeswould result in significant headworks costs.

Analysis indicates that it is possible to locate the storage high in a catchment to reduce theenvironmental impact of storage on the catchment. It is also possible to select a site thatcan be raised in the future to increase storage capacity. However suitable locations for sucha storage will incur high pumping costs.

Opportunity 4: Desalination as New Supply Source

This opportunity is based on either a 5 ML/d reverse osmosis unit driven by energy from thegrid or a 5 ML/d composite MED-RO system driven by about 35 solar dishes. Additionalinformation on desalination processes, unit costs and factors influencing site selection areprovided in appendix M. There are two ways in which desalination could be used in


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Eurobodalla. The two options are either as a long term regular water source or as a droughtcontingency option.

A desalination plant provides a drought proof supply source and the novel technology haspotential to attract tourist visitation. It reduces the dependence on surface waters, howeverit produces a brine stream that must be disposed of. The plant needs to be located on thecoast, which may reduce the visual amenity of the area and may be located on a potentialdevelopment area. Desalination plants can be expensive to operate due to their high energyuse, which can result in greenhouse gas emission. Like opportunities 2 and 3, it spreadsrisks associated with water supply including reducing reliance on extended delivery mains.

Social and Environmental Aspects of the Long term Supply Opportunities

The above opportunities, whilst being developed based on a 50-year planning horizon, willbe implemented in stages. The TBL assessment table below provides the comparativeenvironmental, social and economic benefit of each strategy option.

Table 8-9 Social and Environmental Aspects – Long term Supply Opportunities

Opportunities Social Environmental

Opportunity 1Raise Deep Creek Dam

Maximises use of existing assets

Drought security confined to one storage

Limited construction work

Proposal footprintpredominantly confined topreviously disturbed areas

Further increases extractionfrom Moruya River, although inhigh flows

Opportunity 2 NewSouthern Off-River Storage

Spreads drought security (and water quality)risk between two storages and two supplysources

Acceptance (and social impact) of proposal tobuild new storage

Reduced reliance on extended delivery mains

River harvesting sharedbetween two sources

Creates a new footprint andassociated environmentalimpact

Opportunity 3 New CentralOff-River Storage

Spreads drought security risk between twostorages but extraction based on one supplysource

More water available to environment andirrigators on Tuross River

Acceptance (and social impact) of proposal tobuild new storage

High pumping costs

Increased reliance on MoruyaRiver and higher environmentalimpacts to river environment

Tuross River environmentprotected

Opportunity 4 Desalination

Plant located on possible development area

Technology has potential to attract touristvisitation

Public acceptance of this option for potableuses (unknown)

Enhances drought-proofing of the scheme

Reduced reliance on extended delivery mains

Expensive to operate

High energy use, resulting ingreenhouse gas emission

Potential issues with brinedisposal

Reduced dependence onsurface waters

The Project Team ranked the above opportunities. The triple bottom line assessmentrepresented in Table 8-10 provides the relative ranking of each strategy option.


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Table 8-10 Triple Bottom Line Assessment of Regional Water Supply Opportunities

Dee

p C

reek

Dam

Sout

hern

Dam

Cen

tral

Dam

Des

alin

atio

n

1 2 3 4

ENVIRONMENTAL

Ensures efficient use of the fresh water resource 1 1 1 2

Minimises water extractions and protects low flows 1 1 1 3

Minimises greenhouse gas emissions 1 1 0 0

Minimises pollutants being discharged to theaquatic environment 2 2 3 0

Minimises urban stormwater volumes 0 0 0 0

Ensures sustainable practices 1 1 0 0

Environmental Sum 6 6 5 5

Environmental Rank 1 1 4 4

SOCIAL

Improves security of town water supply 2 3 2 3

Improves the quality of drinking water 3 3 3 2

Improves urban water service levels 2 3 2 3

Increases public awareness of urban water issues 1 1 1 1

Minimises non-compliance to legislation 2 3 2 2

Protects public health 2 3 3 3

Social Sum 12 16 13 14

Social Rank 6 1 3 2

FINANCIAL

$/ML 7.7-9.5 8.7 12.6 8.1

Financial Rank 1 3 4 2

TBL Sum 8 5 11 8

TBL Rank 2 1 4 2Note: Ranking are done on $/ML to asses to cost of each supply opportunity to meet the needs of the regionalscheme. The quality of water required by the scheme is determined in section 10

The ranking in the balanced score card suggests that if in the future the existing droughtstorage needs to be enhanced then the preferred strategy would be to develop a new off-river storage facility in the south of the shire. This off-river storage would be filled byharvesting high flow bands from Tuross River (i.e. Opportunity 2).

Sensitivity of Preferred Opportunity to Demand-Supply Variations

The system modelling was carried out on demand projections based in current and futureaverage annual demands. The secure yield and thus the opportunities are sensitive to thefollowing aspects of system modelling.

! Increases in water needs during drought periods relative to average annualdemands

! The 20% demand reduction during drought restrictions


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! Environmental flow protection regime

! Climatic variation including catchment land use

! Demand reduction program suggested in this report

These individual impacts are discussed below for Opportunity 2.

Increased Water Needs

Modelling is based on the average demand (not the drought demands). It is important tonote that unrestricted demands are usually higher during drought periods due to higherevaporation and lower rainfall resulting in greater garden water needs. Demand increasemay be in the range of 10% to 12%. Early restrictions may reduce this impact.

Sensitivity to 20% Demand Reduction During Drought Restrictions

The modelling of the water supply system assumes that a 20% reduction in demand can beachieved with the imposition of restrictions. Experience from other NSW coastal countrytowns has shown that the natural propagation of water efficiency measures and thevoluntary conservative use of water have in many instances reduced the ability ofrestrictions to reduce the demands during droughts. Increased water needs during droughtsmay exacerbate the effect. The sensitivity analysis on the preferred opportunity with nodemand reduction during a drought shows that the secure yield would reduce by about14%. To maintain the same secure yield the new drought storage capacity in the southwould need to be about 1 400 ML instead of 100 ML. Alternatively, the construction of thenew southern drought storage would need to be brought forward by about 5–10 years.

Sensitivity to Environmental Flow Protection Regime

During the agency meeting (October 2002 at Batemans Bay), it was suggested that futurewater-sharing plans might require a higher low flow protection regime. Whilst such changesare not expected until at least 2020, the analysis shows that the impact of moving from thebase case 95/30 low flow protection rule to a higher 80/30 low flow protection rule issignificant.

The modelling results show that the existing headworks with higher low flow protection areinadequate to supply the current demands and therefore larger off-river storage is requiredby 2020. As an example, for a yield of 6 980 ML, a 2 800 ML off-creek storage is requiredfor 80/30 extraction compared to 200 ML with 95/30.

The main social benefit of moving to a higher low flow protection includes the possiblehigher economic return from agricultural and oyster farmers resulting in an overall improvedsustainability of these industries. The environmental benefits include the increasedsustainability of rivers and estuaries, and those species that rely on them.

Sensitivity to Climate and Land Use Changes

Evaporation increases due to global warming may lead to increased urban water demandsfor outdoor uses. Analysis indicates that this increase could be as high as 10% duringdrought periods. It is very likely that this increase in future demand could be offset by thedemand reductions achieved through natural propagation of water efficiency appliances andfittings, education campaigns and reduced outdoor water use.

Global warming could also have an impact on the streamflows. Climate modelling predictsthat the annual runoffs could vary significantly in the next 50 years. The variation couldresult in an increase or decrease in streamflows.

Catchment landuse practices also have an impact on the streamflows. For instance afterthe 1939 bushfires in the Melbourne water supply catchment, the streamflows initially


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increased and then significantly reduced for a prolonged period as a result of the higherwater usage by the forest during their regrowth phase.

Sensitivity analysis with a 10% reduction in the historical streamflows shows little impact onthe secure yield. A 10% decrease in streamflows increases the drought storagerequirements by 200 ML (2032).

Sensitivity to Demand Reduction Programs

The demand reduction programs suggested in a previous Section of this report have thepotential to reduce the base demand by about 12% in the next 30 years.

This will defer the need for the new southern dam by about 15 years. Further it will alsodeliver consumer savings in water and energy cost and lessens the environmental impactof population increases on water resources.

Comparison of the Sensitivity Analysis

Table 8-11 below provides the economic implication of each demand and supply variable tothe preferred opportunity 2. Opportunity 2 is based on the future storage in the south of theshire.

Table 8-11 Comparative Costs for Stand Alone Supply Demand Sensitivities

Cost Estimates ($m)Stand Alone Sensitivity to Opportunity 2

Capital Cost NPV @ 7%

Demand reduction during drought restrictions 82.0 66.8

Higher environmental flow protection 84.8 73.5

Climate and land use changes 55.8 64.9

Demand reduction programs 55.3 64.6

However it should be noted that the economic impact of two or more supply-demandvariations occurring together would be significantly different to that shown in the abovetable. Detailed cost information is contained in Appendix L

8.4 Opportunities for Reclaimed Water Use

ESC aims to recycle and reuse reclaimed water to achieve environmental and socialbenefits where it is economically viable and socially acceptable. The environmental andsocial benefits include:

! Conserving the water resources by reducing water extractions

! Reducing the direct discharge of reclaimed water to waterways

! Replacing where appropriate the use of town water with more reliable reclaimedwater

! Enhancing the quality and sustainability of ground and surface waters

! Supporting and enhancing the local agricultural industry.


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8.4.1 Project Initiatives

In 1998 Council undertook a shire-wide reclaimed water and biosolids reuse study, whichcanvassed both local and regional land-based reuse opportunities. In view of the high costassociated with the regional schemes, Council has been focusing on some of the localopportunities. Current reuse and recycling initiatives include:

! Reuse at Batemans Bay and Moruya golf clubs

! Reuse at Moruya sporting fields

! Proposed reuse distribution main for the agricultural and industrial areas nearMoruya.

The project to reuse reclaimed water from a reed bed on Tuross golf course, whilst havingsecured Government funds, was shelved due to community objections. The use ofreclaimed water from Bingie STP for irrigating Tuross Golf Course is still supported by thecommunity.

The current reuse projects use about 5% of the average dry weather reclaimed watervolumes produced in the shire. The additional initiatives proposed for the area would use anadditional 5% of the current dry weather shire flows.

8.4.2 Reclaimed Water Volumes

Reclaimed water is currently produced at the five sewage treatment plants owned andoperated by Council. Table 8-12 below shows the current and forecast future volumesexpected to be produced in the next 30 years from the five plants. Additional volumes maybecome available if sewage from the currently unsewered villages were to be centrallytreated by Council to secondary standards.

Table 8-12 Reclaimed Water Volume Projections

Volume

Average Daily (ML/d) Annual (ML/a)Description

Current Future Current Future

Batemans Bay andSurrounds 4.0 5.0 1 900 2 300

Tomakin and Surrounds 1.0 1.5 450 700

Moruya and Surrounds 0.8 1.0 380 450

Tuross 0.7 0.8 330 380

Narooma and Surrounds 1.6 2.4 760 1 100

Other Villages - 0.4 - 200

Shire Total 8.1 11.1 3 820 5 130

Table 8-12 shows that in the next 30 years the reclaimed water volume for the shire willpotentially increase by about 35%.

8.4.3 Reclaimed Water Use

It is important to recognise that the required reclaimed water quality differs for eachintended end use. Therefore, it is important to provide a quality product that is acceptable to


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that end use. Whilst technology is available to produce reclaimed water of highest puritydevoid of any contaminants, for most end uses this level of treatment is not warranted. Seeappendix D for the minimum acceptable quality for most end uses. In Eurobodalla the mainuses for reclaimed water are:

! Urban open space

! Industrial

! Agriculture (broad acre and constructed environment)

! Residential non-potable

! Potable (direct and indirect)

! Environmental

At the inter-agency meeting held in October 2002, the Department of Health asserted that itwould not support potable (direct and indirect) reclaimed water reuse.

Urban Open Space and Industrial

Reclaimed water is currently reused at Batemans Bay and Moruya golf courses. There maybe scope to extend recycled water systems to irrigate other urban open space areasincluding:

! Batemans Bay Hanging Rock Gardens (16 ha)

! Tuross Golf course and Parks (28 ha)

! Moruya Racecourse (47 ha)

! Narooma Golf course (15 ha)

! Tomakin Captain Oldrey Park, The Oaks Ranch Country Golf Club,Sports Club Park

It is estimated that utilising reclaimed water for these areas would result in the reuse of anadditional 5% of current total shire flow. Currently the abovementioned open space areasdo not use town water supplies, however utilising reclaimed water on these sites wouldprovide an aesthetic appeal to the area by keeping the grass green all year round includingduring drought periods.

Residential Non-Potable

NSW has pioneered the development of water recycling for residential use in Australia. The1993 NSW Guidelines for Urban and Residential Use of Reclaimed Water were the first ofits kind in Australia. The major residential reuse scheme in Newington Village at SydneyOlympic Park was commissioned in April 2001. The major residential reuse system atRouse Hill in north-western Sydney has been up and running for 18 months. Another majorresidential reuse scheme is under construction at Mawson Lakes in Adelaide.

An examination has been made of a possible residential reuse system for the Rosedaledevelopment. The system would feature a service reservoir as a central storage, and areticulation system specifically constructed for the delivery of reclaimed water for gardenwatering, toilet flushing and washing machines (cold water only). Recycled water forhousehold use must meet the NSW Guidelines for Urban and Residential Use of ReclaimedWater developed by the NSW Recycled Water Co-ordination Committee. These guidelinesinclude limits for microbiological and physical criteria along with general guidelines fornutrients and trace contaminants. Delivery from a water reclamation facility including


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membrane filtration and disinfection at the Tomakin STP would be more cost effective thansewer mining.

Considerable effort is being applied worldwide to the development of appropriatetechnologies and management systems for on-site wastewater management systems.There are a variety of new on-site and decentralised treatment systems coming on to themarket which provide potential to undertake water recycling on a household, neighbourhoodor subdivision scale at a similar or less overall cost than a fully reticulated water recyclingsystem from a centralised treatment system. A number of these systems have beensuccessfully implemented in the USA. Factors important for a successful system include acareful evaluation of the site capability to ensure that there will not be adverse health andenvironmental impacts, and the adoption of centralised management of decentralisedtreatment and recycling systems.

The bulk supply of reclaimed water to large urban landscaping and industrial customers isusually more cost effective than residential reuse. Due to the small number of largecommercial and industrial consumers in the Eurobodalla Shire, the potential for commercialand industrial reuse is minimal.

It might be possible to justify the development of a dual reticulation reclaimed water systemfor Rosedale and other new development areas when account is taken of:

! The benefits of increased yield in droughts

! The economic benefits of freeing up peak day capacity in the system to serve otherusers

! The garden water benefits to householders, particularly during droughts

! The environmental benefits of reduced freshwater diversions above the tidal limit,and

! The environmental benefits of reduced reclaimed water discharges to the estuaryor the ocean.

Previous analysis indicates that the capital cost associated with a second reclaimed waterreticulation network is about $2 560/lot. This cost includes the plumbing costs. The annualoperating, maintenance, compliance and monitoring costs are about 10% of the capitalcost. Therefore to service 1 000 new lots would cost around $2.6m.

Agriculture – Cropping in Natural and Constructed Environment

Agricultural cropping in the natural environment refers to the conventional practice of broadacre farming. There are many examples of ‘cropping in the natural environment’ agriculturalreuse schemes in Australia, however most of these are undertaken in areas with lowerrainfall. Examples include irrigation of sugar cane crops along the drier parts of theQueensland coast, the major scheme to irrigate dairy pasture now under construction in thenorthern Shoalhaven area near Nowra in NSW, and irrigation of horticultural crops atVirginia in South Australia.

Agricultural cropping in a constructed environment includes nurseries and open andcovered hydroponic systems. Although there are currently no such enterprises withinEurobodalla, Council could promote these types of enterprises given their high margins andthe water use of these types of enterprises. Additional information on these types ofenterprises is contained in appendix N2.

The shire-wide reclaimed water reuse review has identified the Moruya and Tuross Riverflats as the two major dairy and agricultural regions in the shire. The Moruya regioncomprises approximately 1 000 ha of dairy land and the agricultural and the Tuross regioncontains about 1 500 ha.


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The high rainfall within the Eurobodalla Shire would restrict the reuse opportunities availableparticularly for cropping in natural environment systems. The high rainfall and the highlyseasonal nature of the NSW south coast climate means that the reuse potential forcropping under natural conditions is highest during the dry season in late spring and earlysummer. Therefore it may be likely that there will be lengthy periods during the wet seasonfrom December to April when little or no reuse is viable. Thus, practical reuse strategiesshould aim to reuse a high percentage of dry weather flows, in combination with appropriatealternative arrangements to treat all wet weather flows to a standard suitable for directdischarge to the environment.

Two regional schemes could be developed based on opportunistic reuse (i.e. when there isa demand). These scheme options are discussed below. However, it should be noted thatthere are a number of significant constraints to agricultural reuse in the natural environmentsuch as:

! Landforms and land slopes

! High water tables on many areas of the floodplain

! Shallow acid sulfate soils

! Large environmental protection zones

! The potential for elevated sodicity to cause deterioration in soil structure.

Northern Region Scheme

In the northern scheme, the dairy area around Moruya River could be supplied withreclaimed water produced from the sewage treatment plants located north of Moruya. Theshire-wide reuse study proposed to use a dedicated main to transfer reclaimed water fromthe Batemans Bay and Tomakin sewage treatment plants to this area. The shire-wide studyalso considered a wet weather/peak demand balancing storage near Moruya to manage thesupply and demand peaks.

A review of the shire-wide reuse study within the integrated water management contextindicated that an alternative option to constructing a new main from Batemans Bay wouldbe to utilise the existing old 250 mm water supply main. This water main runs parallel to thenew 450 mm main and could be used for transporting the reclaimed water. The disusedCatalina 1 reservoir could then be used as the balancing storage if required. The hydraulicanalysis of the regional water supply indicates that the water supply demands could be metthrough the existing 450 mm main and no augmentation to the 450 mm main would berequired if the northern water filtration plant was located near Denhams Beach Reservoir.The schematic of this scheme concept is shown in Figure 8-5.


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Figure 8-5 Topographic Layout of Northern Regional Scheme

Southern Region Scheme

The southern scheme is based on irrigating the agricultural and dairy farms around theTuross River region. Similar to the shire-wide study, it is proposed to use a dedicated mainto transfer reclaimed water from both the Tuross Head and Narooma sewage treatmentplants. However, unlike in the shire-wide study, no wet weather/peak demand balancingstorage is proposed. Farmers would be required to provide their own operational storage,which would be topped-up from the regional pipe main. The schematic of this schemeconcept is shown below.


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Figure 8-6 Southern Regional Reuse Scheme


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Environmental Reuse

Environmental reuse involves the discharge of highly treated reclaimed water back to theriver or aquifer system to improve the sustainability of the water resources. The reclaimedwater quality in most instances would be of a better quality than that of the receiving water.In Eurobodalla, opportunities for environmental reuse include discharging upstream ofirrigators on the Duea/Moruya River and recharging coastal aquifers such as the Brouleeaquifer. The benefits of both the reuse options are discussed below.

Environmental Flows

Under the NSW Water Reforms, river flow objectives have been developed which give theenvironment priority of water use during low flow periods with water only able to be divertedfor human use when minimum environmental needs have been satisfied. In most cases thisrequires the construction of additional storage facilities to meet water needs during drought.Under the Water Management Act, if there are users downstream of the discharge point(including the environment), then the return of highly treated reclaimed water can becredited against the extraction limit. Therefore if the environmental flow needs could be metwith reclaimed water, it may be possible to increase the yield of the water supply systemand make savings in water supply augmentation costs. The WM Act supports ‘in principle’the sustainable use of treated reclaimed water as substitute for environmental flows. It isunderstood that the relevant regulatory agencies are developing the rules under whichenvironmental flow credits would apply for reclaimed water.

There may be the potential to use reclaimed water from the northern regional agriculturalreuse scheme to meet the needs of water extractors. The reclaimed water used forenvironmental flow substitution would need to be treated to a high standard to beacceptable for this purpose. This reuse strategy has the potential to defer the need foradditional water storage in the regional water supply scheme. Environmental return flowsare most needed in dry periods, which tend to coincide with high irrigation demand periods.It is likely that further studies would be required to demonstrate the environmentalacceptability of this opportunity.

Preliminary yield analysis indicates that every megalitre of reclaimed water substituted forenvironmental flow in the Moruya River would provide about 1 ML of extra yield. Forexample, 5 ML/d of highly treated reclaimed water with a one-to-three dilution would give anannual yield of 1 000 ML/a. In assessing and sizing the major scheme components of thisopportunity, it has been assumed that reclaimed water will be available on demand fromBatemans Bay, Tomakin and Moruya. The reclaimed water that would be used asenvironmental flow substitute upstream of the water extractors will be filtered in amembrane plant and disinfected using UV. Performance monitoring results obtained fromreclaimed water plants using this treatment process train show that the reclaimed waterproduced is free of pathogens and has water quality comparable to the NSW Guidelines forUrban and Residential Use of Reclaimed Water (Ref. 2).

In a recent inter-agency meeting (October 2002, Batemans Bay) it was suggested that thefollowing activities should be undertaken to further establish the feasibility of thisopportunity.

! A comprehensive risk analysis to demonstrate that the reclaimed water does notpose any public health or environmental risks including to water users and thedependent ecosystems.

! A water balance analysis to demonstrate that the sustainability of the river ismaintained and protected, particularly at low flows.

! A study to establish the minimum reclaimed water quality to maintain riversustainability.


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! Consultation with the affected property owners and with the Water ManagementCommittee.

Groundwater Recharge

Another environmental reuse opportunity is the use of stormwater and reclaimed water torecharge groundwater aquifers. Implementing this type of opportunity would be heavilydependent on having favourable aquifer conditions.

Extensive groundwater investigations to prove the suitability of the aquifer and to establishdesign parameters would be essential before considering this reuse opportunity. Areaswhere the opportunity may be viable include South Durras and Broulee.

When evaluating if the Broulee and South Durras Aquifers are appropriate for water storageand reuse, consideration needs to be given to the designated beneficial uses for thegroundwater. The designated beneficial uses such as irrigation and ecosystem support aredetermine from:

! Background groundwater quality, taking into consideration the National WaterQuality Management Strategy (1992) which specify guideline values for waterquality parameters for different beneficial uses and

! Local historical and continuing uses of those aquifers where these differ fromnational and state guidelines.

Further information on aquifer storage and recovery can be found in the report by theCentre For Groundwater Studies (2000)

Costs

The costs for the Northern and Southern reuse schemes are presented in Table 8-13.

Table 8-13 Costs for the Regional Reclaimed Water Scheme

Capital ($1000) NPV 7% ($m)

Northern Scheme 4 842 5 769

Southern Scheme 10 500 11 415

8.5 Regional Integrated Water Cycle Management Options

8.5.1 Overview

Having evaluated the range of water resource opportunities using the IWCM process, thenext step involves combining these opportunities to form integrated water resourcesoptions. These are developed for both the regional water scheme, and for eachvillage/town.

Traditionally, water utilities have focused on developing greater supply sources to meet thegrowing water needs and community expectations. These strategies have been based ontraditional engineering solutions such as developing facilities for supply, treatment, storageand distribution. With the emphasis solely on maintaining reliable water supplies, littleconsideration has been given to the environment.

It has been assessed that on balance, higher protection of the river flows of the existingsupply sources in the future is preferable (i.e. 95/30 environmental flow regime until 2020


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and 80/30thereafter). In addition, if in the future off-river storage is required it would bemore feasible to construct a facility in the south of the shire to harvest and store high flowsof the Tuross River. Modelling has revealed that with the implementation of the immediateand short term measures, based on existing supply sources the regional scheme would beable to meet a water demand of 6 400 ML/a while providing 95th percentile low flowprotection. Future implementation of 80th percentile low flow would reduce secure yield ofthe supply system to 4 500 ML/a and necessitate the provision of additional water storage tomaintain supply during droughts. The integrated options described below are based on newoff-river storage in the south of the shire being implemented by 2020.

Table 8-14 below shows how the various opportunities could be bundled to form integratedoptions to meet the projected year 2032 water needs.

Table 8-14 Regional Water Supply Integrated Options

Integrated optionsTraditional

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Limited Demand Management " " " " " " " "

Comprehensive Demand Management " " " " " " "

10 kL rainwater tanks in all newdevelopments and 20% existinghouses

" " " " " "

Provision of reticulated water supply tohigh priority villages " " " " " "

Provision of reticulated water supply tolow priority villages " " " " "

Agriculture " " " "

Non-potable water innew developments(dual reticulation)

" "

Aquifer recharge forsubsequent non-potable water use

" "

ReclaimedWater Reuse

Environmental flowsubstitution "

Southern dam for the regional scheme(x 1000 ML) 5.6 1.5 0.9 0.93 1.01 1.01 0.84 0

8.5.2 Description of the Regional Water Supply Integrated Options

Traditional

This option consists of:

! Immediate and short term measures as discussion in section 8.3.3. Initially thenorthern and southern filtration plants would be 45 ML/d and 15 ML/d respectively

! A waterwise education program

! Provision of reticulated water supply to high priority villages

! Provision of reticulated water supply to low priority villages

! Maximised reclaimed water reuse for agriculture


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! A southern dam (5 600 ML).

Integrated Option 1: Enhance Existing Supply Scheme Plus Southern Dam andComprehensive Demand Management


! Immediate and short term measures as discussion in section 8.3.3. The initialcapacity of northern and southern filtration plants would be 26 ML/d and 10 ML/drespectively.

! A comprehensive demand management comprising:

− Community education targeting outdoor irrigation

− A active program to retrofit water efficient fittings and equipment, such asshower roses and aerated taps

− Pricing adjustments

− Active system leak detection and repair


Integrated Option 2: Enhanced Existing Supply Scheme Plus Southern Dam,Comprehensive Demand Management and Rainwater Tanks


! Immediate and short term measures as discussion in section 8.3.3. The initialcapacity of northern and southern filtration plants would be 24.5 ML/d and 9.5 ML/drespectively.






! 10 kL rainwater tank for all new developments with water used for garden watering,toilet flushing and washing machines, and a retrofit of 10 kL rainwater tanks in 20%of existing houses

! A southern dam (900 ML).

Integrated Option 3: Option 2 plus Reticulated Water to High Priority Villages


! Immediate and short term measures as discussion in section 8.3.3. The initialcapacity of northern and southern filtration plants would be 24.5 ML/d and 9.5 ML/drespectively.


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! A southern dam (930 ML).

Integrated Option 4: Enhanced Existing Supply Scheme Plus Southern Dam, DemandManagement, Rainwater tanks and Reticulated Water to All Villages


! Immediate and short term measures as discussion in section 8.3.3. The initialcapacity of northern and southern filtration plants would be 25 ML/d and 9.5 ML/d










Integrated Option 5: Option 4 plus Agricultural Reuse


! Immediate and short term measures as discussion in section 8.3.3. The initialcapacity of northern and southern filtration plants would be 25 ML/d and 9.5 ML/d




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! Opportunistic reclaimed water reuse for agriculture

! A southern dam (1 010 ML)

Integrated Option 6: Option 5 Plus Dual Reticulation and Aquifer Recharge


! Immediate and short term measures as discussion in section 8.3.3. The initialcapacity of northern and southern filtration plants would be 24 ML/d and 9 ML/d










! Reclaimed water reuse for aquifer recharge for subsequent non-potable water use(e.g. Broulee)

! Reclaimed water reuse for non-potable water use in new developments (dualreticulation) for 1 200 houses (e.g. Rosedale)

! A southern dam (840 ML)

Integrated Option 7: Option 6 Plus Environmental Flow Substitution



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! Immediate and short term measures as discussion in section 8.3.3. The initialcapacity of northern and southern filtration plants would be 23.5 ML/d and 9 ML/d






! 10 kL rainwater tank for all new developments with water used for garden, toiletflushing and washing machines, and a retrofit of 10 kL rainwater tanks in 20% ofexisting houses




! Reclaimed water reuse for aquifer recharge for subsequent non-potable water use

! Reclaimed water reuse for non-potable water use in new developments (dualreticulation)

! Environmental flow substitution in the Moruya River upstream of irrigators on agreater than 1:3 dilution basis

! Non-potable water reuse for garden watering and toilet flushing in newdevelopments and/or by injecting reclaimed water into the aquifer near Broulee forsubsequent use by the householders through their individual spear points.

Analysis shows that this will defer the need for the southern dam. Analysis indicates that theSouthern dam will be needed between year 2035 and 2040.


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Table 8-15 TBL Assessment for the Regional Water Supply Options

Trad. Integrated Options

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

ENVIRONMENTAL

Ensures the efficient use of thefresh water resource 0 1 2 2 2 3 3 3

Minimises water extractions andprotects low flows 0 1 2 2 2 3 3 3

Minimises greenhouse gasemissions 1 3 3 2 1 1 1 2


0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2

Minimises urban stormwatervolumes 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2


Environmental Sum 2 6 11 10 9 14 14 15

Environmental Rank 8 7 4 5 6 2 2 1

SOCIAL

Improves security of town watersupply 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Improves the quality of drinkingwater 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Improves urban water servicelevels 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 3

Increases public awareness ofurban water issues 0 2 3 3 3 3 3 3

Minimises non-compliance tolegislation 0 1 1 2 3 3 3 3


Social Sum 7 10 12 15 18 18 18 18

Social Rank 8 7 6 5 1 1 1 1

FINANCIAL

NPV $m over 30 years (withRainwater Tanks) 149.1 64.2 73.2 74.7 76.8 86.3 86.8 80.7


TBL Sum 24 15 12 13 11 9 10 7

TBL Rank 8 7 5 6 4 2 3 1

From the triple bottom line assessment, integrated option 7 provides the best social,environmental and financial outcomes. This option eliminates the need for a dam within thenext 30 years through the integration of options including rainwater tanks, comprehensivedemand management and environmental flow substitution.


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9 Local Water ManagementOpportunities

9.1 Introduction

Eurobodalla Shire is comprised of 15 towns and villages. IWCM strategies have beenproposed for each town and village to address the local landscape, water services andcommunity issues.

Although community presentation and information sessions were undertaken as part of thisstudy process, it is generally accepted that these sessions were more regionally focusedand therefore were held at the major urban areas. Thus further consultation will beundertaken at various villages to gain a greater focus on local issues and managementstrategies before any option is selected as the preferred solution for the respectivecommunity.

The ranking process used for the TBL assessment is based on scoring each integratedoption from 0-3. The score is based on the appropriateness of each option in achieving thespecified environmental, social and economic criteria, with 0 representing a poor outcomeand 3 representing the most appropriate option. Equal weighting is given to theenvironmental, social and economic criteria.

It is important to note that the discrepancies in the data between dwelling numbers and on-site sewerage systems is due to the data originating from two differing sources, namely theABS and Council’s Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The discrepancy can beattributed to unregistered on-site systems and properties having more than one on-sitefacility, and the ABS having collection districts different to the village areas.


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9.2 South Durras

9.2.1 Background

The Village Landscape

South Durras is located in the most north easterly part of the shire. The village is dividedinto two main regions, the area south of Durras Lake (an intermittently opening lagoon) andthe area behind the dunes, north-west of Mill Point headland. Urban development ispredominantly concentrated on the foreshores of the Tasman Sea. Access to the village isfrom the Princes Highway through South Durras Road, see Figure 9-1 below.

Figure 9-1 South Durras Location

The area surrounding the village consists of sensitive wetlands, Murramarang National Parkand coastal dunes and lakes. These areas act as a natural barrier making it difficult toexpand the current footprint/boundary of the village. However, South Durras contains about59 vacant lots, which once developed, will reach the maximum dwelling numbers. Council’scurrent planning instruments only allow single dwelling developments and require thedevelopment to blend with the natural landscape to minimise the impacts on land and watermanagement. It is the community expectation that this urban setting/characteristic will beretained in the future. The village also has three caravan parks and a small commercialarea. South Durras has a population of 326 and 313 houses (ABS 2001). This populationalmost doubles during the peak summer holiday season. The 1996 housing monitorindicated that the vacant lots are being developed at an annual rate of 8. Based on thisfigure all vacant lots will be developed by 2005.

Existing Water Management Systems

The village residents rely on rainwater tanks for their potable water needs. Some residentsalso extract groundwater using private backyard bores to water their gardens. The caravanparks use both the harvested roof rain runoff and private bores to meet their water needs.


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During periods of drought and low rainfall the individual property owners purchase waterexternally, which in most instances is sourced from the shire’s regional water scheme.

The village residents’ sewerage needs are serviced by their own on-site wastewatermanagement systems. Council’s GIS records show that there are about 296 on-sitetreatment facilities. Of these, 74% are septic tanks with effluent disposal by adsorptiontrench and an additional 20% are septic tanks with effluent pump-out. Property ownersarrange for their own septic tank pumpout, which in most instances is treated in one of thesewage treatment plants in the Shire. The remaining 6% of the systems utilise aeratedprocesses with on-site effluent irrigation that give higher levels of nutrient removal thanseptic systems.

The village has two stormwater catchments. Most of the catchment area is pervious withunderlying sandy soils. Therefore surface runoff is negligible and confined to the roadswithin the village. The first catchment drains to Durras Lake and the second catchment tothe sea. There are about 0.97 km of stormwater pipeline and 57 pits along the village roadsthat predominantly carry the runoff from the roads.

Figure 9-2 Aerial Photograph of South Durras

9.2.2 What Are the Issues?

The issues associated with the South Durras landscape and water management systemare classified into environmental and social issues, and are discussed below. Othercommunity services related issues are not included as part of this study.

Environmental Issues

! Acid sulfate soils exposed from past development are impacting on the waterquality of the lake.

! The groundwater levels and the extraction rates are not monitored. Anecdotalevidence suggests that the water level falls during long periods of no rain. However


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no analysis has been undertaken to quantify the sustainability of currentextractions.

! Due to the sandy nature of the soil it is commonly acknowledged thatsewage/effluent from on-site wastewater management systems will infiltrate thegroundwater aquifer and ultimately end up in the waterways, in this instance intoDurras Lake. This is not acceptable given the comprehensive protectionclassification given to Durras Lake by the Independent Inquiry Into Coastal Lakes(HRC, 2001).

! Groundwater quality results (taken in mid-1980s) show elevated nitrate levels andthe presence of faecal bacteria confirming the contamination of the groundwaterfrom poorly managed on-site wastewater management systems. No additionalwater quality information is available due to the lack of a monitoring program.

! Stormwater entering the lake from the developed area may also impact on thehealth and visual quality of the lake. The likely pollutants are hydrocarbons from theroads, litter particularly from the hot spots (e.g. caravan park and commercial area),and nutrients and particles associated with the sediments. In the absence ofstormwater quantity and quality monitoring, preliminary estimates suggest anannual flow of 565 kL, with corresponding nitrogen and phosphorus loads of 680 kgand 90 kg respectively.

! Degradation of sensitive natural wetlands from stormwater discharge and theinvasion of exotic weeds.

Social Issues

! Due to the popular nature of the village and its surrounds, there are concerns thatdevelopment density will increase or the village footprint will be expanded.

! Dependence on rainfall has, at times, reduced the reliability of the individual watersystems.

! Current on-site wastewater management practices are posing a public health riskparticularly during rainy periods.

! South Durras records the highest number of complaints relating to on-sitewastewater management in the shire.

! There is no formal approach to stormwater management in the village to promotethe better management and efficient use of this resource.

! The village residents do not receive ‘tips’ on how to save water and on how tobetter manage their on-site wastewater systems.

! There is no local water provision to fight building fires within the village.

9.2.3 How Do We Fix the Problems?

Overview

South Durras’s water cycle needs to be managed sustainably. This could be achievedthrough the implementation of appropriate planning controls. The issues of futuredevelopment and acid sulfate soil runoff could be managed by amending the LocalEnvironmental Plan and development control plans. For instance South Durras is opposedto the provision of a reticulated water and sewerage system, citing that this will allow thezoning of the village to change and may result in more medium density development.


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However, zoning and development control plans could be used to maintain the village’scharacter.

The management of Durras Lake requires a coordinated management approach by bothEurobodalla and Shoalhaven councils as the local government boundary splits the lake intotwo; South and North Durras. Further, although not discussed in this strategy, there couldbe opportunity for integrated and joint management of the water cycle in both villages, aswell as the opportunity for the two councils to develop a joint local environmental plan.

There are a number of opportunities available to manage the water cycle of South Durras.Traditionally, all opportunities available for the water supply, wastewater and stormwaterwere often evaluated in isolation. In this strategy, all available opportunities were identifiedand coarse screened (see appendix C). The short-listed water cycle managementopportunities are discussed below.

Water Cycle Management Opportunities

There are both short and medium term measures to improve the water cycle managementat South Durras. The short term measures should be implemented as a matter of priority toachieve best practice standard immaterial of the medium term opportunities.

Short term Measures

The short term measures include:

! Identification of all private bores and improving the sustainability of the currentaquifer usage including regular water quality and water level monitoring.

! Regular monitoring of the on-site wastewater management systems forperformance and integrity.

! Systematic monitoring of the local waterways and the urban stormwater quality andquantity.

! Regular mail-outs of ways to maintain on-site water and wastewater systemsincluding information on water conservation.

The above short term measures are complimentary to the proposed medium-termmeasures and would help Council and the community to manage their water cycle moresustainably.

Medium to Long term Water Cycle Management Opportunities

Medium-term opportunities are measures related to improving the long term sustainabilityof the water cycle. In addition, these opportunities will also reduce the public health andenvironmental impacts and enhance the service standards for the water services. The tablebelow presents these opportunities along with their capital and present value at an annualdiscount rate of 7%.


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Table 9-1 Integrated Water Cycle Management Opportunities for South Durras

Cost Estimate

Capital ($m) NPV @ 7% ($m)

Improved management of existing water supply - 2.0

Local water source 1.6 2.3Harvested roof watersupplemented withreticulated water Regional water source 2.1 2.3

Local water source 2.0 2.6Provision of fullreticulated watersystem Regional water source 2.4 2.7

Improved management of existing on-site facilities 0.49 2.7

Enhanced management of existing on-sitefacilities 1.42 1.79

Enhanced management of existing on-sitefacilities with greywater reuse 3.5 5.0

Centralised management of effluent from on-sitefacilities with local treatment 3.19 2.49

Local treatment andmanagement 3.26 2.53Provision of full

reticulated seweragesystem Transfer to Batemans

Bay system 3.46 2.50

Note: NPV’s for on-site systems are based on a rolling program commencing in 2003. NPV’s for sewering SouthDurras are based on work commencing in 2009. NPV’s for water are based on work commencing in 2003

Improved Management of Existing Water Supply

Conserving water and using it more efficiently could improve the reliability of the existingrainwater tank supply. This may be achieved through utilising water efficient appliances andfixtures such as dual flush toilet, aerated taps, smart and efficient shower roses andwashing machines. Improved reliability could also be achieved by utilising groundwaterobtained from backyard bores for toilet flushing, clothes washing and garden watering. Thewater quality from rainwater tanks could be improved through better management practicessuch as by installing a first flush device, a coarse filter at the inlet and by regular cleaning.

Harvested Roofwater Supplemented with Reticulated Water

This opportunity continues to utilise existing rainwater tanks for toilet flushing and gardenwatering, with a supplemented reticulated water supply for other potable purposes and totop up the rainwater tanks when needed. This option would eliminate the need to importwater in periods of low rainfall and drought, and would provide water that meets theAustralian Drinking Water Guidelines. The reticulated water could be sourced either:

! Locally from the coastal aquifer, or

! From the regional scheme.

In both cases, the reticulation pipes required would be smaller than that required for theprovision of a full reticulated water supply. In this case the average annual and peakreticulated water demands for the full development situation would be about 68 ML/a and0.22 ML/d respectively.


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Water sourced from the local bore is likely to have a low pH and be high in iron. The nitratevalue of 4 mg/L recorded in mid-1980s, although high, is still within the recommendedAustralian Drinking Water Guidelines. Thus bore water would be required to undergo basictreatment consisting of aeration followed by filtration. A reticulation scheme based on alocal source would consist of a borefield with at least two bores, a water filtration facility, asmall reservoir, pumping facilities and 50 mm reticulation pipes.

The alternative option of sourcing water from the regional scheme would require a pumpingfacility at Batemans Bay, 14 km raising/gravity main, a small reservoir, and approximately50 mm reticulation pipes.

In both cases no fire fighting provision will be provided in the reticulation pipes.

Provision of Full Reticulated Water Supply

Rainwater tanks can be less reliable than town water supplies and if gutters, roof surfacesand tanks are not well maintained the resulting water quality may be of a considerablypoorer quality than that from a full reticulated town water supply. A full reticulated systemwithout the reliance on rainwater tanks would eliminate the need for homeowners to importwater during low rainfall and drought periods, and would provide water that meets theAustralian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines.

Similar to the previous opportunity reticulated water could be sourced from the:

! Local coastal aquifer, or

! Regional scheme.

In this case the average annual and peak reticulated water demands for the fulldevelopment situation would be about 80 ML/a and 0.33 ML/d respectively.

The scheme facilities required for both the source water options would be similar to thoserequired in the previous opportunity, except the facility and component sizes will be slightlylarger. The provision of larger pipes and facilities enables the provision of urban fire fightingservices at minimal extra cost.

Improved Management of Existing On-site Wastewater Facilities

The seepage from existing on-site wastewater management systems could be reduced byregularly emptying the contents of the septic tanks and installing monitoring systems toprevent septic tank overflows and to allow for the ongoing assessment of the integrity of thetanks.

A single contract could be arranged by the Council or by the community such that the septictanks are pumped at set time intervals. This would cover both effluent and sullagepumpout. The pumpout cost could be evenly divided among the residents. To facilitatepumping every tank would require a small holding tank or pumpout facility.

This opportunity would eliminate the risk of effluent contaminating the aquifer andwaterways. Potential disadvantages include odours and noise during pumpouts and thefrequent movement of trucks in the neighbourhood.

Enhanced Management of Existing On-site Wastewater Facilities

There are several options available to upgrade the existing on-site wastewatermanagement systems to achieve greater public health and environmental outcomes. Thefirst option is to retain the existing septic tank and upgrade the on-site effluent managementsystem. An example of this would be the replacement of the adsorption trenches with linedevapotranspiration beds that achieve a higher level of water and nutrient uptake throughplants.


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Another alternative is to upgrade the septic system to one that achieves nutrient removaland therefore results in a higher quality effluent discharge (e.g. aerated tanks). This wouldincrease the potential uses available for the resulting treated effluent.

Both these options would minimise the potential of groundwater contamination and itsassociated environmental impacts, as well as reducing the likelihood of public health issuesand odour complaints.

Enhanced Management of Existing On-site Facilities with Greywater Reuse

In this opportunity blackwater (water from kitchen sink and toilet), and greywater (waterfrom laundry and bathroom), would be managed separately. The blackwater would betreated in the existing septic tanks with regular pumpouts and the greywater would betreated on-site using an advanced technology such as aerated tanks. The treated effluentcould then be recycled for garden watering and toilet flushing.

In addition to reducing the amount of imported reticulated water, this would conserveharvested roof rainwater. With the implementation of an appropriate monitoring system,long term environmental and water resource sustainability and public health protectioncould be achieved.

Centralised Management of Effluent from On-site Facilities

As an alternative to providing a full reticulated sewage system, the effluent from existing on-site systems (e.g. septic tanks) could be collected and transported to a central treatmentfacility. This type of system relies on smaller pipes than those required for a conventionalreticulated sewerage system. Pipes can be laid in the ground at a lesser gradient and at amore shallow depth than that of conventional gravity sewerage, as the pipes carry onlyliquid effluent. The solids are captured by the on-site system.

The effluent could be treated locally or transported to Batemans Bay STP. Appendix Pprovides information on the various effluent transport and local treatment options.

Treating effluent at a local facility would result in a number of options for the managementof reclaimed water. Preliminary appraisal suggests dunal infiltration, agricultural reuse(possibly at the Princess Highway) and controlled groundwater injection for subsequentextraction as the most suitable options worthy of further evaluation.

Costs in Table 9-1 are based on centralised effluent drainage (CED) for transport, a localpackage plant for treatment and dunal infiltration.

Provision of Full Reticulated Sewerage System

An alternative to on-site treatment facilities is to transfer wastewater (i.e. black andgreywater) through a centralised sewer transport network to either a local treatment facilityas discussed for the previous opportunity or to the Batemans Bay treatment works. Unlikethe previous opportunity, the sewer transport pipes would need to be larger and possiblyinstalled at greater depths.

Appendix P provides a detailed description of the available transport and local treatmentoptions. The shortlisted reclaimed water management options are the same as thosediscussed for the above opportunity.

Costs in Table 9-1 are based on a modified gravity transport system, a local packageextended aeration treatment plant and dunal infiltration.


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Social and Environmental Aspects of Medium to Long Term Water CycleManagement Opportunities

The TBL assessment (Table 9-2) provides the comparative environmental and socialbenefits of each water cycle management opportunity.

Table 9-2 Social and Environmental Aspects of the Medium to Long TermOpportunities for South Durras

Opportunity Social Environmental

Improved management of existingwater supply

Reduces demands for water andincreases security

Increases public awareness ofwater conservation issues

More conservative/efficient useof water.

Local watersource

Decreases public health risksand increases security

Eliminates the need to importwater

Water for potable uses wouldmeet the Australian DrinkingWater Guidelines

Incorporates sustainable use ofwater resources

Water extraction could placepressure on the local aquiferand the environment

Harvested roofwatersupplementedwith reticulatedwater

Regional watersource

Decreases public health risk andincreases security




Reduces pressure on the localaquifer

Less pressure on localenvironments, howeverincreases pressure on regionalwater sources

Local watersource



Provision available for firefighting purposes

Short term inconvenience forresidents during construction,i.e. noise, vehicle movement


Water extraction could placepressure on the local aquiferand the environment

Increases runoff, which mayresult in increased pollutantloads entering the environment

Possible environmental impactduring construction

Provision of fullreticulated watersystem

Regional watersource









Improved management of existing on-site facilities

Associated odour and noiseimpacts

Inconvenience of pumpouttrucks in the area

Improves environmentaloutcomes, minimises theincidence of septic effluentcontaminating groundwater


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Enhanced management of existing on-site facilities

Improves air quality and visualcharacter

Enhances aesthetic appeal forthe local area, good for tourismand recreational activities

Reduces impact to local aquiferand the environment

Enhanced management of existing on-site facilities with greywater reuse


Potential disturbance duringconstruction period

Enhances aesthetic appeal forthe local area

Decreases demand for water,increases security

Reduces impact to local aquiferand the environment

Maximises water resource use

Local treatmentandmanagement

Solution would be tailored tomatch local requirements

Potential short term disturbanceduring construction period

Would encourage local reuseand recycling

Less overall environmentalimpacts than conventionalgravity systemsCentralised

management ofeffluent from on-site facilities

Transfer toBatemans Baysystem

Limited additional treatmentinfrastructure required

Existing resources can beutilised

Potential short term disturbanceduring construction period


Less overall environmentalimpacts than conventionalgravity systems

May allow for regional reuse



Larger capital investmentrequired

Short term inconvenience forresidents during construction i.e.noise, vehicle movement

Improves quality of effluentdischarged to environment

Increases opportunities foreffluent reuse


Significantly reduces likelihoodof groundwater contaminationProvision of full

reticulatedsewerage system





Improved quality of effluentdischarged to environment

Increased opportunities foreffluent reuse


Significantly reduced likelihoodof groundwater contamination

9.2.4 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios

Using the bundling process, the above water management opportunities can be combinedinto integrated scenarios. Table 9-3 presents examples of integrated scenarios. Otherscenarios may be developed and considered in subsequent study phases.


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Table 9-3 Integrated Scenarios for South Durras

Integrated ScenariosMinimal Traditional

Solution 3 4 5

Improved management of existing watersupply "

Local water source " "Harvested roofwatersupplemented withreticulated water

Regional watersource "

Local water sourceProvision of fullreticulated watersystem

Regional watersource "

Improved management of existing on-sitefacilities "

Enhanced management of existing on-sitefacilities "

Enhanced management of existing on-sitefacilities with greywater reuse "

Centralised management of effluent fromon-site facilities with local treatment "

Local treatment andmanagementProvision of full

reticulatedsewerage system


"

Minimal Improved management of existing water supply and improved management of existing on-site facilities.

Traditional Provision of reticulated water systems from the regional supply, and the provision of fullreticulated sewerage systems with transfer to the Batemans Bay system.

Integrated Scenario 3 Harvested roof water supplemented with reticulated water from the regionalsupply, and centralised management of effluent from on-site facilities with local treatment andmanagement.

Integrated Scenario 4 Harvested roof water supplemented with reticulated water from a local supplysource and enhanced management of existing on-site facilities.

Integrated Scenario 5 Harvested roof water supplemented with reticulated water from a local supplysource and enhanced management of existing on-site facilities with greywater reuse.


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Table 9-4 Triple Bottom Line Reporting for South Durras

Minimal TraditionalApproach 3 4 5

ENVIRONMENTAL

Efficient use of fresh waterresource 3 1 2 3 3

Minimises low flow waterextractions 3 1 2 3 3

Minimises greenhouse gasemissions 3 1 1 2 2


2 2 2 2 2

Minimises urban stormwatervolumes 3 0 2 2 2

Ensures sustainable practices 2 1 1 2 3

Environmental Sum 16 6 10 14 15

Environmental Rank 1 5 4 3 2

SOCIAL

Improves security of town watersupply 0 3 3 3 3

Improves the quality of drinkingwater 1 3 3 3 3

Improves urban water servicelevels 1 3 3 3 3

Increases public awareness ofurban water issues 3 1 2 3 3

Minimises non-compliance topolicy and legislation 1 3 3 3 3

Protects public health 1 3 3 3 3

Social Sum 7 16 17 18 18

Social Rank 5 4 3 1 1

FINANCIAL

NPV ($m over 30 years) $2.8 $5.0 $4.8 $3.59 $6.80

Financial Rank 1 4 3 2 5

TBL Sum 9 13 10 6 8

TBL Rank 3 5 4 1 2

Using the criteria above Option 4, harvested roof water supplemented with reticulated water froma local supply source and enhanced management of existing on-site facilities is the preferredsolution. This option performs well in all of the three TBL categories.


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9.3 Nelligen

9.3.1 Background


Nelligen is located on the brackish reaches of the Clyde River, which has been identified asa high value catchment. The 2001 census recorded 219 people in Nelligen. The 1996housing monitor stated there were 58 vacant lots in Nelligen, with an annual demand of 3lots. This analysis indicates that there will be a land shortage in the village in 2015. Figure9-3 contains a locality diagram of Nelligen.

Figure 9-3 Nelligen Location


Nelligen is not connected to the regional town water supply and depends solely on waterfrom rainwater tanks. Sewage is also treated on site. According to the GIS, there are 95 on-site treatment systems in the village. 81% of these are septic tanks with effluent disposal byadsorption trench, and an additional 14% are septic tanks with effluent pumpout. Theremaining systems utilise aerated processes that give higher levels of nutrient removal.

Being located on the Clyde River, stormwater discharge from Nelligen can impact adverselyon water quality in this high conservation value catchment. Stormwater issues for the villagehave not been identified in the stormwater quality management plan due to the village’ssize. Only one stormwater pipe has been identified on the GIS. Figure 9-4 shows thestormwater catchments for Nelligen.


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Figure 9-4 Aerial Photograph of Nelligen

9.3.2 What are the Issues

The issues associated with the village landscape and water management system areclassified into environmental and social issues, and are discussed below. Other communityservices-related issues are not part of this study.


! Stormwater from the developed area may impact on the health and visual quality ofthe river. In the absence of stormwater quantity and quality monitoring, preliminaryestimates suggest 400 kL/a of stormwater is generated in Nelligen, containing480 kg of nitrogen and 64 kg of phosphorus.

! The current on-site management practices may pose environmental risks, due tooverflows, less than ideal soil types, the slope of the land and oyster farmingdownstream from Nelligen.

Social Issues

! The current residents would support the provision of water and sewerage servicesas it would allow further development of the village

! The current on-site management practices may pose a potential public health risk

! The community does not have access to a secure water supply

! The area has a high tourist load

! The river is popular with recreational visitors for such activities as water skiing andfishing

! Oyster farming is undertaken downstream of Nelligen.


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9.3.3 How Do We Fix the Problems

Overview

It is vital that water management be undertaken in a sustainable manner. One importantmechanism to aid in the achievement of sustainable water management is through planningcontrols. Many social and environmental issues such as protecting the amenity and mediumdensity housing can be addressed through a local environmental plan or developmentcontrol plan. Consultation meetings have shown that the community supports furtherdevelopment in Nelligen. Ensuring this development is undertaken in a sustainable manneris best achieved through strategic planning via planning instruments. Planning instrumentsalso provide a forum for public review and participation requiring a mandatory exhibition andsubmission period.

The traditional approach to water management is to separate water, wastewater andstormwater and treat each in isolation. In this strategy, all available opportunities have beenidentified and coarse screened (see appendix C). The shortlisted water cycle managementopportunities are discussed below.


There are both short and medium term measures to improve the water cycle managementat Nelligen. The short term measures should be implemented as a matter of priority toachieve best practice standard immaterial of the medium term opportunities.

Short term Measures


! Regular monitoring of the on-site wastewater management systems forperformance and integrity

! Systematic monitoring of local waterways and urban stormwater quality andquantity

! Regular mail-outs of ways to maintain on-site water and wastewater systemsincluding information on water conservation.

The above short term measures are complimentary to the proposed medium-termmeasures and would help Council and the community to manage their water cycle moresustainably.


Medium-term opportunities are measures related to improving the long term sustainabilityof the water cycle. In addition, these opportunities will also reduce public health andenvironmental impacts and enhance the standards for the water services. The table belowpresents these opportunities along with their capital and present value at an annualdiscount rate of 7%.


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Table 9-5 Integrated Water Cycle Management Opportunities for Nelligen

Cost Estimate


Improved management of existing water supply - 0.06

Harvested roof water supplemented with reticulated water fromthe regional scheme 1.5 1.7

Provision of full reticulated water system from the regionalscheme 1.7 1.9


Enhanced management of existing on-site facilities 1 0.46 0.61

Centralised management of effluent from on-site facilities withlocal treatment 1 2.83 1.10

Local treatment and management 1 2.89 1.254

Transfer to Batemans Bay system 1 1.55 0.27Provision of fullreticulated seweragesystem Transfer to Batemans Bay system

with greywater reuse 2 1.55 0.27

Note 1: NPV’s for on-site systems are based on a rolling program commencing in 2003. NPV’s for seweringNelligen are based on work commencing in 2012. NPV’s for water are based on works commencing in 2003

Note 2: The savings achieved by Council treating less effluent have not been taken take into account in the studyand the costs associated with greywater reuse are community costs

Improved Management of Present Water Supply

The reliability of the existing rainwater tank supply could be improved by conserving waterthrough more efficient use. Utilising water efficient appliances and fixtures such as dualflush toilet, aerated taps, smart and efficient shower roses and washing machines are a fewexamples.

Harvested Roof Water Supplemented with Reticulated Water

Nelligen is totally dependent upon rainwater tanks for its water supply. Installing areticulated system to supplement rainwater supplies would increase the water security. Thistype of system would offer a good quality potable water supply whilst continuing to utiliserainwater tanks for uses such as toilet flushing, washing machines and gardening.Significant community and health benefits would be expected with a supplemented potablesupply meeting the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. The reticulated water could besourced from the regional scheme. This option would also increase security and eliminatethe need to import water in periods of low rainfall.

The pipes required for a supplemented reticulation scheme would be smaller than for a fullreticulated water supply provision. In this case the average annual and peak reticulatedwater demands for the full development situation would be about 24 ML/a and 0.13 ML/drespectively.


Rainwater tanks can be less reliable than town water supplies and if gutters, roof surfacesand tanks are not well maintained they may result in poor quality water. A full reticulatedtown water supply with no rainwater tanks would significantly reduce public health risksthrough ensuring that the water supply meets the Australian Drinking Water QualityGuidelines. This option would also eliminate the need for homeowners to import waterduring low rainfall and drought periods.


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Connecting Nelligen to the region’s water supply from Batemans Bay would require a pipeextension of 7.2 km from Batemans Bay along the existing road line. The average annualand peak reticulated water demands for the full development situation would be about28 ML/a and 0.20 ML/d respectively.

The scheme facilities necessary to provide a full reticulated water supply to Nelligen wouldbe similar to those required for a supplemented reticulated supply as discussed previously.The facility and component sizes will, however, need to be slightly larger. The provision oflarger pipes and facilities enables the provision of fire fighting services at minimal extracost.


Sewage in Nelligen is currently treated by on-site systems. It is recommended that Councilconsider the management options for sewage treatment for the village. The seepage fromexisting on-site wastewater management systems could be reduced by regularly emptyingthe contents of the septic tanks and installing monitoring systems to prevent septic tankoverflows and to assess the integrity of the tanks. Regular pumpouts and monitoring havethe potential to minimise many of the environmental and public health impacts associatedwith the operation of septic systems.

A single contract could be arranged by the Council or by the community such that the septictanks are pumped at set time intervals. This would cover both effluent and sullagepumpout. The cost of this pumpout could be evenly split between the residents. To facilitatepumping every tank would require a smaller holding tank or pumpout facility.

Although this opportunity would reduce the potential of waterway and aquifer contamination,it may result in additional community impacts, such as odour complaints associated withpumpouts and the movement of trucks in the neighbourhood.


There are several options available to upgrade the existing on-site wastewatermanagement systems to achieve greater public health and environmental outcomes. Thefirst option is to retain the existing septic tank and upgrade the on-site effluent managementsystem. An example of this would be the replacement of the adsorption trenches with linedevapotranspiration beds, which achieve a higher level of water and nutrient uptake throughplants.

Another alternative is to upgrade the septic system to one that achieves nutrient removaland therefore results in a higher quality effluent discharge (e.g. aerated tanks). This wouldincrease the potential uses available to the resulting treated effluent.

Both these options would minimise the potential of groundwater contamination and itsassociated environmental problems, as well as reducing the likelihood of public healthissues and odour complaints.


As an alternative to providing a full reticulated sewage system, the effluent from existing on-site systems (e.g. septic tanks) could be collected and transported to a central treatmentfacility. This type of system relies on smaller pipes than those required for a conventionalreticulated sewerage system. Pipes can be laid in the ground at a lesser gradient and at amore shallow depth than that of conventional gravity sewerage, as the pipes carry onlyentrained solids thus having minimal self-cleaning velocity requirements.

The effluent could be treated locally or transported to Batemans Bay STP. Appendix Pprovides information on the various effluent transport and local treatment options.


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Treating effluent at a local facility would result in a number of options for the managementof reclaimed water. Appendix P provides a detailed description of the availablemanagement options. Preliminary appraisal suggests river disposal, or agricultural reuse asthe most suitable options worthy of further evaluation.

Costs in Table 9-5 are based on centralised effluent drainage (CED) for transport, a localpackage plant for treatment and river disposal.

Provision of a Full Reticulated Sewerage System

An alternative to providing any on-site treatment facilities is to transfer wastewater (i.e.black and greywater) through a centralised sewer transport network to either a localtreatment facility as discussed for the previous opportunity or to the Batemans Bay STP. Aslight variation on this option would be to incorporate local greywater reuse and onlytransfer blackwater to the Batemans Bay STP.

Unlike in the previous opportunity, the sewer transport pipes would need to be larger andpossibly installed at greater depths.


Costs in Table 9-5 are based on a modified gravity transport system, a local packageextended aeration treatment plant and river disposal.

Provision of Full System with Greywater Reuse

On-site systems that achieve a suitable level of treatment for greywater would bemaintained, and blackwater only would be transported to the Batemans Bay STP using thereticulation systems described above. The resulting greywater could then be utilised for avariety of outdoor uses and for toilet flushing. Maintaining current aerated systems inNelligen for greywater reuse would reduce the volume of wastewater requiring treatment by0.325 ML/a. If in addition, current septic tanks were converted to rainwater tanks for reusepurposes an additional 3.6 ML/a could be saved. In addition to reducing the volume ofimported or reticulated water required for Nelligen, this would reduce the hydraulic load onthe Batemans Bay STP. With the implementation of appropriate monitoring systems, longterm environmental and water resource sustainability and public health protection could beachieved.


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Table 9-6 Social and Environmental Aspects of the Medium to Long TermOpportunities for Nelligen


Improved management of existingwater supply

Reduces demands for water andincreases security

Increases public awareness ofwater conservation issues

More conservative/efficientwater use

Harvested roof water supplementedwith reticulated water from the regionalscheme

Decreases public health risksand increases security




Increases pressure on regionalwater sources

Provision of full reticulated watersystem from the regional scheme












Improves environmentaloutcomes, minimises theincidence of septic effluentcontaminating local waterways




Reduces impact to localwaterways and the environment

Local treatmentand management



Centralisedmanagement ofeffluent from on-site facilities


Limited additional infrastructurerequired

Lower cost than conventionalgravity






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Local treatmentand management

Generally accepted by thecommunity



Short term inconvenience forresidents during constructionsi.e. noise, vehicle movement




Significantly reduces likelihoodof river contamination








Significantly reduces likelihoodof river contamination

Provision of fullreticulatedsewerage

Transfer toBatemans Baysystem withgreywater reuse

Reduces water demand

Reduces hydraulic andbiological load on the BatemansBay system






Reduces demands on waterresources


Using the bundling process the above water management opportunities can be combinedinto integrated scenarios. Table 9-7 presents examples of integrated scenarios.


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Table 9-7 Integrated Scenarios for Nelligen


Solution 3 4 5

Improved management of existing water supply "

Harvested roof water supplemented withreticulated water from the regional scheme " " "

Provision of full reticulated water system from theregional scheme "

Improved management of existing on-site facilities "

Enhanced management of existing on-sitefacilities "

Local treatment andmanagement "Centralised


Transfer to Batemans Baysystem

Local treatment andmanagement

Transfer to Batemans Baysystem "

Provision of fullreticulatedseweragesystem

Transfer to Batemans Baysystem with greywater reuse "

Minimal Improved management of existing water supply and improved management of existing on-site facilities.

Traditional Provision of full reticulated water systems from the regional supply scheme, and theprovision of full reticulated sewerage systems with transfer to the Batemans Bay system.

Integrated Scenario 3 Harvested roof water supplemented with reticulated water from the regionalsupply scheme, and centralised management of effluent from on-site facilities with transfer to a localtreatment plant.

Integrated Scenario 4 Harvested roof water supplemented with reticulated water from the regionalsupply scheme and enhanced management of existing on-site facilities.

Integrated Scenario 5 Harvested roof water supplemented with reticulated water from the regionalsupply scheme and provision of full reticulated sewerage system, transfer to Batemans Bay withgreywater reuse.

The triple bottom line assessment below presents the comparative environmental, socialand economic benefits of each integrated scenario example.


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Table 9-8 Triple Bottom Line Assessment for Nelligen

Opportunities Minimal TraditionalApproach 3 4 5

ENVIRONMENTAL



Minimises greenhouse gasemissions 3 0 1 2 1


2 2 2 2 2


Ensures sustainable practices 2 1 2 2 3



SOCIAL

Improves security of town watersupply 0 3 3 2 3

Improves the quality of drinkingwater 1 3 3 3 3

Improves urban water servicelevels 1 3 3 3 3

Increases public awareness ofurban water issues 3 1 2 2 3

Minimises non-compliance topolicy and legislation 1 3 3 3 3


Social Sum 7 16 17 16 18


FINANCIAL

NPV ($m over 30 years) 0.24 2.17 3.53 2.20 1.97


TBL Score 7 11 11 10 5

TBL Rank 2 4 4 3 1

The TBL assessment using the above criteria ranks option 5 as the best scenario forNelligen. This option has harvested roof water supplemented with reticulated water from theregional supply scheme and provision of a reticulated sewerage system, transfer toBatemans Bay with greywater reuse.


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9.4 Batemans Bay and Surrounds

9.4.1 Background

The Landscape

The town of Batemans Bay is taken to encompass the areas north of Clyde River includingMaloneys Beach, Long Beach, Surfside and North Batemans Bay, the central businessarea of Catalina, Batehaven and Sunshine Bay and the southern areas covering DenhamsBeach, Surf Beach, Lilli Pilli and Malua Bay. The north and central urban areas are locatedpredominantly on the foreshores of Batemans Bay and the southern areas on theforeshores of the Tasman Sea. Batemans Bay forms part of the Clyde River estuary systemand is an attractive and popular tourist destination. The tidal regions of the river support themajor oyster industry within the Eurobodalla Shire. The township of Batemans Bay islocated near the junction of Princess Highway and Kings Highway (see Figure 9-5 below).

Figure 9-5 Batemans Bay Topographic Map

This area supports about 45% of the total Eurobodalla Shire’s urban population and themajority of tourist visitors to the shire. During the peak tourist/holiday season, the populationof Batemans Bay almost doubles. The current permanent population of the area is about17 800 (6 950 dwellings) and is expected to increase to about 23 700 (8 500 dwellings)within the current planning period. Council has identified that the majority of this populationgrowth will be accommodated within the zoned urban expansion areas north of Clyde River,in the Malua Bay area as new subdivisions, and the remaining within existing developedareas as infill.

The area also accommodates a large number of holiday/non-resident rate paying dwellings.Whilst the holiday/non-resident rate paying dwellings are likely to remain an integral part ofthis community, the numbers are likely to decline from their current level due to the owners


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moving to permanently live in them (i.e. retiring effect of baby boomers). Due todevelopment pressure, Council is investigating additional land areas that may be suitablefor urban subdivision. Although the timing of development of the various areas cannot bepredicted with certainty, it is accepted that the adopted population increase is sustainable.Although Council’s current planning instruments allow for medium density and clusterdevelopment, limits have been placed on building heights and population to floor spaceratio. To secure the built-up character of the future, Council is working with Planning NSWto develop better and sustainable building envelopes and designs. Census figures showthat the age profile of the population spreads evenly between the age group 0–60 years.


The Batemans Bay area is supplied by the regional water supply scheme, with DenhamsBeach service reservoir acting as the main storage. Denhams Beach supports a network oflocal service reservoirs, the Long Beach reservoir services the area north of Clyde River,the Batemans Bay and Catalina No. 2 reservoirs for the central area and the Lilli Pilli, SurfBeach and Malua Bay reservoirs supply to the southern area.

A centralised sewage treatment plant located north west of Lilli Pilli services the wholeBatemans Bay area. The plant provides secondary treatment of the sewage and is basedon the continuous extended aeration process. The majority of the secondary treatedwastewater is returned to the environment through direct ocean discharge after natural(pond) disinfection. Up to about 10% of the dry weather reclaimed water is reused onCatalina Golf Club. The de-watered and stabilised biosolid is used for rehabilitatingCouncil’s landfill.

The sewer network servicing this area is extensive and has been grouped into three distinctcatchments:

! The northern catchment serving the area north of Clyde River

! The central catchment covering the central commercial areas, and

! The southern catchment servicing the Lilli Pilli and Malua Bay areas (south of STP).

The northern catchment has about 10 pumping stations located along the bay foreshoreand conveys the sewage towards the treatment plant. The central catchment has about 30pumping stations along the foreshore and a major station that receives the sewagegenerated from both the local and north catchments. The sewage from the main pumpstation is transferred direct to the treatment plant. The southern catchment also has about10 pumping stations and a main station, which transfers the collected sewage to thetreatment plant.

The Eurobodalla Stormwater Management Plan has divided the area into 18 sub-catchments (see Figure 9-6).

The sub-catchments to the north of Clyde River are predominantly residential. The runofffrom these catchments stems predominantly from house roofs, impervious driveways andthe road network. There are about 1.2 km of pipeline and 501 pits. The stormwater fromthese sub-catchments north of the Clyde River drains to Cullendulla Creek and the ocean.

The land use of the seven central sub-catchments is mainly commercial and more than80% of the area is impervious. There are about 4.83 km of stormwater pipeline and 1 576pits. The stormwater from two of the sub-catchments drains to the ocean through WimbieCreek, Joes Creek and the other subcatchments drain directly to the ocean.

The land use of the six southern sub-catchments is predominantly residential. There areabout 1.13 km of pipeline and 35 pits. The stormwater from two of the sub-catchmentsdrains to a wetland, and the other sub-catchments drain directly to the ocean.


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Figure 9-6 Batemans Bay Stormwater Sub-Catchments


The issues associated with the landscape and water management systems can beclassified into environmental, social and infrastructure performance, and these arediscussed below.

Environmental and Social Issues

! Acid sulfate soils exposed from past and current development are impacting thewater quality of local creeks and waterways.

! Raw sewage overflows from pumping stations enter estuaries during and followingprolonged power failure and during heavy local rainfall. These events have manyadverse affects including:

− The impact on the ocean environment

− The potential public health impact via the oyster industry and recreationaluses

− The public inconvenience due to odour and visual impacts

− The potential revenue loss to the oyster, recreational and hospitalityindustries from beach closure and bad publicity.

! Release of new areas for development is reducing the ‘natural’ appeal of the areaand is increasing rainfall runoff flows and velocity resulting in an increasedmovement of sediment loads to the waterways.


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! Water quality in Wimbie Creek is poor and odour complaints have been receivedfrom residents living near the intermittently opening lagoon, which is supplied withflows from Wimbie Creek.

! In the absence of stormwater quality data the Short Beach Creek, SurfBeach/Denhams Beach, North Batemans Bay, Surfside and Central Batemans Baysub-catchments have been identified, based on land use activity, as beingpredominant contributors to litter problems and sediment loads in the surroundingwaterways.

! Stormwater discharges from the Maloneys Beach, Long Beach, sub-catchmentshave the potential to degrade wetlands protected under SEPP14 due to erosion andthe invasion of exotic weeds.

! The low lying Lilli Pilli, Reedy Creek and Hanging Rock sub-catchments have thepotential to be impacted by catchment flooding and ocean inundation possiblyresulting in public inconvenience and public safety risk.

! Wimbie Creek sub-catchment has been identified as a potential first priority urbanflooding area.

! The central Batemans Bay sub-catchment and the Princes Highway (in particularthe bridge across Clyde River estuary) have been identified as a possible majorhydrocarbon pollution area.

Water Infrastructure Performance Issues

At the beginning of this study it was identified that there is a general lack of a systematicdatabase to record operational issues and daily performance monitoring information. Whilsta simple data management system was put together for the purposes of this study, there isa need to expand this data management system and gain a commitment from Council tomaintain its currency and historical information. Council is currently upgrading its telemetrysystem to help address this issue.

Water Supply

As Batemans Bay is part of the regional water supply scheme, the water source and supplyissues have been discussed in the regional water supply scheme section (Section 8.2) andas part of the IWCM opportunities and options. In this section of the strategy, only theperformance and issues relating to the local service reservoir and reticulation will bediscussed along with any specific local quantity, quality and service level issues.

The current and future peak day demands are shown in Table 9-9 Current and Future PeakDay Demands for Batemans Bay. Analysis indicates that the existing local reservoircapacity is able to meet Council’s service level for current demands, however it isinadequate for future demands. Council advised that under current demand conditions thearea meets Council’s service level for mains pressure and fire fighting requirements. Noassessment has been undertaken to verify whether this is the case under the futuredemand scenario.


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Table 9-9 Current and Future Peak Day Demands for Batemans Bay

Current KL/d 2032 KL/d

Long Beach 1 224 2 242

Lilli Pilli 758 919

Surf Beach 1 717 1 522

Catalina 2 9 750 12 377

Batemans Bay 406 523

TOTAL 13 855 17 583

Sewerage

The Batemans Bay sewage treatment plant has a nominal biological capacity of 15 000 EP(equivalent persons) but has been assessed to have the capability to treat double thisbiological load with minor modification. This is due to past conservativeness in design andimproved process designs. However, the plant’s hydraulic capacity is inadequate to meetcurrent peak loads, particularly when it coincides with a storm event in peak holidayperiods. It is an accepted practice under these circumstances to by-pass secondarytreatment but not disinfection as the strength of the sewage is very weak. In addition torequiring an upgrade due to inadequate hydraulic capacity, the STP also needs works tomeet current OH&S requirements.

In recent years there have been incidences of sewage overflows from the sewer networkparticularly during and after power failure on rainy days. Investigations undertaken byCouncil and as part of this study show that these overflows occurs due to a combination ofunreliable power supply to some critical pumping stations, inadequate coverage andlimitation on the existing telemetry system, high storm inflows and inadequate stormstorage capacity. Council has commenced a monitoring program of the pump stations todetermine those pump catchments suffering from inflow and infiltration. A preliminaryanalysis of the data shows that the catchments prone to storm inflows include DenhamsBeach (SPS BB38) and Malua Bay (SPS BB44). Analysis also shows that a rainfall eventgreater than approximately 6 mm will impact on sewage flows due to storm inflow.

A preliminary pumping and storage capacity analysis of the sewage transport systemindicated that there is inadequate storage capacity in most of the system under current loadconditions to comply with the agreed service levels. The analysis also indicated that themajor and oldest transfer main in the foreshores of central Batemans Bay is most at risk,with inadequate transfer and storage capacity. Continued strong growth will exacerbate thisproblem, potentially resulting in major sewage spills when a power failure coincides with apeak load and rainfall event. Analysis has also indicated that not all pumping facilities arecontrolled by the shire telemetry system and that some of the critical pumping facilities donot have reliable external power supply and/or provision to connect to an emergency dieselgenerator. Council’s operator indicated that pressurisation of the sewer pipeline betweenBatehaven and Surf Beach is occurring and that some pump stations do not meet OH&Srequirements. Council has undertaken a comprehensive risk analysis to prioritise thefacilities needing immediate attention and is now in the process of undertaking acomprehensive review of the transport network for capacity and storage.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority has indicated that there may be less than idealmixing of effluent at the current ocean discharge point, and that this may potentially lead toan environmental health risk.


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Stormwater

In the absence of stormwater quantity and quality monitoring, preliminary estimates suggestthat the annual stormwater volume discharge from the urban area is 16 000 kL, withnitrogen and phosphorus loads of 15 200 kg and 2 000 kg respectively.

A detailed analysis of each sub-catchment is contained in appendix W. Issues relating tostormwater management and the infrastructure used for its management have beenidentified, as follows:

! Whilst most of the stormwater pipes have been recorded into the GIS, criticalinformation such as pipe size, age, slope, etc. is missing.

! The GIS and the corresponding database does not include information on waterquality control measures that have been installed.

! There is a general lack of urban stormwater quantity and quality information.

! There is no formal approach to stormwater management that will result in bettermanagement and efficient use of this resource.

! Short Beach Creek sub-catchment floods during local rainfall events and requireslarger drainage pipes and/or source control measures, or greater maintenance toreduce blockages.

! There are no treatment measures in place to capture/remove hydrocarbonpollutants from heavy traffic areas.

! Soil erosion is evident at some discharge points.

! Of all the sub-catchments in Batemans Bay, Short Beach, Surf Beach, DenhamsBeach, Joes Creek and Wimbie Creek sub-catchments have been identified asrequiring priority stormwater quantity and quality management measures.

! Except for the regular removal of garbage from the public bins, there is no activelitter and sediment removal/collection program. There is however a gross pollutanttrap in the Batemans Bay Industrial Estate which discharges into Mcleods Creek(SEPP 14).

9.4.3 How Do We Fix These Issues?

Overview

The landscape of the Batemans Bay area could be managed sustainably through theimplementation of appropriate planning controls. The issues of future development and acidsulfate soil runoff could be managed by amending the local environmental and developmentcontrol plans.

There are a number of opportunities available to manage the water cycle of the BatemansBay area. The traditional approach to water management is to separate water, wastewaterand stormwater and treat each in isolation. In this strategy, all available opportunities havebeen identified and coarse screened (see appendix C). The coarse screening processrecognises that there are immediate and short term measures, and medium to long termwater cycle management opportunities. The immediate and short term measures need tobe implemented as a matter of priority to achieve legislative compliance and best practicestandards. The shortlisted medium to long term water cycle management opportunitieswould, in the long run, deliver water cycle sustainability, public health protection andimproved service standards.


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Immediate Measures

Investigations carried out by Council and as part of this study have identified the followingimmediate measures, which include:

! Improving the reliability of the grid power supply to the major sewage pumpstations. Council has already negotiated with the local power authority to provideduplicate power supply from a different sub-station. Design work for this is currentlyunder way.

! Providing stand-by local power supply using generators to some of the other criticalsewage pump stations where it is environmentally and socially acceptable. Councilhas purchased a mobile generator to be used a sewage pump stations duringpower failures. Tender documents are currently being prepared and Council isawaiting State Government funding for construction.

! Improving the reliability and coverage of monitoring and control of pump stationsusing state-of-the-art telemetry system including maximising the use of existingdetention. Council has awarded tenders for the upgrade of the telemetry system,and has gained financial assistance from the State government.

! Developing a stormwater inflow and groundwater infiltration strategy for thesewerage system - Council is currently monitoring a number of pump stations andsub-catchments to identify, prioritise and develop management strategies forproblem areas. As part of the stormwater management program, Council isallocating funds to purchase properties in flood prone areas. The proposed inflowand infiltration strategy in addition to reviewing the current management programsshould also look at other ways to minimise flooding in those areas where purchasein not possible. Examples include encouraging the implementation of measuressuch as rainwater tanks with on-site detention volume, water sensitive urban designprinciples or measures to increase the stormwater conveyance capacity.

! Developing a dynamic model sewage collection and conveyance strategy for thewhole sewerage system including wet weather storage requirements. The dynamicmodel is currently being developed and Council has received financial assistancefrom the State Government.

! Detention structures at most at risk downstream costal sewage pump stations.Construction is to commence in 2003.

Most of the immediate measures are related to sewage collection and transport due to thehigh risk impact posed by the uncontrolled overflow of untreated sewage in developedareas. This poses a greater risk than the discharge of primary and/or secondary treatedeffluent through the ocean outfall. Additional reasons include ease of implementation ofthese measures at minimal cost with large environmental and social benefits and thecurrent high performance of the sewage treatment plant in achieving licence conditions.

Short term Measures


! Relieving the current overload of current sewage pump stations by providingbypass of North Batemans Bay flows by new sewage pump stations and rising mainalong Spine Road alignment.

! Expanding the simple data management system into a comprehensive shire-widesystem to record and store operational and performance monitoring information.


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! Initiating regular and systematic monitoring of operational parameters such as dailywater use, sewage flows, water quality etc., and more strategic environmental andsocial parameters.

! Establishing a water supply reticulation network model to confirm pressure andfirefighting service standards.

! Updating the asset registers to ensure the asset information is complete and up-to-date.

! Reviewing and updating the Batemans Bay stormwater management plan withinformation and suggestions contained in this report.


The medium to long term opportunities are related to enhancing the sustainability of thewater cycle, protecting public health and the environment and improving the servicestandards.

Analysis suggests that even after the implementation of immediate measures, the sewagemanagement at Batemans Bay needs to be enhanced in the medium to long term due toinadequate sewage treatment plant hydraulic capacity, and the close proximity of the mainsewer pipeline to the beaches.

Table 9-10 presents the water cycle management opportunities, their relative capital andpresent value costs over a 30-year period at an annual discount rate of 7%. For details ofcosts see appendix Q. Whilst the costs are indicative only, the relative cost differencebetween the opportunities should be similar.

Table 9-10 Medium to Long term Water Cycle Management Opportunities forBatemans Bay

Costs $mOpportunity

Capital NPV@7%

Provision of a new local reservoir 1.25 0.8

Enhance capability of existing sewage treatment plant 1 10 12.1

New sewage treatment plant in North Batemans Bay 1 13.4 15.9

Transfer of southern catchment sewage load to TomakinSTP 1 11.8 13.8

Stormwater quantity and quality control measures forhigh priority sub-catchments 5.4 5.75

Stormwater quantity and quality control measures for lowpriority sub-catchments 1.0 1.1

Local urban open space stormwater reuse 2.4 3

Note 1: This cost indicates artificial UV treatment of the effluent. The quality could be further enhanced with sandor membrane filtration and/or with wetland treatment.

Enhance the Biological and Hydraulic Capability of the Existing Sewage TreatmentPlant

Preliminary investigations suggest that the existing hydraulic capacity of the reactor andclarifier at the STP is about 6.6 ML/d (27 500 EP) and this capacity could be enhanced bythe addition of chemicals to 9.2 ML/d (38 000 EP) provided the pipelines linking the varioustreatment process units are adequate. However, at these high flows, the process safety


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margins are compromised and during wet weather flows plant by-pass will continue tooccur, albeit the frequency may be lower with the proposed inflow reduction management.The by-pass of raw diluted sewage could be avoided by installing additional clarifiers tosettle the solids and provide some treatment. To reduce public health risk an artificial UVirradiation plant could be installed at the outlet of the maturation pond, which could be usedto disinfect the effluent prior to discharge through the ocean outfall, and the reclaimed waterused at the golf club. The other works necessary for plant capacity augmentation include:

! New inlet works

! Minor process modifications

! Additional aeration capacity and/or an aerated balancing storage at the inlet, and

! Overall OH&S improvement for the plant.

An alternative to this process optimisation strategy is to build a parallel process train withsimilar capacity to the current plant.

To overcome the incidence of sewage overflows from the coastal area, a dedicated pipelinealong Spine Road alignment could also be installed to convey sewage from the northerncatchment to the treatment plant.

A New Sewage Treatment Plant to Serve the North Batemans Bay Catchment

In this strategy, a new STP with an initial biological capacity of 5 000 EP would be builtnorth of Clyde River to treat all the sewage generated from the northern catchment. Theplant would be located on Council owned land. The reclaimed water from the plant would beconveyed via the proposed Spine Road sewage main to the existing outfall. The advantageof this strategy is the conveyance of reclaimed water across the Clyde River and up to theexisting plant as opposed to the conveyance of raw sewage. Another benefit may be thereduction and/or elimination in the wet weather storage capacities within the existing sewernetwork. In this strategy the existing STP would still need new inlet works and other minorrehabilitation works to meet OH&S requirements. The reclaimed water discharged fromboth STPs would be artificially disinfected using a common UV facility at the existing STP.

Transfer of Southern Catchment Sewage Load to Tomakin Sewage Treatment Plant

In this strategy, the sewage from the southern catchment would be transferred to theexisting Tomakin STP. Reversing the flow from the main southern pump station andconstructing a rising/gravity main to the Tomakin plant could achieve this. The benefit ofthis strategy option is that the new rising/gravity main could be integrated with the proposedrising/gravity main to serve the Rosedale and Guerilla Bay areas. Further, this opportunityalso maximises the utilisation of the currently under loaded Tomakin plant and dischargesthe reclaimed water through a relatively better performing ocean outfall (verbal advice fromNSW EPA). In this opportunity the existing Batemans Bay plant would still require new inletworks and other minor rehabilitation work to meet OH&S requirements. The reclaimedwater discharged from both STPs would be artificially disinfected using UV facilities locatedat the respective STPs. The Tomakin plant would need minor upgrades to meet theincreased loads. Preliminary analysis shows that the performance of the plant could beenhanced by optimising the treatment process and by dosing chemicals during periods ofpeak holiday loads.

Assessment of Medium to Long term Water Cycle Management Opportunity

The TBL assessment in Table 9-11 provides the comparative environmental and socialbenefits of the sewerage management component of the water cycle managementopportunities for Batemans Bay.


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Table 9-11 Social, Financial and Environmental Aspects of the Sewage ManagementOptions for Batemans Bay

Issues Management Strategies Social EnvironmentalFinancial

NPV ($m over30 years)

Sewage Option 1 – Upgrade of the Surf Beach STP and sewer system

- Transfer of sewage from North BatemansBay along Spine Road

- Enhanced wet weather storage for prioritypump stations

- Inflow and infiltration minimisation

- Upgrade STP to a capacity of 38 000 EPwith improved wet weather treatment

Optimisation ofexisting assets 12.1

Sewage Option 2 – New Plant in Northern Batemans Bay

- Build a plant on the northern side ofBatemans Bay with a capacity of 5 000 EP

- Transfer treated effluent to the BatemansBay outfall through a pipeline along SpineRoad



Disruption tolocal residents.Possibleopposition tonew treatmentplant

Transfer of effluentonly from NorthernBatemans Bay tooutfall. Possibility ofreuse at growthareas

15.9

Sewage Option 3 -- Transfer of Southern Catchment to Tomakin Plant

- Transfer of sewage from North BatemansBay along Spine Road



- Transfer of sewage from Malua Bay areathrough a new rising/gravity main toTomakin plant

- Optimise Tomakin STP to cater for theMaula Bay load in addition to future localgrowth requirement

Optimisation ofexisting assets

Use of better outfall

More reusepossibilities atTomakin thanBatemans Bay

13.8


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Table 9-12 Triple Bottom Line Assessment of the Sewage Management of the WaterCycle in Batemans Bay

Option 1 Option 2 Option 3

ENVIRONMENTAL

Efficient use of fresh water resource 1 2 3

Minimises low flow water extractions 1 2 3

Minimises greenhouse gas emissions 1 2 2

Minimises pollutants being discharged tothe aquatic environment 2 2 2

Minimises urban stormwater volumes 0 0 0




SOCIAL

Improves security of town water supply 1 2 3

Improves the quality of drinking water 0 0 0


Increases public awareness of urbanwater issues 1 2 3

Minimises non-compliance to policy andlegislation 2 2 2


Social Sum 6 8 10

Social Rank 3 2 1

FINANCIAL

NPV ($m over next 30 years) 12.1 15.9 13.8


TBL SUM 7 7 4

TBL Rank 2 2 1

A TBL assessment has been used to shortlist the most suitable sewage treatment optionavailable for Batemans Bay. Using the above social, environmental and economic criteria,option 3 has been determined as the most appropriate option, and has been carriedthrough as part of the integrated options.


Using the bundling process the water management opportunities can be combined intointegrated scenarios. Table 9-13 below presents examples of integrated scenarios.


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Table 9-13 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios for Batemans Bay

Integrated ScenarioManaged Option Traditional

Approach 2 3

Provision of a new local reservoir "

Transfer of sewage from northerncatchment via Spine Road alignment " " "

Transfer of southern catchment sewageload to Tomakin STP " " "

Stormwater quantity and quality controlmeasures for high priority sub-catchments " "

Stormwater quantity and quality controlmeasures for low priority sub-catchments "

Local urban open space stormwater andreclaimed water use " "

Traditional Approach Provide a new local reservoir, and transfer of southern catchment sewageload to Tomakin STP.

Integrated Scenario 2 Transfer of southern catchment sewage load to Tomakin STP, implementstormwater quantity and quality control measures for high priority sub-catchments and incorporatelocal urban open space stormwater reuse.

Integrated Scenario 3 Transfer of southern catchment sewage load to Tomakin STP, implementstormwater quantity and quality control measures for high and low priority sub-catchments andincorporate local urban open space stormwater and reclaimed water use.

The TBL assessment (Table 9-14) presents the comparative social and environmentalbenefits of each integrated scenario example.


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Table 9-14 Triple Bottom Line Reporting for Batemans Bay

Outcomes TraditionalApproach 2 3

ENVIRONMENTAL



Minimises greenhouse gas emissions 3 3 3






SOCIAL




Increases public awareness of urbanwater issues 0 3 3



Social Sum 8 12 13

Social Rank 3 2 1

FINANCIAL

NPV ($m over next 30 years) 14.6 22.6 23.6


TBL SUM 7 6 5

TBL Rank 3 2 1

According to the TBL assessment, scenario 3 is the most suitable option in terms ofenvironmental, social and economic criteria. This option involves transferring sewage loadsfrom the southern catchment to Tomakin STP, and quantity and quality control ofstormwater in both high and low priority catchments. This scenario also incorporates openspace stormwater and reclaimed water use


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9.5 Mogo

9.5.1 Background


Mogo is an historic village located on the Princes Highway between Batemans Bay andMoruya (see Figure 9-7 below).

Figure 9-7 Mogo Topographic Map

The 2001 census recorded 223 people in Mogo and 110 dwellings. The 1996 housingmonitor stated there were 56 vacant lots in Mogo, with an annual demand of 3 lots. Thisanalysis indicates that there will be a land shortage in the village by 2015. However,comparison of the 1996 and 2001 census shows that the number of private dwellings andthe population in the collection district did not change significantly between the two census.Therefore, the water demands from residential properties have been assumed not toincrease over time. It is assumed that commercial properties will increase at a ratecomparable with the overall population growth.


The town is fed by the Mogo reservoir through the supply scheme. The reservoir hassufficient capacity to cope with the expected 2032 peak day demand of 510 kL/d. Thesewage from the village is treated at the Tomakin STP.

According to the GIS, there are 36 stormwater pits and 4.7 km of pipeline in Mogo. Due tothe town population being less than 1 000 there is no requirement for a stormwatermanagement plan. Stormwater drains to McLeods and Mogo creeks. An annual estimated948 kL/a of stormwater is generated in Mogo containing 1 137kg/a of nitrogen and 152kg/aof phosphorus.


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The issues associated with Mogo landscape and water management system are classifiedinto environmental and social issues, and are discussed below. Other community service-related issues are not in included as part of this study.


! Potential stormwater hotspot pollution sites include the zoo and tourism sources

! Potential sewage overflow from stormwater influx to sewage pumping station.

Social Issues

! Maintain the character and lifestyle of the village

! Tourism is main income for village

! Stormwater-derived pollution has the potential to reduce recreational and tourismattractions

! Problems maintaining a chlorine residual in the water system.



The following are short term measures to improve the water cycle management at Mogo.

Short term Measures


! Improve chlorine residual

! Systematic monitoring of the local waterways and the urban stormwater quality andquantity.

The long term water management issues are addressed as part of the regional watersupply scheme and sewage and wastewater management issues in the Tomakin section ofthe report.


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9.6 Rosedale and Guerilla Bay

9.6.1 Background


Rosedale and Guerilla Bay are two coastal villages located between Batemans Bay andTomakin. Development in Rosedale (the most northerly of the two villages) has beenconcentrated along Rosedale Beach and Saltwater Creek, while Guerilla Bay has an urbandevelopment corridor stretching in a west-east direction along Burri Point Road. There aretwo intermittently opening and closing lagoons near the villages. Access to both villages isfrom George Bass Drive. Figure 9-8 shows the location of these two coastal villages.

Figure 9-8 Rosedale and Guerilla Bay Location

The two villages are bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east but have the potential forurban expansion towards the north and west. Adjacent to the two villages are sensitivecoastal lagoons which are popular for recreational activities. The 2001 census recorded 197people in Rosedale/Guerilla Bay, and 272 dwellings. There is an Urban Expansion Zonelocated inland of the current development. There are between 1 100 and 1 200 lotsallocated for development in this area which are expected to be fully developed in the next10 years.


The towns are supplied with water through the regional supply scheme discussed earlier.The annual water demands are approximately 560 kL/d. The villages are supplied throughthe Burri Point Reservoir, which has sufficient capacity to cope with the predicted demanduntil 2032.

The sewage from the villages is currently treated on site. The Council’s GIS records 272individual on-site treatment systems in the villages. Over 65% of these are septic tanks withwastewater disposal by adsorption trench, and an additional 18% are septic tanks with


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wastewater pumpout. The remaining systems utilise aerated processes that give higherlevels of nutrient removal than septic systems.

Figure 9-9 Aerial Photograph of Rosedale and Guerilla Bay Showing Their Proximityto Tomakin and Mossy Point

9.6.2 What Are The Issues

The issues associated with the Rosedale and Guerilla Bay landscape and watermanagement system are classified into environmental and social issues, and are discussedbelow. Other community services-related issues are not part of this study.


! The soils in the Guerilla Bay and Rosedale area are generally unsuitable forcontrolled absorption (soils range from sandy, hard gravel and clay). It is thereforecommonly acknowledged that sewage/wastewater from on-site wastewatermanagement systems will infiltrate into the groundwater aquifer and ultimately endup in the waterways. This could be particularly detrimental due to the presence oftwo sensitive lagoons in the area.

! Stormwater entering the lagoon from the developed areas has the potential toimpact upon the health and visual quality of the lagoon. The likely pollutants arehydrocarbons from the roads, litter particularly from the identified hot spots (e.g.carparks) nutrients and particles associated with the sediments. In the absence ofstormwater quantity and quality monitoring, preliminary estimates suggest anannual nutrient load of 795 kL with nitrogen and phosphorus loads of 1 000 kg and100 kg respectively.

! The two intermittently opening lagoons can become odorous when closed. Thismay be due to the decomposition of seaweed washed in during high storms orpollution from the urban areas.


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Social Issues

! The wastewater from the on-site systems poses a risk to public health, withrecorded incidents of overflow into streets.

! Of the unsewered villages in Eurobodalla Shire, Rosedale and Guerilla Bay havethe highest population with increased public health risk.

! The village residents do not receive water saving ‘tips’ or information on how tobetter manage the on-site wastewater management systems.

! An urban expansion zone is currently under development inland of the existingvillages.

9.6.3 How Do We Fix The Problems

Overview

The WSUD principles as discussed in Section 8.1.3, could be implemented in Rosedaleand Guerilla Bay to design new developments in an integrated fashion to reduce theirimpacts on the environment. Elements of WUSD include:

! Reduced mains water consumption through the use of water-efficient devices andrainwater tanks

! Reduced stormwater flow by on-site detention measures, and

! Improvements in stormwater quality through natural treatment processes such aswetlands.

It is recommended that these features be incorporated as part of the planning for the newdevelopment area.

The current sewage management practices are not sustainable due to the significantimpact on the groundwater and the potential to pollute the two nearby lagoons. The majorityof the dwellings in the area use septic systems with adsorption trenches, which are notsuitable for the sandy, gravel and clay soils of the region. Rosedale and Guerilla Bay rankedthe highest priority for management intervention on a risk analysis conducted on most ofthe small villages in the Eurobodalla Shire (see appendix X for the assessment criteria).

It is recommended that Council take over the provision of sewage treatment for the villagesas a matter of priority. This could be done through the centralised management of on-sitesystems or provision of a centralised treatment facility.


There are both short and medium term measures to improve the water cycle managementat Rosedale and Guerilla Bay. The short term measures should be implemented as amatter of priority to achieve best practice standard immaterial of the medium-termopportunities.

Short term Measures


! Regular monitoring of the on-site wastewater management systems forperformance and integrity


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! Systematic monitoring of local waterways and urban stormwater quality andquantity

! Regular mail-outs of ways to maintain the on-site water and wastewater systemsincluding information on water conservation

! The above short term measures are complimentary to the proposed medium-termmeasures and would help Council and the community to manage their water cyclemore sustainably.


Medium-term opportunities are measures related to improving the long term sustainabilityof the water cycle. In addition, these opportunities will also reduce public health andenvironmental impacts and enhance the service standards for the water services. Table9-15 presents these opportunities along with their capital and present value at an annualdiscount rate of 7%.

Table 9-15 Integrated Water Cycle Management Opportunities for Rosedale andGuerilla Bay

Cost Estimate


Improved management of existing on-site facilities $0.41 $2.24

Enhanced management of existing on-sitefacilities $1.31 $1.74

Centralisedmanagement ofeffluent from on-sitefacilities

Transfer to Tomakinsystem $2.85 $2.43

Transfer to Tomakinsystem $3.06 $2.73

Transfer to Tomakinsystem with greywaterreuse of suitable systems

$3.06 $2.73Provision of fullreticulatedsewerage system Transfer to Tomakin

system with greywaterreuse of suitable systemsand roofwater harvestingutilising disinfected tanks

$3.06 $2.73

Note 1: NPV’s for on-site systems are based on a rolling program commencing in 2003. NPV’s for seweringRosedale and Guerilla Bay are based on work commencing in 2006



The seepage from existing on-site wastewater management systems could be reduced byregularly emptying the contents of the septic tanks and putting monitoring systems in placeto prevent septic tank overflows and to assess the integrity of the tanks.

A single contract could be arranged by the Council or by the community such that the septictanks are pumped at set time intervals. This would cover both wastewater and sullage


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pumpout. The cost of this pumpout could be evenly divided between the residents. Tofacilitate pumping every tank would require a smaller holding tank or pumpout facility.

This opportunity would reduce the issue of wastewater contaminating the local aquifers andwaterways, but may lead to additional community issues in relation to odour and noiseduring pumpout and frequent movement of trucks in the neighbourhood.


There are several options available to upgrade the existing on-site wastewatermanagement systems to achieve greater public health and environmental outcomes. Thefirst option is to retain the existing septic tank and upgrade the on-site wastewatermanagement system. An example of this would be the replacement of the adsorptiontrenches with lined evapotranspiration beds, which achieve a higher level of water andnutrient uptake through plants.

Another alternative is to upgrade the septic system to one that achieves nutrient removal(e.g. aerated tanks) and therefore results in a higher quality wastewater discharge. Thiswould increase the potential uses of the treated wastewater.

The enhanced management of the current on-site systems would minimise the potentialrisk of pollution contaminating the lagoons and waterways as well as reducing the likelihoodof public health issues and odour complaints.


As an alternative to providing a full reticulated sewage system, the wastewater from existingon-site systems (e.g. septic tanks) could be collected and transported to a central treatmentfacility. This type of system relies on smaller pipes than those required for a conventionalreticulated sewerage system. Pipes can be laid in the ground at a lesser gradient and at amore shallow depth than that of a conventional gravity system, as the solids are captured bythe on-site system and the pipes only need to carry liquid wastewater. The wastewaterwould be transported to Tomakin STP for treatment.


An alternative to on-site sewerage treatment facilities is to transfer wastewater through acentralised sewer transport network to Tomakin STP. This opportunity would require theprovision of larger pipes than for the previous option, which would possibly require beinginstalled at greater depths.

Provision of Full Reticulated Sewerage System with Grey Water Reuse

On-site systems that achieve a suitable level of treatment for greywater would bemaintained, and blackwater only would be transported to the STP using the reticulationsystems described above. The resulting greywater could then be utilised for a variety ofoutdoor uses and for toilet flushing. Maintaining current aerated systems in Rosedale andGuerilla Bay for greywater reuse would reduce the volume of wastewater requiringtreatment by 4 ML/a. In addition to reducing the volume of imported or reticulated waterrequired for Rosedale and Guerilla Bay, this would reduce the hydraulic load on theTomakin STP. With the implementation of appropriate monitoring systems, long termenvironmental and water resource sustainability and public health protection could beachieved.

Provision of Full Reticulated Sewerage System with Grey Water Reuse and RoofwaterHarvesting

This opportunity incorporates components of the previous opportunity. Systems that are notsuitable for greywater reuse (e.g. septic tanks) would be de-sludged and disinfected andused to collect roofwater for non-potable uses including garden watering and toilet flushing.


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This would result in an additional 9.32 ML/a of wastewater not requiring transportation andtreatment at the Tomakin STP. Together with greywater reuse from aerated systems, atotal of 13.32 ML/a could be saved.

Social and Environmental Aspects of Medium to Long term Water Cycle ManagementOpportunities

The TBL assessment in Table 9-16 provides the comparative environmental and socialbenefits of each of the water cycle management opportunities.

Table 9-16 Social and Environmental Aspects of the Medium to Long termOpportunities for Rosedale and Guerilla Bay





Reduces likelihood of overflowsfrom on-site systems

Improves environmentaloutcomes, minimises theincidence of septic wastewatercontaminating groundwater andwaterways




Reduces likelihood of overflowsfrom on-site systems

Reduces impact to local aquifersand the environment


Transfer toTomakin system









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Transfer toTomakin system








Significantly reduces likelihoodof groundwater and waterwaycontamination

More efficient use of waterresources, may allow forregional reuse

Transfer toTomakin systemwith greywaterreuse of suitablesystems





Reduces water demands

Decreases hydraulic andbiological loads on the Tomakinsystem




Significantly reduces likelihoodof groundwater and waterwaycontamination

More efficient use of waterresources

Provision of fullreticulatedsewerage system

Transfer toTomakin systemwith greywaterreuse of suitablesystems androofwaterharvestingutilisingdisinfected tanks


Use of existing resources

Improved air quality and visualcharacter


Further reduced water demands

Decreased hydraulic andbiological loads on the Tomakinsystem




Significantly reduced likelihoodof groundwater and waterwaycontamination

Maximum use of waterresources


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9.6.4 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios for Rosedale andGuerilla Bay

Table 9-17Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios for Rosedale and GuerillaBay

Minimal TraditionalApproach 3 4 5 6


Enhanced management of existing on-site facilities "

Centralisedmanagementof effluentfrom on-sitefacilities

Transfer to Tomakinsystem "

Transfer to Tomakinsystem "

Transfer to Tomakinsystem withgreywater reuse ofsuitable systems

"Provision offull reticulatedseweragesystem

Transfer to Tomakinsystem withgreywater reuse ofsuitable systemsand roofwaterharvesting utilisingdisinfected tanks

"

Minimal Improved management of existing on-site facilities.

Traditional Provision of full reticulated water systems from the regional supply, and the provision offull reticulated sewerage systems with transfer to the Tomakin system.

Integrated Scenario 3 Centralised management of effluent from on-site facilities with transfer to theTomakin system.

Integrated Scenario 4 Enhanced management of existing on-site facilities.

Integrated Scenario 5 Provision of full reticulated sewerage with transfer to the Tomakin systemand greywater reuse.

Integrated Scenario 6 Provision of full reticulated sewerage with transfer to Tomakin system withgreywater reuse of suitable systems and roofwater harvesting utilising disinfected tanks.


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9.6.5 Triple Bottom Line Assessment for Rosedale and Guerilla Bay

Table 9-18 Triple Bottom Line Assessment for Rosedale and Guerilla Bay

Minimal TraditionalApproach 3 4 5 6

ENVIRONMENTAL

Efficient use of fresh waterresource 1 0 1 0 1 2

Minimises low flow waterextractions 0 0 1 0 2 2

Minimises greenhouse gasemissions 1 1 1 2 2 2


2 2 2 1 2 2

Minimises urban stormwatervolumes 0 0 0 0 0 2

Ensures sustainable landuse practices 0 1 1 1 2 2

Environmental Sum 4 4 6 4 9 12

Environmental Rank 4 4 3 4 2 1

SOCIAL

Improves security of townwater supply 0 0 0 0 2 2

Improves the quality ofdrinking water 0 0 0 0 0 0

Improves urban waterservice levels 1 3 3 3 3 3

Increases public awarenessof urban water issues 3 1 1 2 2 2

Minimises non-complianceto policy and legislation 1 3 3 3 3 3

Protects public health 1 3 3 3 3 3

Social Sum 6 10 10 11 13 13

Social Rank 6 4 4 3 1 1

FINANCIAL

NPV ($m over 30 years) 2.24 3.06 2.45 1.74 3.06 3.06

Financial Rank 3 4 2 1 4 4

TBL Score 13 12 9 8 7 6

TBL Rank 6 5 4 3 2 1

According to the TBL assessment criteria, the best option is to transfer sewage to Tomakin,with the on-site systems retained for greywater treatment or roof water harvesting asappropriate. Although the cost of this option does not vary significantly from the otherintegrated scenarios, it performs best overall against the social and environmental criteria


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9.7 Tomakin and Surrounds

9.7.1 Background

The Landscape

Tomakin and the surrounds comprises the urban areas of Tomakin, Mossy Point andBroulee. These three urban areas are located along the foreshores of Broulee Bay. MossyPoint lies in the central area and is bounded by Candlagan Creek to the south and theTomaga River to the north. The upper tidal reaches of the Tomaga River support severaloyster farms. Around Mossy Point several sensitive wetlands can be found. Figure 9-10shows the location of Tomakin and surrounding areas.

Figure 9-10 Tomakin Topographic Map

The 2001 census recorded 2 388 people in the area and 2 100 dwellings. Council hasidentified that the population growth in this area will be accommodated within the zonedurban expansion areas near Tomakin as new subdivision and the remaining within existingdeveloped areas. Due to development pressures, Council has also nominated additionalland areas west of Tomakin that may be suitable for urban subdivision. Although the timingof development of the various areas cannot be predicted with certainty, it is accepted thatthe predicted population increase is sustainable. This area also supports a significant touristpopulation, with the population increasing to about 1 600 during the peak holiday season.


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Existing Water Management System

The area is supplied by the regional water supply scheme, which fills three local servicereservoirs, Tomakin Heights for the small number of houses in Barlings Drive, Burri PointReservoir for Rosedale, Guerilla Bay and Tomakin, and Mossy Point for the Mossy Pointand Broulee areas. The Tomakin Heights reservoirs have a combined capacity of 0.2 ML.The capacity of Mossy Point reservoirs is 4.6 ML and Burri Point is 5.0 ML. Current andfuture average and peak day demands are shown in Table 9-19.

During the 1982/83 drought, bores were sunk along Broulee Road, South of Broulee toprovide drought security for the regional scheme. . These bores were used for three monthsuntil the end of the 1983 drought and were subsequently capped.

Recent water quality testing of these bores indicated elevated arsenic iron and nitratelevels, which may be in part from the past poor management of septic tanks. This hasraised serious doubts over the long term sustainability of these bores Many of the Brouleeresidents to date use bore water from their backyard bore, predominantly to water theirgardens.

Table 9-19 Current and Future Average and Peak Day Demands for Tomakin

Current 2032

ADD kL/d PDD kL/d ADD kL/d PDD kL/d

Mossy Point 814 1 791 748 1 646

Burri Point 560 1 233 1 299 2 858

Tomakin Heights 21 46 18 41

TOTAL 835 1 837 766 1 687

A centralised sewage treatment plant located north-east of Tomakin services the threeurban centres and the village of Mogo. The STP provides secondary treatment and isbased on the continuous extended aeration process. After natural disinfection the majorityof the secondary treated water is returned to the environment through direct oceandischarge. The de-watered and stabilised biosolid is used for rehabilitating Council’s landfill.

There are five stormwater sub-catchments within Tomakin, which include Barlings Beach,Tomakin, Mossy Point North, Candlagan Creek and South Broulee. The land use withinthese areas is primarily residential. Figure 9-11 shows the location of these sub-catchments.


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Figure 9-11 Tomakin Stormwater Sub-Catchments


The issues associated with the landscape and water management systems can beclassified into environmental, social and water infrastructure performance. These issues arediscussed below.


! Possible public concern with regard to insufficient disinfection of effluent duringpeak load and/or wet periods.

! Possible sewage overflows from the sewer network as the system ages and loadsincrease leading to a greater environmental problems and health risks for the localcommunity.

! Odour at the inlet works of the STP resulting in customer complaints. Pressurefrom developers to reduce the size of the STP buffer zones will only exacerbate thisissue.

! High water tables in the area leave the community exposed to possible flooding.

! Urban water flooding occurs frequently in Candlagan Creek and South Broulee.

! Discharge of stormwater into vulnerable ecosystems and wetlands. If unabated, theimpact will become significant when new development commences adjacent toenvironmentally sensitive areas.

! Historical water quality tests show that the aquifer around Broulee is of poor qualitydue to old septic tank systems.

! Present groundwater extraction volumes may be unsustainable.


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! There is a need to sustainably manage the use of the Broulee aquifer for continueduse by both the environment and the water users.


Water Supply

Analysis indicates that the existing local reservoir capacity meets Council’s service level forcurrent and future demands. Council has advised that under current demand conditions thesystem also meets Council’s service level for mains pressure and fire fighting requirements.

Some residents use groundwater for garden watering. Based on past water quality data, thepractice poses a minor risk to the users however over-use of this resource poses a threat tothe environment. Measures should be taken to ensure this source is sustainably managedfor continued use by the environment and the householders.

Sewage

The nominal design capacity of the plant will be exceeded by around 2015, however thereactor and the clarifier has been assessed to have a treatment capability in excess of3.7 ML/d or 15 000 EP. This means the plant has the capacity to process loads for the next30+ years, provided the pipeline linking the various treatment process units is adequate.However, the plant needs some rehabilitation works to meet current OH&S legislation.

It is important to note that if the option to transfer sewage from the southern catchment ofBatemans Bay to Tomakin STP is implemented, the Tomakin STP would require increasedcapacity to be implemented in 2-3 years time, rather than 15 years as indicated earlier.

The sewer network servicing Tomakin and the surrounding area is extensive and has beengrouped into three distinct catchments, the southern catchment serving the Broulee area,the central catchment covering the Mossy Point area, and the northern catchment coveringthe Tomakin area. There are six pumping stations in Broulee located along the bayforeshore that transfer the sewage towards the treatment plant. There are three pumpingstations in Mossy Point and a major station that receives the sewage generated from boththe local and Broulee catchments. The sewage from the main pump station is transferred toa main pumping station in the Tomakin catchment, which together with the local flowstransfers the sewage to the STP.

Due to its relative recent construction and the lower than anticipated load, the sewernetwork has been performing satisfactorily during and after power failure and during rainyperiods. Due to the long transport network, high levels of hydrogen sulfide are generatedcausing odours and impacting on the life of the assets. In view of the proximity of the maintransport link to the surrounding beaches, it is suggested Council undertake acomprehensive risk analysis to identify potential failure modes and the critical facilities inthe network system. This analysis could then be used to develop critical control andmanagement response plans.

Although the EPA has assessed the performance of the outfall as being among the best inNSW, in order to meet best practice standards Council should consider disinfecting thewastewater prior to its discharge to the ocean environment. This, in addition to meeting bestpractice standards, would also provide increased public health protection and improve theaesthetic and environmental appeal of the area. Similar to the Batemans Bay system,options available to enhance the discharge quality include wetland treatment, air flotationand sand or membrane filtration. Reclaimed water reuse and recycling strategies arediscussed in Section 3.

Stormwater

The Barlings Beach sub-catchment encompasses vulnerable ecosystems and a significantwetland that will need protection when development occurs. The main road that leads into


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the residential areas requires some structural solutions to improve water quality. Anestimated 7.92 ML/a of stormwater is generated in Tomakin and the surrounding areaannually, containing 7 400 kg/a of nitrogen and 1 000 kg/a of phosphorus. Candlagan Creekis a priority catchment for stormwater management.

9.7.3 How Do We Fix these Issues?

Overview

The landscape of the Tomakin region could be managed sustainably through theimplementation of the appropriate planning controls. The issues of future development andacid sulfate soil runoff could be managed by amending the local environmental plan anddevelopment control plans.

There are a number of opportunities to manage the water cycle of Tomakin and thesurrounding natural and urban landscapes. The opportunities available for stormwater,wastewater and water supply were traditionally examined individually. In this strategy, allavailable opportunities have been identified and coarse screened (see Appendix C). Thecoarse screening process recognises that there are immediate and short term measures,and medium to long term water cycle management opportunities. The immediate and shortterm measures need to be implemented as a matter of priority to achieve legislativecompliance and best practice standards. The short-listed medium to long term water cyclemanagement opportunities would in the long run deliver water cycle sustainability, publichealth protection and improved service standards.

Immediate Measures

Investigations carried out by Council and as part of this study have identified the followingimmediate measures, which include:

! A risk assessment of the sewerage system to identify critical facilities and todevelop mitigative measures and critical control and response management plans.

! Developing a storm water inflow and groundwater infiltration strategy.

Short term Measures


! Expanding the simple data management system into a comprehensive Shire widesystem to record and store operational and performance monitoring information.

! Initiating regular and systematic monitoring of the operational parameters such asdaily water use, sewage flows, water quality etc and more strategic environmentaland social parameters.


! Updating the asset registers to ensure the asset information is complete and up todate.

! Addition of a UV treatment plant for disinfecting the reclaimed water.

! Odour and hydrogen sulfide control.


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Medium to Long Term Water Cycle Management Opportunities

The medium to long term opportunities are related to enhancing the sustainability of thewater cycle, protecting the public health and environment and improving the servicestandards.

As part of a long term strategy, the water quality and quantity of the Broulee aquifer needsto be managed so that the environment and current water users can continue to enjoy thisresource in a sustainable manner. Options include:

! Reduce or ration the volume of water extracted from the aquifer.

! Inject and store highly treated reclaimed water from the Tomakin STP into theaquifer such that a balance is maintained between extraction and injection. If morelocal users take-up this option within sustainability limits, it has the potential toreduce demand on the regional water supply scheme and increase the secure yieldof the regional supply infrastructure.

Mossy Point and Broulee areas receive town water supplied through the regional watersupply scheme. Water is supplied through the 4.6 ML Mossy Point Reservoir. There issufficient capacity for all future growth. Some residents in Broulee use groundwater for non-potable external use.

Table 9-20 Costing of Management Opportunities presents the water cycle managementopportunities, their relative capital and present value costs over a 30-year period at anannual discount rate of 7%. Whilst the costs are indicative only, the relative cost differencebetween the opportunities should be similar.

Table 9-20 Costing of Management Opportunities in Tomakin and Surrounds

Costs ($)Opportunity

Capital NPV @ 7%

Process optimisation strategy1 1.7 M 1.64 MEnhancecapability ofexisting STP Construct a parallel process train 2.85 M 2.3 M

Stormwater quantity and quality control measures forhigh priority sub-catchments 1.72 1.8

Stormwater quantity and quality control measures for lowpriority sub-catchments 0.5 0.53

Enhance the Biological and Hydraulic Capability of the Existing Tomakin SewageTreatment Plant

The Tomakin STP has a nominal biological capacity of 8 000 EP however the reactor andclarifier has been assessed to have a treatment capacity able to process double thisbiological load (3.7 ML/d or 15 000 EP) with minor modification. This is due to pastconservativeness in design and improved design techniques. The biological treatmentcapacity of the reactor and clarifier could be further increased to about 4.9 ML/d(20 000 EP) by the addition of chemicals provided the pipeline linking the various treatmentprocess units are adequate. It is an accepted practice under these circumstances to by-pass the secondary treatment, and only apply disinfection, as the strength of the sewage isvery weak.

An alternate to the process optimisation strategy is the traditional strategy including aparallel process train with similar capacity to the current plant is built.


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Reclaimed Water Reuse

Wastewater can be treated to a suitable level for a variety of beneficial reuse. Theseinclude industrial, agricultural, open space irrigation, non-potable domestic reuse andindirect potable reuse. The opportunity exists in Tomakin and Surrounds to utilise effluentreuse for open space irrigation, for dual reticulation in new developments or could form partof the regional reuse scheme.

Stormwater Quality and Quantity Control measures

Stormwater can be collected and stored, and then treated for release at a controlled rate.The temporary storage of flood waters will have the effect of attenuating the peak flow rateof discharge downstream which should reduce the size of drainage works requireddownstream. It can substantially reduce the release of nutrients and pollutants to thecatchment. If sufficient open space is available, retaining and treating stormwater canprovide a cost effective means of upgrading stormwater drainage capacities with significantenvironmental benefits.

Stormwater Reuse

Stormwater can be collected and stored, and then treated to a suitable level for a variety ofuses. Stormwater can be collected through individual rainwater tanks or through detentionbasins. The temporary storage and reuse of flood waters will have the effect of attenuatingthe peak flow rate of discharge downstream which should reduce the size of drainageworks required downstream. If sufficient open space is available, stormwater retention canprovide a cost effective means of upgrading stormwater drainage capacities, and reducepressure on treated water supplies and waterways. Rainwater tanks can supply manyindoor and outdoor domestic uses, and detention basins can be used for open spaceirrigation or form part of the regional scheme.


Using the bundling process the above water management opportunities could be combinedinto integrated scenarios. Table 9-21 presents examples of integrated scenarios.

Table 9-21 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios for Tomakin andSurrounds

ScenarioManagement Option

Minimal/ Traditional 2 3

Sewerage system upgrade " " "

Stormwater quality and quantity controlfor high priority catchments " "

Stormwater quality and quantity – lowpriority sub-catchments "

Minimal/traditional Upgrade sewerage system.

Integrated Scenario 2 Upgrade sewerage system and reclaimed water reuse.

Integrated Scenario 3 Upgrade sewerage system, reclaimed water reuse and stormwater qualityand quantity control.


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The TBL assessment (Table 9-22) presents the comparative environmental, social andeconomic benefits of each of the integrated scenarios.

Table 9-22 Triple Bottom Reporting for Tomakin and Surrounds

Outcomes Minimal/Traditional 2 3

ENVIRONMENTAL



Minimises green house gasemissions 2 3 3


1 2 3


Ensure sustainable practices 0 2 3



SOCIAL




Increase public awareness of urbanwater issues 0 2 3

Minimises non-compliance to policyand legislation 3 3 3


Social Sum 8 12 13

Social Rank 3 2 1

FINANCIAL

NPV ($m over 30 years) 3.9 5.7 6.2


TBL Sum 6 6 5

TBL Rank 2 2 1On a TBL basis the best option is option 3, the upgrading of the STP and stormwater qualityand quantity control for high and low priority catchments


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9.8 Moruya and Moruya Heads

9.8.1 Background

The Landscape

The town of Moruya is located in the central region of the Shire. It is the third largest town inthe Eurobodalla Shire and has the potential to become the industrial centre of the region.The majority of the town development is concentrated on the southern side of the MoruyaRiver. The catchment supports a large dairy farming industry, aquaculture and recreationalactivities. Figure 9-12 shows the location of Moruya.

Figure 9-12 Moruya Topographic Map

The population of Moruya recorded at the 2001 census was 2 314 for Moruya and 730 forSouth Head and a total of 1 630 dwellings. The town supports the highest ratios ofpermanent to holiday residents than other areas of the Shire. The 1996 housing monitorstated there was 2 429 vacant lots in Moruya and Moruya Heads, with an annual demand of34 lots. This analysis indicates that there is sufficient capacity for the predicted futuregrowth within the 30 year planning framework.


The town is serviced by the regional water supply scheme. Water is supplied through the6.0 ML Moruya Town 2 Reservoir and the 3.0 ML Moruya South Head Reservoir.

A recent upgrade of the system involved the construction of a new connection to transportsewage from South Head to the Moruya STP. This coincided with the STP upgrade whichhas increased its capacity from 4 000 EP to 8 000 EP. The plant upgrade involvedconverting it from an intermittent extended aeration plant to a continuous extended aerationplant. The STP now has chemical phosphorous, biological nitrogen removal capabilities.


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The UV disinfection process has been upgraded to tertiary lagoons and an effluent balancetank with overflow to the storm catch ponds. The plant can treat three times average dryweather flow. The current average dry weather flow is 600 kL/d. This is expected toincrease to 1 090 kL/d when all Moruya Head properties are connected.

Reclaimed water is currently being used for the irrigation of golf course. The remainingtreated water is discharged to Ryans Creek. A pollution reduction program has been issuedby the EPA to investigate the long term sustainability of the discharge to the estuary.Council is planning to sewer the industrial estate to the north of Moruya.

Moruya is estimated to generate 6 413 kL/a stormwater with loadings of 5 350 kg/a ofnitrogen and 700 kg/a phosphorous. The urban centres contribute 8.3% of the total nitrogenand 25.3% of the total phosphorous load to the system. This load is expected to increase by40% over the next 25 years. Appropriate management of stormwater quality is required toreduce this impact.




! Flood waters from the Moruya River inflow into the sewers increasing the potentialof sewer overflows and the associated health risks.

! There is a pollution reduction program on the STP to investigate the effects ofnutrient loads on the estuary

! Stormwater from Moruya is adversely impacting on the water quality in the estuary.

! Moruya River is stressed under low flows due to town water and irrigationextractions.

! Localised flooding occurs in low lying areas.

! The community perceives that the disposal of sewage effluent into the estuary hasa potential health risk to oyster growers and recreational users.

! Farmers located in the Moruya catchment lack access to freshwater resources andthis is adversely affecting their productivity.


Water Supply

An analysis of the reservoirs indicates that there is sufficient capacity to supply the year2032 peak day demands.

Sewage

Available data suggests that pump stations 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7 require upgrading to minimiseoverflows and odour.


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9.8.3 How Do We Fix These Issues?

Overview

The landscape of this region could be managed sustainably through the implementation ofthe appropriate planning controls. The issues of future development and acid sulfate soilrunoff could be managed by amending the local environmental and development controlplans.

There are a number of opportunities available to manage the water cycle of Moruya andSouth Heads. Traditionally all opportunities available for the water supply, wastewater andstormwater were often evaluated in isolation. In this strategy, all available opportunitieswere identified and coarse screened (see Appendix C). The coarse screening processrecognises that there are immediate and short term measures, and medium to long termwater cycle management opportunities. The immediate and short term measures need tobe implemented as a matter of priority to achieve legislative compliance and best practicestandards. The short-listed medium to long term water cycle management opportunitieswould in the long run deliver water cycle sustainability, public health protection andimproved service standards.

Short term Measures


! Expanding the simple data management system into a comprehensive Shire widesystem that is able to record and store operational and performance monitoringinformation.

! Initiating regular and systematic monitoring of the operational parameters such asdaily water use, sewage flows, water quality etc and more strategic environmentaland social parameters.


! Updating the asset registers to ensure the asset information is complete and up todate. Underway


The medium to long term opportunities are related to enhancing the sustainability of thewater cycle, protecting the public health and environment and improving the servicestandards.

Table 9-23 presents the water cycle management opportunities, their relative capital andpresent value costs over a 30-year period at an annual discount rate of 7%. Whilst the costsare indicative only, the relative cost difference between the opportunities should be similar.


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Table 9-23 Costing of Management Opportunities for Moruya and Moruya Heads

Financial ($m)Issues ManagementStrategies Social Environmental

Capital NPV @ 7%

Upgrade pump stations(Underway)

Reduced potential forodour complaints.

Improved efficiency ofexisting assets.

Lessened risk ofoverflow.

Limited footprint ofconstruction.

$2.2 $2.3

Sewer the industrialestate (underway)

Lessened public healthrisk.

Economical

Reduced risk ofoverflows to sensitiveenvironment and waterbodies.

$1.1 $1.15

Lay a re-use pipelinealongside the sewerpipeline

Improved use ofvaluable resource.

Limited footprint ofconstruction of thisoption.

$0.40 $42

Lay a reuse pipe north Saving of potable(costly) treated water.

Return of resource tothe water cycle. $0.45k $0.47

Stormwater retentionquality and quantitycontrol for high priorityareas

Eliminates urbanflooding

Reduces pollution ofwaterways $0.056 $0.060

Stormwater quality andquantity control for lowpriority areas

Eliminates urbanflooding

Reduces pollution ofwaterways $1.0 $1.1

Sewage System Upgrade

The existing sewage treatment plant upgrade works were completed last year. The planthas sufficient capacity for the next 30 years. Some sewer pipes and pump stations requiredupgrading to overcome overflow and odour problems. This work is underway.

Stormwater Retention Basins

Stormwater retention basins are designed to collect and store flood run-off for release at acontrolled rate. The temporary storage of flood waters will have the effect of attenuating thepeak flow rate of discharge downstream which should reduce the size of drainage worksrequired downstream. Such temporary storage areas are sometimes formed naturally byrestrictions in the drainage systems and may be constructed artificially. If sufficient openspace is available, stormwater retention can provide a cost effective means of upgradingstormwater drainage capacities.

Effluent Reuse

Wastewater can be treated to a suitable level for a variety of beneficial reuse. Theseinclude industrial, agricultural, open space irrigation, non-potable domestic reuse andindirect potable reuse. The opportunity exists in the Moruya area to utilise effluent foragricultural and industrial reuse.

Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios

Using the bundling process the above water management opportunities can be combinedinto integrated scenarios. The table below presents examples of integrated scenarios.


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Table 9-24 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios for Moruya and MoruyaHeads

ScenarioManagement Option Traditional

2 3

Sewage system upgrade and extension " " "

Effluent reuse " "

Stormwater quality and quantity controlin high priority areas " "

Stormwater quality and quantity controlin low priority areas "

Minimal/traditional Sewerage system upgrade.

Integrated Scenario 2 Sewerage system upgrade, effluent reuse and stormwater in highpriority catchments.

Integrated Scenario 3 Sewerage system upgrade and effluent reuse and stormwater inhigh and low priority catchments

The TBL assessment (Table 9-25) presents the comparative environmental, social andeconomic benefits of each integrated scenarios.


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Table 9-25 Triple Bottom Line Reporting for Moruya and Moruya Heads

Outcomes Minimal/Traditional 2 3

ENVIRONMENTAL



Minimises green house gasemissions 2 2 2


0 2 1


Ensure sustainable practices 0 3 2



SOCIAL





Minimises non-compliance to policyand legislation 3 3 3


Social Sum 9 13 14

Social Rank 3 2 1

FINANCIAL

NPV ($m over 30 years) 3.5 4.4 5.5


TBL Sum 7 5 6

TBL Rank 3 1 2

The triple bottom line assessment for Moruya is that the sewerage system upgrade, effluentreuse and stormwater management in high priority catchments provide the best outcomesbased on the above criteria.


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9.9 Congo

9.9.1 Background


Congo is a small village located near Moruya. It is bounded by Congo Creek to the northand the Tasman Sea to the east. The 2001 census recorded 143 people in Congo and 95dwellings. The 1996 housing monitor recorded 27 vacant lots in Congo, with a predictedannual demand of 2 lots. This analysis indicates that there will be a land shortage by 2010.

Figure 9-13 Location of Congo


The village residents rely on rainwater tanks for their potable water needs. During periods ofdrought and low rainfall the individual property owners purchase water externally, which inmost instances is sourced from the Shire’s regional water scheme. Some groundwater maybe available from the coastal sands, but the sustainability and capacity of this resource iscurrently unknown.


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Figure 9-14 Aerial Photograph of Congo

The village residents manage their own on-site wastewater systems. According to Council’sGIS, there is currently 80 on-site treatment facilities. 81% of these are septic tanks witheffluent disposal by adsorption trench. The remaining systems utilise aerated processesthat give higher levels of nutrient removal than septic systems.

Congo has 0.6 km of stormwater pipes with 84 stormwater pits recorded on the GIS.Stormwater is not discharged to local rivers and there are no vulnerable ecosystems nearthe village. An estimated 1 424 kL/a of stormwater is generated in Congo, containing1 410 kg /a of nitrogen and 190 kg/a of phosphorous.


The issues associated with the village landscape and water management system areclassified into environmental and social issues, and are discussed below. Other communityservices related issues are not part of this study.

Social and Environmental Issues

! The impact of sewage overflow pose a public health and environmental risks,

! The land is not suitable for soil adsorption systems.


Overview

It is vital that water management be undertaken in a sustainable manner. One importantmechanism to aid in the achievement of sustainable water management is through planningcontrols. Many social and environmental issues such as acid sulfate soils can be addressedthrough a local environmental plan or development control plan. Planning instruments also


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provide a forum for public review and participation with all plans requiring a mandatoryexhibition and submission period.

The traditional approach to water management is to separate water, wastewater andstormwater and treat each in isolation. In this strategy, all available opportunities have beenidentified and coarse screened (see Appendix C). The short listed water cycle managementopportunities are discussed below.


There are both short and medium term measures to improve the water cycle managementat Congo. The short term measures should be implemented as a matter of priority toachieve best practice standard immaterial of the medium term opportunities.

Short Term Measures


! Regular monitoring of on-site wastewater management systems for performanceand integrity

! Systematic monitoring of local waterways and urban stormwater quality andquantity.

! Regular mail-outs of ways to maintain the on-site water and wastewater systemsincluding information on water conservation

The above short term measures are complimentary to the proposed medium termmeasures and would help Council and the community to manage their water cycle moresustainably.


Medium term opportunities are measures related to improving the long term sustainability ofthe water cycle. In addition, these opportunities will also reduce public health andenvironmental impacts and enhance the standards for the water services. Table 9-26presents these opportunities along with their capital and present value at an annualdiscount rate of 7%.


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Table 9-26 Costs of Opportunities for Congo

Cost Estimate


Improved management of existing water supply - $0.06

Harvested roof water supplemented withreticulated water from the regional scheme $0.84 $1.0

Provision of full reticulated water system from theregional scheme $1.1 $1.3


Enhanced management of existing on-sitefacilities 1 $0.38 $0.51

Centralised management of effluent from on-sitefacilities with local treatment 1 $2.3 $0.56

Local treatment andmanagement 2 $2.4 $0.78

Transfer to Moruya $2.5 $0.67Provision offull reticulatedseweragesystem Local treatment and

management with greywaterreuse of suitable systems 2

$2.4 $0.78

Note 1: NPV’s for on-site systems are based on a rolling program commencing in 2003. NPV’s for seweringCongo are based on work commencing in 2024. NPV’s for water are based on works commencing in 2003.


Improved Management of Present Water Supply

The reliability of the existing rainwater tank supply could be improved by conserving waterthrough more efficient use. Utilising water efficient appliances and fixtures such as dualflush toilet, aerated taps, smart and efficient shower roses and washing machines are a fewexamples. There may be the potential to utilise groundwater, this option however wouldrequire further investigation.

Harvested Roofwater Supplemented with Reticulated Water

Congo is totally dependent upon rainwater tanks for its water supply. Installing a reticulatedsystem to supplement rainwater supplies would increase water security. This type of systemwould offer a good quality potable water supply whilst continuing to utilise rainwater tanksfor uses such as toilet flushing, washing machines and gardening. Through supplyingreticulated potable water, significant community and health benefits would be expected. Thereticulated water could be sourced from the regional scheme

The pipes required for a supplemented reticulation scheme would be smaller than for a fullreticulated water supply provision. In this case the average annual and peak reticulatedwater demands for the full development situation would be about 17 ML/a and 0.09 ML/drespectively.


Connecting Congo to the region’s water supply would require a 5 km pipeline from thetransfer main between Moruya and Bodalla along existing roads. As the houses currentlyhave rainwater tanks they could be retained and used for external water usage. If townwater is supplied to the village it is recommended that consideration be given to sewering of


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the town at this time, as additional water consumption will increase the on-site septicsystems loads.

Rainwater tanks can be less reliable than town water supplies and if gutters, roof surfacesand tanks are not well maintained it may result in poor quality water. A full reticulated townwater supply would significantly reduce public health risks through ensuring that the watersupply meets the Australian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines. This option would alsoeliminate the need for houses to import water during low rainfall and drought periods

In this case the average annual and peak reticulated water demands for the fulldevelopment situation would be about 20 ML/a and 0.14 ML/d respectively.

The scheme facilities necessary to provide a full reticulated water supply to Congo would besimilar to those required for a supplemented reticulated supply as discussed previously.The facility and component sizes would however be required to be slightly larger. Theprovision of larger pipes and facilities would enable the provision of fire fighting services atminimal extra cost.


Sewage is currently treated by on-site systems. The seepage from existing on-sitewastewater management systems could be reduced by regularly emptying the contents ofthe septic tanks and installing monitoring systems to prevent septic tank overflows and toassess the integrity of the tanks. Regular pumpouts and monitoring has the potential tominimise many of the environmental and public health impacts associated with theoperation of septic systems.

A single contract could be arranged by the Council or by the community such that the septictanks are pumped at set time intervals. This would cover both effluent and sullagepumpout. The cost of this pumpout could be evenly split among the residents. To facilitatepumping every tank would require a smaller holding tank or pumpout facility.

Although this opportunity would reduce the potential for waterway and aquifercontamination, it may but result in additional community impacts, such as odoursassociated with pumpouts and the movement of trucks in the neighbourhood.

A risk analysis undertaken for most of the villages of Eurobodalla indicated that Congo hasthe least environmental and social risk associated with their current management practices.Nevertheless, if Council adopts management solutions for the other small villages, theremay be economies of scale in considering the inclusion of Congo in a Shire-wide septicmanagement scheme.



Another alternative is to upgrade the septic system to one that achieves nutrient removaland therefore results in a higher quality effluent discharge (e.g. aerated tanks). This wouldincrease the potential uses available to the treated effluent.

Both these options would minimise the potential for groundwater contamination, and itsassociated environmental problems as well as reducing the likelihood of public healthissues and odour complaints.


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As an alternative to providing a full reticulated sewage system, the effluent from existing on-site systems (e.g. septic tanks) could be collected and transported to a central treatmentfacility. The pipes used may be smaller and could be laid in ground flatter and at a shallowdepth than conventional gravity sewerage, as the pipes carry only entrained solids thusrequiring minimal self cleaning velocity. The effluent collected form Moruya would betransported to Moruya STP for treatment.


An alternative to providing any on-site treatment facilities is to transfer both the solids andliquid through a common sewer transport network to Moruya STP. Unlike in the previousopportunities the sewer transport pipes would need to be larger and possibly installed at agreater depth. Installing sewerage reticulation to transfer to Moruya STP would require 9.5km of pipeline along existing roads.


On-site systems that achieve a suitable level of greywater treatment would be maintained,and blackwater only would be either transported to the Moruya STP using the reticulationsystems described above, or would undergo local treatment and management. Theresulting greywater could then be utilised for a variety of outdoor uses and for toilet flushing.Maintaining current aerated systems in Congo for greywater reuse would reduce thevolume of wastewater requiring treatment by 0.86 ML/a. If in addition, current septic tankswere converted to rainwater tanks for reuse purposes an additional 2.8 ML/a could besaved. This in addition to reducing the volume of imported of reticulated water required forMoruya, would reduce the hydraulic load on the Moruya STP. With the implementation ofappropriate monitoring systems, long term environmental and water resource sustainabilityand public health protection could be achieved.


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9.10 Bodalla

9.10.1 Background


Bodalla is located just south of the Tuross River, approximately 7.5km west of Potato Point.Urban development in Bodalla is concentrated along the Princess Highway, which alsoserves as its major access. Figure 9-15 shows the locality of Bodalla.

Figure 9-15 Location of Bodalla

The land surrounding Bodalla consists of the Tuross River, Borang Lake, the Bodalla StateForest and farmland. The 2001 census recorded 316 people in Bodalla and 200 dwellings.The 1996 housing monitor stated there were 75 vacant lots in Bodalla, with an annualdemand of 1 lot. This indicates that there is sufficient land for urban expansion. Ininvestigating the integrated water options, allowance has been made for an annual demandof 2 lots per annum. Figure 9-16 contains an aerial photograph of the area.


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Figure 9-16 Aerial Photograph of Bodalla


Bodalla is connected to the regional water supply scheme, supplied through the 3 MLBodalla Park reservoir. This reservoir is capable of supply the estimated 2032 peak daydemand of 729 kL/d.

The village has on-site treatment for its sewage. According to the GIS, there are currently133 on-site treatment facilities. The majority (84%), of these are septic tanks with effluentdisposal by adsorption trenches, which generally do not comply with the performanceobjectives of Environmental and Health Protection Guidelines (1998). The remainingsystems utilise aerated processes that give higher levels of nutrient removal that septicsystems. A STP is proposed for Bodalla.

Bodalla has not been considered under the Shire’s stormwater management plan due to it’spopulation being less than 1 000. There is 460 m of stormwater pipe recorded in Bodalla,and eight discharge points. As the urban area is surrounded by agricultural land and thestormwater must travel overland for more than 400 m to reach the nearest waterways, thestormwater impacts from Bodalla are considered to be of low priority. An estimated403 kL/a of stormwater is generated in Bodalla, containing 483 kg/a of nitrogen and 64kg/aof phosphorous.

9.10.2 What Are the Issues

The issues associated with the village landscape and water management system areclassified into environmental and social issues, and are discussed below. Other communityissues are not part of this study.


! There is currently pollution from on-site wastewater treatment systems due to smalllot sizes.


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Social Issues

! Current on-site wastewater management practices pose a public health riskespecially during rainy periods,

! There are often odour complaints from residents,

! The village has received funding for sewerage under the Small Towns Programadministered by DLWC, and the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Council,

! The village residents do not receive any water saving ‘tips’ or information on how tobetter manage on-site wastewater management systems.



There are both short and medium term measures to improve the water cycle managementat Bodalla. The short term measures should be implemented as a matter of priority toachieve best practice standard immaterial of the medium term opportunities.

Short Term Measures


! Regular monitoring of the on-site wastewater management systems forperformance and integrity,

! Systematic monitoring of local waterways and urban stormwater quality andquantity,

! Regular mail-outs of ways to maintain the on-site water and wastewater systemsincluding information on water conservation.



Medium term opportunities are measures related to improving the long term sustainability ofthe water cycle. In addition, these opportunities will also reduce public health andenvironmental impacts and enhance the service standards for the water services. Table9-27 presents these opportunities along with their capital and present value at an annualdiscount rate of 7%.


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Table 9-27 Integrated Water Cycle Management Opportunities for Bodalla

Cost Estimate


Centralised management of effluent from on-site facilities 2.57 2.85

Package Treatment Plant 2.66 2.93

Package Treatment Plantwith greywater reuse ofsuitable systems 1

2.66 2.93Provision offull reticulatedseweragesystem

Package Treatment Plantwith greywater reuse ofsuitable systems androofwater harvestingutilising disinfected tanks 1

2.66 2.93

Note 1: As this is a strategy document, the saving s to Council for greywater reuse have not been costed. Theseoption will incur greater community costs


As an alternative to providing a full reticulated sewage system, the effluent from existing on-site systems (e.g. septic tanks) could be collected and transported to a central treatmentfacility. This type of system relies on smaller pipes than those required for a conventionalreticulated sewerage system. Pipes can be laid in the ground at a lesser gradient and at amore shallow depth than that of conventional gravity sewerage, as the solids are capturedby the on-site system and the pipes only need to carry liquid effluent. This option has beenpriced with a package treatment plant and opportunistic reuse

Reed beds are local treatment option that may be viable in Bodalla. Constructed Reed bedsuse passive biological systems to treat a variety of wastes such as human, animal, plantand industrial wastes. It is an extremely effective system with many environmental benefitswhen compared with traditional treatment options.


An alternative to on-site treatment sewerage facilities is to transfer wastewater through aCentralised sewer transport network to a treatment plant as described above. Unlike in theprevious opportunities the sewer transport pipes would be larger and possibly installed atgreater depths.


On-site systems that achieve a suitable level of treatment for greywater would bemaintained, and blackwater only would be transported to the STP using the reticulationsystems described above. The resulting greywater could then be utilised for a variety ofoutdoor uses and for toilet flushing. Maintaining current aerated systems in Bodalla forgreywater reuse would reduce the volume of wastewater requiring treatment by 1.3 ML/a.This in addition to reducing the volume of imported of reticulated water required for Bodalla,would reduce the hydraulic load on the future Bodalla STP. With the implementation ofappropriate monitoring systems, long term environmental and water resource sustainabilityand public health protection could be achieved.

Provision of Full Reticulated Sewerage System with Grey Water Reuse and RoofwaterHarvesting

This opportunity incorporates the components of the previous opportunity. In addition to theelements described above, systems that are not suitable for greywater reuse (e.g. septic


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tanks) would be de-sludged and disinfected and used to collect roofwater for non-potableuses including garden watering and toilet flushing. This would result in an additional3.16 ML/a of wastewater not requiring transportation and treatment. Together withgreywater reuse from aerated systems, a total of 4.36 ML/a could be saved.

Social and Environmental Aspects of Medium to Long Term Water CycleManagement Opportunities

The TBL assessment in Table 9-28 provides the comparative environmental and socialbenefits of each water cycle management opportunities.

Table 9-28 Social and Environmental Aspects of the Medium to Long TermOpportunities for Bodalla


Centralised management of effluent fromon-site facilities





Improved environmentaloutcomes

Package TreatmentPlant






More efficient use ofresources as part of theregional reuse scheme

Package TreatmentPlant with greywaterreuse of suitablesystems






More efficient use ofresources


Package TreatmentPlant with greywaterreuse of suitablesystems and roofwaterharvesting utilisingdisinfected tanks






More efficient use ofresources


Using the bundling process the above water management opportunities can be combinedinto integrated scenarios presents examples of integrated scenarios. Table 9-29 presentsthese integrated scenarios for Bodalla.


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Table 9-29 – Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategies for Bodalla

TraditionalApproach 2 3 4

Centralised management of effluent from on-sitefacilities "

Package Treatment Plant "

Package Treatment Plant withgreywater reuse of suitablesystems

"Provision offull reticulatedseweragesystem Package Treatment Plant with

greywater reuse of suitablesystems and roofwater harvestingutilising disinfected tanks

"

Traditional Provision of full reticulated sewerage systems with a package treatment plant.

Integrated Scenario 2 Centralised management of effluent from on-site facilities

Integrated Scenario 3 Provision of full reticulated sewerage systems with a package treatment plantwith greywater reuse of suitable systems.

Integrated Scenario 4 Provision of full reticulated sewerage systems with a package treatment plantwith greywater reuse of suitable systems and roofwater harvesting utilising disinfected tanks.

9.10.5 Triple Bottom Line Assessment

Table 9-30 shows the triple bottom line reporting for the integrated options water cycleoptions at Bodalla.


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Table 9-30 Triple Bottom Line Assessment for Bodalla


ENVIRONMENTAL

Efficient use of fresh water resource 0 1 2 2

Minimises low flow water extractions 0 0 2 2

Minimises green house gas emissions 1 2 2 2

Minimises pollutants being discharged tothe aquatic environment 3 3 3 3

Minimises urban stormwater volumes 0 0 0 2

Ensure sustainable land use practices 2 2 3 3



SOCIAL

Improves security of town water supply 0 0 1 2

Improves the quality of drinking water 0 0 0 0

Improves urban water service levels 2 2 2 2

Increase public awareness of urban waterissues 1 2 3 3

Minimises non-compliance to policy andlegislation 3 3 3 3



Social Rank 4 3 2 1

FINANCIAL

NPV ($m over 30 years) 2.93 2.57 2.93 2.93


TBL Score 10 7 6 4

TBL Rank 4 3 2 1

According to the TBL assessment, the most suitable option for Bodalla is to incorporategreywater reuse and roof water harvesting where appropriate, with a package treatmentplant.


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9.11 Potato Point

9.11.1 Background


Potato Point overlooks the Tasman Sea. The village is bounded by National Park withPotato Point Beach to the north and Jamisons Beach to the south. Potato Creek flows tothe north of the village and there is an intermittent lagoon to the south west of the village.

The population recorded at Potato Point in the 2001 census was 133. There is limited landavailable for development and there is no possibility for new land as the village is boundedby National Park.

Figure 9-17 Potato Point Location


Potato Point is supplied with water from the 3 ML Potato Point Reservoir, and is connectedto the regional water supply scheme. The Potato Point Reservoir has sufficient storage tomeet current and future peak day demands.

Sewage in Potato Point is treated by on-site systems. According to the GIS there arecurrently 120 on site treatment facilities. Of these nearly 70% are septic tanks with effluentdisposal by adsorption trench and an additional 8% are septic tanks with effluent pump-out.The remaining systems utilise aerated processes that result in a higher level of nutrientremoval than septic systems.

There is no stormwater infrastructure recorded in Council’s GIS. Stormwater is likely to flowoverland until adsorbed by the sandy soils or until it reaches Potato Creek. An estimated207 kL/a of stormwater is generated in Potato Point, containing 250 kg/a of nitrogen and30 kg/a of phosphorous.


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Figure 9-18 Aerial Photograph of Potato Point


The issues associated with the village landscape and water management systems areclassified into environmental and social issues, and are discussed below. Other communityservices related issues are not part of this study.

Social and Environmental Issues

! Insufficient sewage treatment through on-site systems may result in environmentaldegradation,

! A risk assessment of the social and environmental issues for most of the villagesranked Potato Point as the third highest priority for management intervention.

9.11.3 How Do We Fix the Problems

Overview

It is vital that water management be undertaken in a sustainable manner. One importantmechanism to aid in the achievement of sustainable water management is through planningcontrols. Many social and environmental issues such as acid sulfate soils and mediumdensity housing can be addressed through a local environmental plan or developmentcontrol plan. Planning instruments also provide a forum for public review and participationwith all plans requiring a mandatory exhibition and submission period.

The traditional approach to water management is to separate water, wastewater andstormwater and treat each in isolation. In this strategy, all available opportunities have beenidentified and coarse screened (see Appendix C). The short listed water cycle managementopportunities are discussed below.


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There are both short and medium term measures to improve the water cycle managementat Potato Point. The short term measures should be implemented as a matter of priority toachieve best practice standard immaterial of the medium term opportunities.

Short Term Measures




! Regular mail-outs of ways to maintain on-site wastewater systems includinginformation on water conservation.




Table 9-31 Integrated Water Cycle Management Opportunities for Potato Point

Cost Estimate



Enhanced management of existing on-sitefacilities $0.57 $0.77

Provision ofcentralised effluentmanagement

Transfer to Bodallasystem $1.72 $0.68

Transfer to Bodallasystem $1.9 $0.72

Provision of fullreticulated seweragesystem

Transfer to Bodalla STPwith greywater reuseand roof waterharvesting

$1.9 $0.72

Note 1: As this is a strategy document, the saving s to Council for greywater reuse have not been costed. Thisoption will incur greater community costs

Note: NPV’s for on-site systems are based on a rolling program commencing in 2003. NPV’s for sewering PotatoPoint are based on work commencing in 2020


181


Sewage is currently treated by on-site systems. The seepage from existing on-sitewastewater management systems could be reduced by regularly emptying the contents ofthe septic tanks and installing monitoring systems to prevent septic tank overflows and toassess the integrity of the tanks.

A single contract could be arranged by the Council or by the community such that the septictanks are pumped at set time intervals. This would cover both effluent and sullagepumpout. The cost of this pumpout could be evenly divided between the residents. Tofacilitate pumping every tank would require a smaller holding tank or pumpout facility.

Although this opportunity would reduce the potential of waterway and aquifer contamination,it may but result in additional community impacts, such as odour complaints associated withpumpouts, and the movement of trucks in the neighbourhood.


There are several options available to upgrade the existing on-site wastewatermanagement systems to achieve greater public health and environmental outcomes. Thefirst option is to retain the existing septic tanks and upgrade the on-site effluentmanagement system. An example of this would be the replacement of the adsorptiontrenches with lined evapotranspiration beds, which achieve a higher level of water andnutrient uptake through plants.

Another alternative is to upgrade the septic system to one that achieves nutrient removaland therefore results in a higher quality effluent discharge (e.g. aerated tanks). This wouldincrease the potential uses of the treated effluent.

Both these options would minimise the potential of groundwater contamination, and itsassociated environmental problems as well as reducing the likelihood of public healthissues and odour complaints.


As an alternative to providing a full reticulated sewage system, the wastewater from existingon-site systems (e.g. septic tanks) could be collected and transported to a central treatmentfacility. This type of system relies on smaller pipes than those required for a conventionalreticulated sewerage system. Pipes can be laid in the ground at a lesser gradient and at amore shallow depth than that of conventional gravity sewerage, as the solids are capturedby the on-site system and the pipes only need to carry liquid wastewater. The wastewaterwould be transported to Bodalla STP for treatment.

Reed beds are local treatment option that may be viable in Potato Point. Constructed Reedbeds use passive biological systems to treat a variety of wastes such as human, animal,plant and industrial wastes. It is an extremely effective system with many environmentalbenefits when compared with traditional treatment options.


An alternative to treating sewerage on-site is to transfer wastewater (i.e. black and greywater) through a centralised sewer transport network to either a local treatment facility asdiscussed for the previous opportunity, or to the (proposed) Bodalla STP.

Unlike in the previous opportunity the sewer transport pipes would be required to be largerand possibly need to be installed at greater depths.



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The costs in Table 9-31 is based on modified gravity transport system with transfer to theBodalla STP.

Provision of Full System with Greywater Reuse

On-site systems that achieve a suitable level of treatment for greywater would bemaintained, and blackwater only would be transported to the Bodalla STP using thereticulation systems described above. The resulting greywater could then be utilised for avariety of outdoor uses and for toilet flushing. Maintaining current aerated systems in PotatoPoint for greywater reuse would reduce the volume of wastewater requiring treatment by2.7 ML/a. This in addition to reducing the volume of imported of reticulated water requiredfor Potato Point, would reduce the hydraulic load on the Bodalla STP. With theimplementation of appropriate monitoring systems, long term environmental and waterresource sustainability and public health protection could be achieved.

Provision of Full System with Grey Water Reuse and Roof water harvesting

This option is as per the previous option, with the incorporation of rainwater tanks. Systemsthat are not suitable for greywater reuse (e.g. septic tanks) would be de-sludged anddisinfected and used to collect roofwater for non-potable uses including garden wateringand toilet flushing. This would result in an additional 3.68 ML/a of wastewater not requiringtransportation and treatment at the Bodalla STP. Together with greywater reuse fromaerated systems, a total of 6.38 ML/a could be saved.


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Table 9-32 Social and Environmental Aspects of the Medium to Long TermOpportunities for Potato Point


Improved management of existingon-site facilities


Inconvenience of pumpout trucksin the area

Improved environmentaloutcomes, minimises theincidence of septic effluentcontaminating groundwater

Enhanced management of existingon-site facilities


Enhanced aesthetic appeal forthe local area, good for tourismand recreational activities

Reduced impact to localwaterways and the environment

Centralisedmanagementof effluentfrom on-sitefacilities

Local treatmentand management(Reed beds)


Would encourage local reuse andrecycling

Less overall environmentalimpacts than conventional gravitysystems

Transfer toBodalla systemwith greywaterreuse







Significantly reduced likelihood ofgroundwater contamination

Provision offull reticulatedseweragesystem

Transfer toBodalla systemand grey waterreuse androofwaterharvesting


Existing resources can be utilised


Reduced demand on reticulatedwater resources

Reduced hydraulic and biologicalloads on the Bodalla seweragesystem






Using the bundling process the above water management opportunities can be combinedinto integrated scenarios. Table 9-33 presents examples of integrated scenarios. Otherscenarios may be developed and considered in the subsequent study phase.


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Table 9-33 Integrated Scenarios for Potato Point


Solution 3 4 5


Enhanced management of existing on-site facilities "


Local treatmentand management(Reed beds)

"

Transfer toBodalla system "


Transfer toBodalla systemwith greywaterreuse and roofwater harvesting

"


Traditional Provision of full reticulated sewerage system with transfer to the Bodalla system andgreywater reuse.


Integrated Scenario 4 Centralised management of effluent from on-site facilities with local treatmentand management.

Integrated Scenario 5 Provision of full reticulated sewerage system with transfer to the Bodallasystem greywater reuse and roofwater harvesting.

The TBL assessment (Table 9-34) presents the comparative environmental, social andeconomic benefits of each integrated scenarios.


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Table 9-34 Triple Bottom Line Assessment of Scenarios for Potato Point

Minimal TraditionalApproach 3 4 5

ENVIRONMENTAL



Minimises green house gasemissions 1 1 2 2 2


2 2 2 2 2


Ensures sustainablepractices 1 2 2 2 3



SOCIAL

Improves security of townwater supply 0 1 0 1 2

Improves the quality ofdrinking water 0 0 0 0 0

Improves urban waterservice levels 1 3 2 3 3

Increase public awarenessof urban water issues 2 2 2 2 3

Minimises non-complianceto policy and legislation 1 3 3 3 3


Social Sum 6 12 10 12 14


FINANCIAL

NPV ($m over 30 years) 0.96 0.72 0.77 0.68 0.72


TBL Score 14 6 11 5 4

TBL Rank 5 2 4 2 1

The preferred option for Potato Point according to the above assessment criteria is theprovision of a full reticulated system with transfer to the Bodalla STP and incorporatinggreywater reuse and roof water harvesting where appropriate.


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9.12 Dalmeny Kianga and Narooma

9.12.1 Background

The Landscape

Dalmeny, Kianga and Narooma are located in the south of the Shire. The towns aresituated on sensitive waterways which include the Wagonga inlet, and the Kianga, Little andNangudga Lakes. Figure 9-19 shows the location of Dalmeny, Kianga and Narooma.

Figure 9-19 Dalmeny, Kianga and Narooma Topographic Map

The 2001 census recorded 1 785 people in Dalmeny, 1 145 in Kianga and 2 267 inNarooma. There are 747 lots available at Dalmeny, 273 at Kianga, 172 at North Naroomaand 869 at Narooma. This is sufficient for to meet the projected growth of the area over the30 year planning timeframe.


Dalmeny, Kianga and Narooma are connected to the regional water supply system.

The Kianga STP services the Dalmeny, Kianga and Narooma communities. It has a designcapacity of 12 000 EP and currently uses a continuous and intermittent extended aerationprocesses decommissioned. The plant utilises secondary treatment processes and naturaldisinfection prior to discharging to the ocean. Similar to the other STPs, stabilised anddewatered biosolid is used in the rehabilitation of Council’s landfill.

An estimated 8 490 kL/a of stormwater is generated in Narooma. The subcatchment thatdrains to Little Lake has been ranked as a priority catchment for the region. Dams on theNarooma golf course are used to retain stormwater for on-site reuse. Figure 9-20 shows thestormwater sub-catchments for this area.


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Figure 9-20 Dalmeny/Kianga/Narooma Stormwater Sub-Catchments




! Wagonga Inlet contains oyster leases. The discharge of sewage and stormwaterrunoff to the environment poses not only a risk to public health but a risk also ofproductivity loss to the oyster industry,

! The community perception is that the treatment works discharges to the adjacentlake, whereas the effluent is actually discharged into the ocean,

! Overflow may occur from pump stations during power outages,

! There is a history of community complaints about odours from the inlet works of theSTP.


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Water Supply

Narooma town reservoir does not have sufficient capacity to supply future peak daydemands in isolation, however the North Narooma Reservoir has sufficient capacity tosupply both North Narooma and Narooma.

Sewage

Pump stations 4,5,19 are prone to surcharge during power outages and some pumpstations may need upgrading to cope with future growth. The Kianga STP is predicted toreach its design capacity in 2011. Odour from the pump stations has historically been anissue. The system has recently been upgraded with biological deodorisation beds, whichappears to have addressed the issue, although the system has not yet undergone a holidayloading since their construction.

Stormwater

The stormwater generated in Narooma is expected to carry 7.6 tonnes per annum ofnitrogen and 1.20 tonnes per annum of phosphorous. These nutrients have the potential toaffect the health of Wagonga Inlet and the surrounding waterways.

9.12.3 How Do We Fix these Issues?

Overview

There are a number of opportunities to manage the water cycle of the towns of DalmenyKianga and Narooma and the surrounding landscape. The traditional approach to watermanagement is to separate water, wastewater and stormwater and treat each in isolation.In this plan, all available opportunities have been identified and coarse screened (seeAppendix C). The coarse screening process recognises that there are immediate and shortterm measures, and medium to long term water cycle management opportunities. Theimmediate and short term measures need to be implemented as a matter of priority toachieve legislative compliance and best practice standards. The short-listed medium tolong term water cycle management opportunities would in the long run deliver water cyclesustainability, public health protection and improved service standards.

Immediate Measures

To reduce the risk of potential overflows one of the following strategies may be employed;

! Provide additional storage at the critical pump stations and/or,

! Ensuring a more reliable main power supply system or stand-by power.

Short term Measures


! Expanding the simple data management system into a comprehensive Shire widesystem to record and store operational and performance monitoring information.

! Initiating regular and systematic monitoring of operational parameters such as dailywater use, sewage flows, water quality etc and more strategic environmental andsocial parameters.



189

! Updating the asset registers to ensure the asset information is complete and up todate.

! Improve the reliability and system operation of the sewerage systems throughtelemetry controls, oxygen injection and power supply.


Enhancements to the STP capacity and effluent quality using one of the followingmeasures,

! Based on Studies done for Batemans Bay and Tomakin it appears that theperformance of Kianga plant could be optimised by chemical dosing toaccommodate the projected loads,

! Adding a parallel secondary treatment facility,

! Odour concerns could be addressed through:

− Odour bed and scrubber to neutralise the smell at plant inlet works,

− Protection of buffer zone from future development.

Table 9-35 Medium to Long Term Water Cycle Management Opportunities forDalmeny, Kianga and Narooma

Costs $mOpportunity

Capital NPV@7%

Option 1 – Plant performanceoptimisation strategy

- Reticulation improvement tofix major I/I problem

- UV plant to improve effluentquality

- Optimise treatment plantoperation

1.9 2.0

Enhancement tosewerage systemmanagement

Option 2 – Traditional strategy

- Reticulation improvement tofix major I/I problem

- UV plant to improve effluentquality

- Parallel treatment train

3.8 2.7

Stormwater quantity and quality control measures forhigh priority sub-catchment 2.2 2.6

Stormwater quality and quantity control for low prioritysub-catchments 1.0 1.1

Local urban open space stormwater reuse 2.64 2.8


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Improve current Sewage Treatment System

This option involves upgrading the Kianga STP to address the long term odour impacts andto meet operational compliance. Upgrading the plant would include the medium to long termmanagement measures identified above, and pump station improvements.

Increase Treatment Capacity

Kianga STP requires upgrading to meet future demands. This could be achieved byconstructing a parallel treatment facility or by optimising the existing treatment train.

Stormwater Quality and Quantity Control measures

Stormwater can be collected and stored, and then treated for release at a controlled rate.The temporary storage of flood waters will have the effect of attenuating the peak flow rateof discharge downstream which should reduce the size of drainage works requireddownstream. It can substantially reduce the release of nutrients and pollutants to thecatchment. If sufficient open space is available, retaining and treating stormwater canprovide a cost effective means of upgrading stormwater drainage capacities with significantenvironmental benefits.

Stormwater Reuse

Stormwater can be collected and stored, and then treated to a suitable level for a variety ofuses. Stormwater can be collected through individual rainwater tanks or through detentionbasins. The temporary storage and reuse of flood waters will have the effect of attenuatingthe peak flow rate of discharge downstream which should reduce the size of drainageworks required downstream. If sufficient open space is available, stormwater retention canprovide a cost effective means of upgrading stormwater drainage capacities, and reducepressure on treated water supplies and waterways. Rainwater tanks can supply manyindoor and outdoor domestic uses, and detention basins can be used for open spaceirrigation or form part of the regional scheme.

Table 9-36 Social and Environmental Aspects of the Medium to Long TermOpportunities for Dalmeny, Kianga and Narooma


Improve current sewage systemmanagement

Reduced potential for odourcomplaints.

Improved efficiency of existingassets

Will meet future demand loads

Lessened risk of overflow.

Limited footprint of construction.

Stormwater quality and quantitycontrol measures

Reduces stormwater impactsand flooding.

Cost effective means ofupgrading stormwatercapacities.

Help protect oyster industry withimproved run-off entering localwaterways.

Improved public healthoutcomes

Controls pollutants entering theenvironment.

Improves quality of localwaterways

Reduces erosion from increasedrun-off.

Allows for future reuseopportunities.


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Stormwater reuse

Reduces stormwater impactsand flooding.

Cost effective means ofupgrading stormwatercapacities.

Help protect oyster industry withimproved run-off entering localwaterways.

Improved public healthoutcomes

Controls pollutants entering theenvironment.

Improves quality of localwaterways

Reduces erosion from increasedrun-off.

Efficient use of water resources.

Reduces pressure on watersupply sources for irrigationpurposes


Using the bundling process, the above water management opportunities can be combinedinto integrated scenarios. Table 9-37 presents some examples of integrated scenarios.

Table 9-37 Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios for Dalmeny, Kianga andNarooma

ScenarioManagement Option Minimal/

Traditional 2 3

Improve current sewage systemmanagement " " "

Stormwater quantity and quality controlmeasures for high priority areas " "

Stormwater quantity and quality controlmeasures for low priority areas "

Stormwater harvesting and reuse for openspace, playing fields and golf courseirrigation

"

Minimal/traditional Improve current sewage treatment system and increase treatment capacity.

Integrated Scenario 2 Improve current sewage treatment system, increase treatment capacity andincorporate stormwater quality and quantity control measures.

Integrated Scenario 3 Improve current sewage treatment system, increase treatment capacity,incorporate stormwater quality and quantity control measures and stormwater reuse.

The TBL assessment (Table 9-38) presents the comparative environmental, social andeconomic benefits of each integrated scenario example.


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Table 9-38 Triple Bottom Line Assessment of Scenarios for Dalmeny, Kianga andNarooma

TraditionalApproach 2 3

ENVIRONMENTAL



Minimises green house gas emissions 2 2 1






SOCIAL







Social Sum 7 10 13

Social Rank 3 2 1

FINANCIAL

NPV ($m over 30 years) 2.7 4.6 8.5


TBL Score 7 6 5

TBL Rank 3 2 1

According to the TBL assessment, integrated option 3 would produce the best outcome interms of the environmental, social and financial criteria. Option 3 represents the option withthe greatest integration and includes improving the current sewage treatment system,increasing treatment capacity; incorporating stormwater quality and quantity controlmeasures and stormwater reuse.


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9.13 Mystery Bay

9.13.1 Background


Mystery Bay is located in the south easterly region of the Shire. The village is situated onthe coastline at Cape Dromedary and is surrounded by farmland to the west. Access to thevillage is from the Princess Highway, see Figure 9-21 below.

Figure 9-21 Mystery Bay

According to the 2001 census, the population of Mystery bay is 185, and there are 111dwellings. The 1996 housing monitor stated there were 243 vacant lots in Mystery Bay, withan annual demand of 6 lots. This analysis indicates that there is sufficient land available forrelease to supply the predicted population growth.


Mystery Bay is connected to the regional water supply scheme through the 1.2 ML MysteryBay Reservoir. This has sufficient capacity to supply the predicted 2032 peak day demandof 252 kL/d.

The village is serviced by on site systems. According to the GIS, there are currently 93 on-site treatment facilities. Over 50% of these are septic tanks with effluent disposal byadsorption trench, which are unsuitable for the soil conditions, and nearly an additional 10%are septic tanks with effluent pump-out. The remaining systems utilise aerated processesthat give higher levels of nutrient removal than septic systems.


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There are 1.6 km of stormwater pipes and 7 discharge points in Mystery Bay. There are nopermanent streams nearby however 5 of the discharge points discharge directly tointermittent streams and two of these to the Swamp Oak vulnerable ecosystem. Anestimated 340 kL/a of stormwater is generated in Mystery Bay, containing 409 kg/a ofnitrogen and 55 kg/a of phosphorous.




! Risk of sewage overflows from on site systems to sensitive waterbodies,

! Urban stormwater discharge is impacting on intermittent streams,

! Clay soils in the area have a low septic adsorption capacity, resulting in thepotential contamination of local waterways.

Social Issues

! The current sewage management systems / practices poses a risk to public health,

! Odour complaints from residents from on site systems,

! The water supply and wastewater systems are experiencing pressure frompopulation growth,

! The community relies on the pristine nature of the catchment for its recreationalactivities.

9.13.3 How Do We Fix The Problems?


There are both short and medium term measures to improve the water cycle managementat Mystery Bay. The short term measures should be implemented as a matter of priority toachieve best practice standard immaterial of the medium term opportunities.

Short Term Measures


! Regular monitoring of on-site wastewater management systems for performanceand integrity,


! Regular mail-outs of ways to maintain after the on-site water and wastewatersystems including information on water conservation.



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Table 9-39 Cost Estimates of Medium to Long Term Water Cycle ManagementOpportunities for Mystery Bay

Cost Estimate



Enhanced management of existing on-sitefacilities 0.446 0.60

Local treatment andmanagement 2.44 0.74Centralised

management ofeffluent from on-site facilities Transfer to Kianga system 2.27 0.68

Local treatment andmanagement 2.44 0.94

Local treatment andmanagement with greywaterreuse 2

2.44 0.94


Transfer to Kianga system 2.45 0.722.1Note 1: NPV’s for on-site systems are based on a rolling program commencing in 2003. NPV’s for seweringMystery Bay are based on work commencing in 2021




A single contract could be arranged by the Council or by the community such that the septictanks are pumped at set time intervals. This would cover both effluent and sullagepumpout. The cost of this pumpout could be evenly split between the residents. To facilitatepumping every tank would need to be provided with a smaller holding tank or pumpoutfacility.

This opportunity would remove the issue of effluent contaminating the aquifer andwaterways, but raises community issues in relation to odour during pumpout and frequentmovement of trucks in the neighbourhood.




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Both these options would minimise the potential of environmental degradation as well asreducing the likelihood of public health issues and odour complaints.


As an alternative to providing a full reticulated sewage system, the effluent from existing on-site systems (e.g. septic tanks) could be collected and transported to a central treatmentfacility. This type of system relies on smaller pipes than those required for a conventionalreticulated sewerage system. Pipes can be laid in the ground at a lesser gradient and at amore shallow depth than that of conventional gravity sewerage, as the solids are capturedby the on-site system and the pipes only need to carry liquid wastewater.

Appendix P provides a description of the available effluent transport and local treatmentoptions. The effluent could also be transported to Narooma STP for treatment.

The reclaimed water could also be managed in a number of ways, if the effluent wastreated at a local treatment facility. Appendix C provides a detailed description of theavailable management options. Preliminary appraisal suggests dunal infiltration andagricultural reuse are suitable disposal methods. Costs in Table 14.1 are based onCentralised effluent drainage (CED) for transport, a reed bed system for treatment anddunal infiltration as an opportunity or transfer to the Kianga STP as an alternative.


An alternative to on-site sewerage treatment facilities is to transfer wastewater through acentralised sewer transport network to either a local package treatment facility or to KiangaSTP.

Unlike in the previous opportunity the sewer transport pipes would be larger and possiblyinstalled at greater depths.


Costs in Table 9-39 are based on a modified gravity transport system, a local packageextended aeration treatment plant and dunal infiltration.

Provision of a Full reticulated sewerage system with greywater reuse and roof waterharvesting

On-site systems that achieve a suitable level of treatment for greywater would bemaintained, and blackwater only would be transported to the STP using the reticulationsystems described above. The resulting greywater could then be utilised for a variety ofoutdoor uses and for toilet flushing. Maintaining current aerated systems in Mystery Bay forgreywater reuse would reduce the volume of wastewater requiring treatment by 3.35 ML/a.This in addition to reducing the volume of imported of reticulated water required for MysteryBay, would reduce the hydraulic load on the Kianga STP. With the implementation ofappropriate monitoring systems, long term environmental and water resource sustainabilityand public health protection could be achieved.

Systems that are not suitable for greywater reuse (e.g. septic tanks) would be de-sludgedand disinfected and used to collect roofwater for non-potable uses including gardenwatering and toilet flushing. This would result in an additional 2.32 ML/a of wastewater notrequiring transportation and treatment at the Kianga STP. Together with greywater reusefrom aerated systems, a total of 5.67 ML/a could be saved.


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Table 9-40 Social and Environmental Aspects of The Medium to Long TermOpportunities for Mystery Bay


Improved management of existingon-site facilities


Inconvenience of pumpout trucksin the area

Improved environmentaloutcomes, minimises theincidence of septic effluentcontaminating groundwater

Enhanced management of existingon-site facilities


Enhanced aesthetic appeal forthe local area, good for tourismand recreational activities


Reduced impact to localwaterways and the environment




Would encourage local reuse andrecycling

Less overall environmentalimpacts than conventional gravitysystemsCentralised


Transfer toNaroomasystem





Less overall environmentalimpacts than conventional gravitysystems











Local treatmentandmanagementwith greywaterreuse




Decreased reticulated waterdemands

Decreased hydraulic andbiological loads on the system






Transfer toNaroomasystem









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Using the bundling process the above water management opportunities could be combinedinto integrated scenarios. Table 9-41 presents examples of integrated scenarios.

Table 9-41 Integrated Scenarios for Mystery Bay

Integrated ScenariosMinimalSolution


Improved management of existingon-site facilities "

Enhanced management ofexisting on-site facilities "

Local treatmentand management "Centralised

managementof effluentfrom on-sitefacilities

Transfer toKianga system

Local treatmentand management "

Local treatmentand managementwith greywaterreuse

"

Provision offullreticulatedseweragesystem

Transfer toKianga system


Traditional Provision of full reticulated sewerage systems with local treatment and management.

Integrated Scenario 3 Centralised management of effluent from on-site facilities with local treatmentand management.

Integrated Scenario Enhanced management of existing on-site facilities.

Integrated Scenario 5 Provision of full reticulated sewerage systems with local treatment andmanagement and greywater reuse.

The TBL assessment (Table 9-42) presents the comparative environmental, social andeconomic benefits of each integrated scenario example.


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Table 9-42 Triple Bottom Line Assessment of Mystery Bay



ENVIRONMENTAL

Efficient use of freshwater resource 0 0 0 0 2


Minimises green housegas emissions 1 1 1 2 1

Minimises pollutantsbeing discharged to theaquatic environment

2 2 2 2 3

Minimises urbanstormwater volumes 0 0 0 0 0

Ensure sustainablepractices 0 0 0 0 2



SOCIAL

Improves security oftown water supply 0 0 0 0 2

Improves the quality ofdrinking water 0 0 0 0 0

Improves urban waterservice levels 1 3 3 3 3

Increase publicawareness of urbanwater issues

1 1 1 2 2

Minimises non-compliance to policy andlegislation

1 3 3 3 3


Social Sum 5 10 10 11 13


FINANCIAL

NPV 0.56 0.94 0.74 0.60 0.72


TBL Score 9 10 9 6 6TBL Rank 4 4 3 1 1


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The preferred option according to the above criteria is the enhanced management of on-site systems (option 4) or local treatment and management with greywater reuse (Option5),Option 5 ranked better in terms of social and environmental criteria, however it is moreexpensive than option 4.


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9.14 Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba

9.14.1 Background


The villages of Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba are located in the south eastern corner of theShire. Access to both villages is via the Princess Highway through Punkally Tilba Road andCorkhill Drive for Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba respectively, see Figure 9-22 below.

Figure 9-22 Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba Location

Both villages are historic and central Tilba is listed by the National Trust. The landsurrounding the villages consists of the Gulaga National Park, sensitive vegetationecosystems and farmland. Population estimates for the village have not been prepared asthey are much smaller than the ABS collection districts. According to the 1996 land monitorthere is likely to be a land shortage in the next few years unless more land is subdivided.


Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba are part of the regional water supply and sewage is treated onsite. Council’s GIS records 45 on-site treatment facilities, 62% are septic tanks with effluentdisposal by adsorption trench and an additional 13% are septic tanks with effluent pump-out. The remaining 25% are treated by aerated systems. Soil adsorption systems generallydo not comply with the performance objectives of Environmental and Health ProtectionGuidelines: On-site Sewage Management for Single Households (1998)

Stormwater from these villages is released into intermittently flowing streams that form partof the Bobundara Creek Catchment.


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9.14.2 What are the Issues?

The issues associated with the village landscape and water management system areclassified into environmental and social issues, and are discussed below. Other communityissues are not part of this study.


! An estimated 120 kL/a of stormwater is generated in Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba,containing 145 kg/a of nitrogen and 20kg/a of phosphorous.

! The villages are located on granite and basalt, resulting in poor adsorption of septiceffluent.

Social Issues

! There are potential public health risks associated with the current on-sitewastewater management systems, particularly during rainy periods.

! At present, pump outs are causing public nuisance (odours) and disruptions.

! The villages are historic and hence a popular tourist area. The amenity of this areashould not be diminished and as a result the community favours sewering of thevillages to maximise the economic potential of tourism.

! The village residents do not receive water saving ‘tips’ and information on how tobetter manage on-site wastewater management systems.


Overview

Tilba Tilba and Central Tilba contain lots sizes that are less than the recommended size forsustainable land application and current pump-out arrangements pose social issues. Toaddress the issue of effluent disposal, the village could be sewered. There is the possibilityof agricultural re-use and the level of nutrient removal required will dictate if current on-sitetreatments could be conveyed from the villages, disinfected and re-used or if further off-sitetreatment is required.


There are both short term and medium term measures to improve the water cyclemanagement at Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba. The short term measures could beimplemented as a matter of priority to achieve best practice standard of the medium termopportunities.

Short Term Measures


! Regular monitoring of the on site wastewater management systems forperformance and integrity,

! Systematic monitoring of local waterways and urban stormwater quality andquantity.



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Medium to long Term Water Cycle Management Opportunities

Medium term opportunities are measures related to improving the long term sustainability ofthe water cycle. In addition these opportunities will also reduce public health andenvironmental impacts and enhance the service standards for the water services. Table9-43 presents these opportunities along with their capital and present value at a rate of 7%.

Table 9-43 Integrated Water Cycle Management Options for Central Tilba and TilbaTilba

Cost Estimate



Enhanced management of existing on-sitefacilities 1 0.22 0.29

Centralised management of effluent from on-sitefacilities with agricultural reuse 1 1.91 0.93

Provision of sewerage system with package plantwith agricultural reuse 1 1.94 0.95

Note 1: NPV’s for on-site systems are based on a rolling program commencing in 2003. NPV’s for seweringNelligen are based on work commencing in 2012



A single contract could be arranged by the Council or by the community such that the septictanks are pumped at set time intervals. This would cover both effluent and sullagepumpout. The cost of this pumpout could be evenly split between the residents. To facilitatepumping every tank would need to be provided with a smaller holding tank or pumpoutfacility.

This opportunity would remove the issue of effluent contaminating the aquifer andwaterways, but raises community issues in relation to odour during pumpout and frequentmovement of trucks in the neighbourhood.


There are several options available to upgrade the existing on-site wastewatermanagement systems to achieve greater public health and environmental outcomes. Thefirst option is to retain the existing septic tank and upgrade the on-site effluent managementsystem. An example of this would be the replacement of the adsorption trenches with linedevapotranspiration beds, which achieve a higher level of water and nutrient uptake throughplants. This however may not be a viable option in Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba due to thestep gradient of the landscape and the high percentage of rock.


Both these options would minimise the potential of environmental degradation as well asreducing the likelihood of public health issues and odour complaints.


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Centralised Effluent Drainage System

As an alternative to putting in a full sewerage system, the effluent from existing on-sitesystems would be collected and transported to a treatment plant. The pipes used would besmaller than the full reticulated sewerage system, because the on-site systems wouldremove most of the solid material from the sewerage. Installing shallow pipes has theadded cost benefit due to the rocky nature of the ground. The treatment process proposedis reed beds, which rely on the natural process of plants to treat the wastewater. Effluentdisposal would be through agricultural reuse.

Package Sewage Treatment Plant with Agricultural Reuse

A reticulated sewage network could be provided to the villages with treatment of thewastewater at a centralised treatment plant located locally with the effluent being reusedopportunistically on local agricultural properties and discharged to local streams during wetweather. A modified gravity sewage network has been costed.

The TBL assessment in Table 9-44 provides the comparative environmental and socialbenefits of each water cycle management opportunity.

Table 9-44 Social and Environmental Aspects of The Medium to Long TermOpportunities for Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba


Improved management ofexisting on-site facilities Odours associated No discharge of septic effluent to the

environment

Enhanced management ofexisting on-site facilities



Further degradation of environmenthalted

Centralised management ofeffluent from on-site facilitieswith agricultural reuse

Amenity of popular tourist area notdiminished

Less opportunity for public nuisanceand disruptions caused bypumpouts

Short term disruption due todecommissioning of open trenchesand construction of centralisedsystem

Reduced public health risk

Decreased risk of overflows tosensitive environments includinglocal waterbodies

Improved effluent quality dischargedand lessened potential impact ofoverflows

Resource returned at morebeneficial stage of the water cycle

Provision of full reticulatedsewerage system withpackage plant with agriculturalreuse

Amenity of popular tourist area notdiminished

Less opportunity for public nuisanceand disruptions caused bypumpouts

Short term disruption due todecommissioning of open trenchesand construction of centralisedsystem

Reduced public health risk

Decreased risk of overflows tosensitive environments includinglocal waterbodies

Improved effluent quality dischargedand lessened potential impact ofoverflows

Resource returned at morebeneficial stage of the water cycle


Using the bundling process the above water management opportunities can be combinedinto integrated scenarios. Table 9-45 present examples of integrated scenarios.


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Table 9-45 Integrated Scenarios for Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba.



Improved management ofexisting on-site facilities "

Enhanced management ofexisting on-site facilities "

Centralised management ofeffluent from on-sitefacilities with agriculturalreuse

"

Provision of modifiedgravity sewerage systemwith package plant withagricultural reuse

"


Traditional Provision of full reticulated sewerage systems with package treatment plant andagricultural reuse.


Integrated Scenario 4 Centralised management of effluent from on-site facilities with agriculturalreuse.


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Table 9-46 Triple Bottom Line Assessment of Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba



ENVIRONMENTAL

Efficient use of fresh waterresource 0 1 0 1

Minimises low flow waterextractions 0 2 0 2

Minimises green house gasemissions 1 1 2 1


2 2 2 2

Minimises urbanstormwater volumes 0 0 0 0

Ensure sustainablepractices 1 2 1 2



SOCIAL

Improves security of townwater supply 0 2 0 2

Improves the quality ofdrinking water 0 0 0 0

Improves urban waterservice levels 2 3 3 3

Increase public awarenessof urban water issues 1 2 2 2

Minimises non-complianceto policy and legislation 2 3 3 3



Social Rank 4 1 3 1

FINANCIAL

NPV ($m over 30 years) 0.33 0.95 0.29 0.93


TBL Score 9 6 8 5

TBL Rank 4 2 3 1

According to the TBL assessment, centralised management of effluent from the existing on-site system with the incorporation of agricultural reuse is the most suitable options for TilbaTilba and Central Tilba.


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9.15 Akolele

9.15.1 Background


Akolele is situated on the north eastern shores of Wallaga Lake, which is at the border ofEurobodalla and Bega Shires. Figure 9-23 shows the location of Akolele.

Figure 9-23 Akolele Topographic Map

The 1996 housing monitor recorded 19 vacant lots in Akolele. There is sufficient landavailable for release to supply the predicted population growth.


Akolele is connected to the Bega water supply scheme.

According to the Council’s GIS records, there are 35 on-site treatment facilities in thevillage, of which 71% are septic tanks with effluent disposal by adsorption trench and anadditional 9% are septic tanks with effluent pump-out. The remaining systems utiliseaerated systems that result in higher levels of nutrient removal than septic systems.

There are 300 m of stormwater pipe recorded in the village with two discharge points toWallaga Lake. An estimated 130 kL/a of stormwater is generated in Akolele, containing150kg /a of nitrogen and 20 kg/a of phosphorous.


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! On-site systems may be impacting on water quality within the lake,

! Stormwater discharges to the lake may impact on water quality.

Social Issues

! Potential health risk associated with recreational use of lake due to seepage fromon-site systems.


Overview


There are both short and medium term measures to improve the water cycle managementat Akolele. The short term measures should be implemented as a matter of priority toachieve best practice standard immaterial of the medium term opportunities.

Short Term Measures


! Improved management of existing on-site wastewater facilities,



! Regular mail-outs of ways to maintain on-site wastewater systems includinginformation on water conservation



Council has decided that Akolele will be sewered in conjunction with the sewering ofWallaga Lake Heights. Both towns will be connected to the Bermagui STP. As a result thelong term options for Akolele have not been investigated as part of this study.


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10 Shire Wide Integrated Water CycleManagement Scenarios

10.1 Overview

This report has identified both immediate and short term measures together with themedium-long term water cycle management opportunities and options at the regional andlocal level. The nominated immediate measures when implemented will ensure legislativecompliance, and the short term measures will assist in future planning and in achieving bestpractice management standards. Thus it is expected that Council will implement both theimmediate and short term measures as a matter of priority. The medium to long term watercycle management options, are envisaged as meeting the long term future vision for theShire.

This study has identified and evaluated all the water sources options available both at theregional and local individual town and village level, (see Appendix C on Coarse screening)using the TBL assessment. Using the bundling process, IWCM options were thendeveloped incorporating the most viable opportunities at both the regional and local level.

In order to assist the Shire community in adopting the most appropriate type of watermanagement option to meet future needs, a number of scenarios have been developedusing the local and regional integrated options. As the management of the urban watersupply and reclaimed water is done at a regional level, it was decided during the process touse the regional IWCM options as the basic templates for establishing the Shire widescenarios.

In view of the large number of towns and villages in Eurobodalla, a number of simpledecision processes were adopted, to assist with the Shire wide scenario building process.There are nine small towns that rely on on-site sewerage systems. In considering a Shirewide response it was necessary to rank these towns on a priority basis. The details of thisassessment are contained in Appendix X (risk assessment of villages). The assessmentidentified high and low priority groups

High Priority Low Priority

South Durras Akolele

Nelligen Central Tilba, Tilba Tilba

Bodalla Mystery bay

Rosedale and Guerilla Bay Potato Point

Congo

The current on-site wastewater management in the villages classed as high priority areposing significant environmental, public health and social impacts.

Similarly, in order to differentiate the villages requiring improved water supply systems intohigh and low priority groups, the preferences expressed by the local residents were used.The residents at the village of Nelligen for example, indicated at the first round ofcommunity consultation, a desire to have improved water supply management, thereforethis villages has been placed in the high priority group. The South Durras and Congo


210

villages have been placed in the low priority group, as the residents from both villages didnot rank an improved water supply as of high importance.

Urban stormwater management has also been classified into high and low priority locations.This division is based on the type of issue and the impact it has on the environment andcommunity.

10.2 Scenario Building

The Table 10-1 below presents examples of Shire wide integrated scenarios, developedusing the regional integrated water cycle management options. In order to simplify thebuilding and assessment process the IWCM options available at each village have beenreduced to two options; improve the existing on-site water supply and wastewatermanagement systems or provide a reticulated water and sewerage system.


211

Table 10-1 Shire Wide Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios

Integrated Shirewide Scenarios0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Trad

ition

al

DM

DM

+ R

WT

DM

+ R

WT

DM

+ R

WT

DM

+ R

WT

+Ag

ri.

DM

+ R

WT

+Ag

ri. +

reus

e+

pot.

6 +

EFSu

bstit

utio

n

Limited Demand Management " " " " " " " "

Comprehensive Demand Management " " " " " " "

Water sensitive urban design for all newdevelopments and 10kL rainwater tanks in20% existing houses

" " " " " "

Provision of reticulated water supply to highpriority villages " " " " " "

Provision of reticulated water supply to lowpriority villages " " " " "

Agriculture " " "

Non-potable water in newdevelopments (dualreticulation)

" "

Aquifer recharge forsubsequent non-potablewater use

" "

ReclaimedWater Reuse

Environmental flowsubstitution "

Southern storage for the regional scheme(x1000ML) to meet secure yield 5.6 1.5 0.9 0.93 1.01 1.01 0.84 0

Divert Batemans Bay northern catchmentsewage to Batemans Bay STP along SpineRoad and enhance Batemans Bay STP

" " " " " " " "

Divert Batemans Bay southern catchmentsewage to Tomakin STP and enhanceexisting Tomakin STP capability

" " " " " " " "

Enhance the existing Narooma plant’scapability when load meets capacity " " " " " " " "

Improved management of urban stormwaterin high priority catchments " " " "

Improved management of urban stormwaterin low priority catchments "

Retic Sge. – High Priority Villages " " " " " " "

Retic Sge. – Low Priority Villages " " " " "

Enhanced Mgmt. of on-site facilities " " "

Note 1: High priority stormwater catchments are Little Lake, Joes Creek, Wimbie Creek, Batemans Bay, ShortBeach Creek, Candlagan Creek, Surf Beach, and Denhams Beach.

Note 2: Improved sewage management is the option identified by the triple bottom line assessment in the localwater strategy. This is sewering for Nelligen Rosedale, Guerilla Bay, Bodalla, Potato Point and central Tilba andTilba Tilba and enhanced management of on-site facilities for South Durras, Congo and Mystery Bay


212

10.2.1 Description of the Shire wide Water Cycle Management Scenarios

Traditional Scenario

! Waterwise Education,

! Provision of reticulated water for high priority villages

! Provision of reticulated water for low priority villages

! Agricultural reuse

! Southern Dam capacity 5 600 ML,

! Upgrade Batemans Bay transport system including bypass along Spine Roadalignment and Batemans Bay STP upgrade,

! Transfer Batemans Bay southern catchment sewerage to Tomakin STP andenhance existing Tomakin STP capacity,

! Enhance the existing Narooma STP capacity when load meets capacity,

! Improved management of urban stormwater in high priority catchments

! Provision of reticulated sewage for high priority villages

! Provision of reticulated sewage for low priority villages.

Traditional Scenario

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

2002

2005

2008

2011

2014

2017

2020

2023

2026

2029

2032

Year

ML/

a

5 600 ML Southern Dam

Impact of Rainw ater Tanks

Impact of pipeline upgrade

Existing System

Demand

Current Extraction

(w ithout turbidity constraints)

Higher Environmental Flow Protection (80/30)

Environmental Flow Protection (95/30)

Figure 10-1 Traditonal Scenario


! Waterwise Education

! Comprehensive demand management,


213





! Improved sewage management for villages (see note 2 above).

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

Year

ML/

a

1500ML Southern damImpact of pipeline upgradeExisting systemDemandDemand managed demand

Current Extraction

(without turbidity constraints)



Figure 10-2 Integrated Scenario 1



! Comprehensive demand management including water sensitive urban design for allnew developments

! 10 kL rainwater tanks in new developments and 20% of existing houses,

! Southern Dam capacity 900 ML,





! Enhanced management of on-site systems (see note 2 above).


214

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

Year

ML/

a

900ML Southern damImpact of rainwater tanksImpact of pipeline upgradeExisting systemDemandDemand managed demand

Current Extraction(without turbidity

constraints) Higher Environmental Flow Protection (80/30)













! Enhanced management of on-site systems (see note 2 above).


215

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

Year

ML/

a930ML Southern DamImpact of rainwater tanksImpact of pipeline upgradeExisting SystemDemandDemand managed demand

Current Extraction









! Provision of reticulated water supply to high priority villages,

! Provision of reticulated water supply to low priority villages,








216

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

Year

ML/

a

1010ML Southern Dam

Im pact of rainwatertanksIm pact of pipelineupgradeExisting system

Demand

Demand m anageddemand

Current Extraction


Higher Environm ental Flow Protection (80/30)









! Reclaimed water reuse for agriculture,





! Improved management of urban stormwater in high priority catchments (see note 1above),

! Provision of reticulated sewage for high priority villages,



217

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

Year

ML/

a1010ML Southern dam

Impact of rainwater tanks


Existing system

Demand

Demand managed demand

Current Extraction












! Reclaimed water reuse for aquifer recharge for subsequent non-potable water use,

! Reclaimed water reuse for non-potable water use in new developments (dualreticulation),





! Improved management of urban stormwater in high priority catchments (see note 1above)



218


0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

900020

02

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

Year

ML/

a

840ML Southern damNon potable urban reuseImpact of rainwater tanksImpact of pipeline upgradeExisting systemDemandDemand managed demand

Current Extraction












! Reclaimed water reuse for aquifer recharge for subsequent non-potable water use,

! Reclaimed water reuse for non-potable water use in new developments (dualreticulation),

! Reclaimed water reuse for environmental flow substitution,

! Upgrade Batemans Bay transport system including bypass along Spine Roadalignment and Batemans Bay STP upgrade



! Improved management of urban stormwater in high priority catchments (see note 1above),

! Improved management of urban stormwater in low priority catchments (see note 1above),


219

! Provision of reticulated sewage for high priority villages,


In this scenario, if the demand combined to increase as projected, then the southernstorage would be required between years 2035 and 2040.

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

2026

2028

2030

2032

Year

ML/

a

Return flow substitution

Non potable urban reuse

Impact of rainwater tanks


Existing System

Demand

Comprehensive DemandManagement

Current Extraction





The above Shire wide scenarios are suggested recommendations. They may be modified toreflect the priorities and preferences of individual communities and as the results of ongoinginvestigations into the individual components of the scenarios developed become available.Prior to the implementation of any of the recommended solutions, further consultation withthe individual village would be undertaken.

10.3 Assessment of Integrated Water Cycle Management Scenarios

The TBL assessment table below provides the comparative environmental, social andeconomic perspective of each water cycle management scenario.


220

Table 10-2 TBL Assessment for Shire Wide Scenarios


1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Trad

ition

al

DM

DM

+ R

WT

DM

+ R

WT

DM

+ R

WT

DM

+ R

WT

+ Ag

ri.

DM

+ R

WT

+ Ag

ri. +

reus

e +

pot.

6 +

EFSu

bstit

utio

n

ENVIRONMENTALEnsure the efficient use of the fresh waterresource 0 1 2 2 2 3 3 3

Minimises water extractions and protectslow flows 0 1 2 2 2 3 3 3

Minimises green house gas emissions 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 1

Minimises pollutants being discharged to theaquatic environment 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 3

Minimises urban stormwater volumes 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 3


Environmental Sum 4 7 11 10 11 14 14 16Environmental Rank 8 7 4 6 4 2 2 1SOCIALImproves security of town water supply 0 1 2 2 2 3 3 3

Improves the quality of drinking water 0 0 0 2 3 3 3 3

Improves urban water service levels 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 3

Increase public awareness of urban waterissues 1 2 3 3 3 3 3 3

Minimises non-compliance to legislation 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3


Social Sum 7 9 12 15 17 18 18 18Social Rank 8 7 6 5 4 1 1 1ECONOMIC

Water Supply 110.3 64.2 73.1 74.7 76.8 76.8 77.3 71.2

Sewerage 79.7 26.1 30.7 30.7 31.4 40.8 40.8 40.8NPV @ 7% in $m

Stormwater 8.5 0 0 0 0 8.5 8.5 11.7

Sub-total 198.5 90.3 103.8 105.4 108.2 126.1 126.6 123.

7

Water Supply 0 -124 -144 -137 -128 -128 -122 -149

Sewerage 0 -192 -186 -186 -181 -145 -145 -145Change in the typicalresidential rate bill fromthe traditional scenario Stormwater 0


TBL Sum 24 15 12 14 12 9 10 7TBL Rank 8 7 4 6 4 2 3 1

Water Supply 0 46.1 37.2 35.6 33.5 33.5 32.9 39.1

Sewerage 0 53.6 49.0 49.0 48.3 38.9 38.9 38.9Savings fromTraditional Case(NPV @ 7%) Stormwater 0 - - - - 0 0 +3.2

Based on consistently applying the TBL assessment criteria, the preferred option isintegrated scenario 7. Integrated Scenario 7 has some risks associated with its adoption.These include:

! Sustainability on environmental flow

! Future water demands


221

! Dual reticulation uptake and associated community costs

Sustainability of Environmental Flow

The water quality and dilution requirements for environmental flow substitution have not yetbeen established for the Moruya River System. Further the substitution regime has notbeen agreed by the Government Authorities and community. The outcome of thesenegotiation and studies may or may not support the concept of environmental flowsubstitution of reclaimed water. Conflict may also arise between different uses for thereclaimed water (environmental flow substitution vs agricultural reuse) in periods of lowriver flow. If environmental flow substitution of reclaimed water was not supported thenthere will be a need to build the Southern dam within the 30 year timeframe. This will makescenario 7 significantly more expensive than the other integrated scenarios altering the TBLranking of the scenarios in Table 10-2 and scenario 5 is the preferred option.

Future Water Demands and Dual Reticulation Uptake Levels

Figure 10-2 to Figure 10-8 illustrate how the demands will be met by different elements foreach integrated scenario. The cost implications for scenario 7 not meeting the demandspredicted by each component and the demand reduction program are greater than theother options. This may arise for example though customer choices uptake of reclaimedwater and rainwater tanks. If there is a gap between what can be supplied from eachcomponent and what the community requires, a dam will need to be built within the 30years timeframe, making scenario 7 more expensive which will alter the preferred scenarioranking.

Recommendation

Integrated Scenario 7 carries greater risks than the other options. DPWS recommends thatCouncil consider the adoption of Integrated Scenario 5. As recommended elsewhere in thisreport, the IWCM strategy should be reviewed in 5 years. The uncertainties associated withIntegrated Scenario 7 may have been resolved by this time.


222



223

Part DHow to Deliver the Scenarios

This Part provides an overview of the deliverytimeframe and the delivery mechanisms available toCouncil.


224



225

11 Timeframe for ScenarioImplementation

The following table provides the timeframe associated with each of the Shire widescenarios. These timeframes were used to project the cash flow in the financial modelling.However, the actual timeframe would depend on funding availability and extent of workinvolved in the subsequent investigation, community consultation and environmental impactassessment stages.


226



227

Traditional

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

2031

2032

2033

Regional Water Supply - Transfer Main between Moruya River and Deep Creek Dam

Regional Water Supply - Coastal Connection between Moruya and Batemans Bay

Regional Water Supply - Off-River Storage Facility

Regional Water Supply - Water Filtration Plants

Regional Water Supply - Pumping Facilities upgrade including Malua Bay pump relocation

Regional Water Supply - Improved Telemetry

Regional Water Supply - Upgrade Power Supply

Reticulated water supply to high priority village (Nelligen)

Reticulated water supply to low priority village (South Durras and Congo)

Transfer Batemans Bay Northern catchment along Spine Rd and Southern catchment toTomakin STP

Enhance the performance of all reticulated sewerage management systems and capacityincrease when needed (eg I/I + OHS +UV plant)

Reticulated sewerage systems for high priority villagesBodalla

Rosedale

South Durras

Nelligen

Reticulated sewerage systems for low priority villagesCentral Tilba and Tilba Tilba

Potato Point

Mystery Bay

Congo


Agricultural Reuse Scheme

Investigation and land purchase

Investigation and construction


228

SCENARIO 1

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

2031

2032

2033

Regional Water Supply - Transfer Main between Moruya River and DeepCreek Dam

Regional Water Supply - Off-River Storage and associated infrastructure


Regional Water Supply - Pumping Facilities upgrade including Malua Baypump relocation



Transfer Batemans Bay Northern catchment along Spine Rd to Batemans BaySTP and Batemans Bay Southern catchment to Tomakin STP

Enhance the performance of all reticulated sewerage management systems(eg I/I + OHS +UV plant) and increase capacity when needed

Enhanced management of on-site systems in all unsewered villages

Investigation and land purchase

Investigation and construction


229

SCENARIO 2

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

2031

2032

2033




Regional Water Supply - Pumping Facilities upgrade including Malua Bay pumprelocation



Transfer Batemans Bay Northern catchment along Spine Rd to Batemans Bay STPand Batemans Bay Southern catchment to Tomakin STP

Enhance the performance of all reticulated sewerage management systems (eg I/I +OHS +UV plant) and increase capacity when needed

Enhanced management of on-site systems in unsewered villages

Reticulated sewerage systems for high priority villages

Bodalla

Rosedale

South Durras

Nelligen


230

SCENARIO 3

200

3 200

4 200

5 200

6 200

7 200

8 200

9 201

0 201

1 201

2 201

3 201

4 201

5 201

6 201

7 201

8 201

9 202

0 202

1 202

2 202

3 202

4 202

5 202

6 202

7 202

8 202

9 203

0 203

1 203

2 203

3







Reticulated water to high priority villages (Nelligen)





Bodalla

Rosedale

South Durras

Nelligen


231

SCENARIO 4

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

2031

2032








Reticulated water to low priority villages (South Durras and Congo)





Bodalla

Rosedale

South Durras

Nelligen

Reticulated sewerage systems for low priority villages

Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba

Potato Point

Mystery Bay

Congo


232

SCENARIO 5

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

2031

2032

2033

Regional Water Supply - Transfer Main between Moruya River and Deep CreekDam









Enhance the performance of all reticulated sewerage management systems (eg I/I+ OHS +UV plant) and increase capacity when needed



Bodalla

Rosedale

South Durras

Nelligen



Potato Point

Mystery Bay

Congo

Regional agricultural reuse scheme



233

SCENARIO 6

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

2031

2032

2033













Bodalla

Rosedale

South Durras

Nelligen



Potato Point

Mystery Bay

Congo


Non-potable reclaimed water in new developments



234

SCENARIO 7

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

2031

2032

2033






Regional Water Supply – Environmental flow substitution







Bodalla

Rosedale

South Durras

Nelligen



Potato Point

Mystery Bay

Congo


Non-potable reclaimed water in new developments



235

12 Management and ProcurementMethods

12.1 Management Methods

Council has three basic options for managing the water services in the future. Theseoptions are discussed below. The three figures below provide the various tasks Council orthe service provider would have to undertake for each management option.

Management Option 1 – This is the traditional approach and is similar to the currentpractice. In this option, Council continues to own, fund and operate the water servicesusing its internal resources as appropriate.

Figure 12-1 Management Option 1

Management Option 2 – In this option Council owns and funds the water services, but theday to day operation and maintenance is managed by a private Contractor or serviceprovider over a set period for a pre-determined annual payment. At the end of the setperiod the contract is either renewed or terminated and the business transferred to Councilon pre-determined terms and conditions.


BUSINESS STRATEGY - Objectives - Strategic - KPI’s

IWCM STRATEGY - Structural

Solutions - Non-built Solutions

PROCUREMENT & FUNDING PLAN - Private vs Public - Sources of funds

Environ. Impact Assessment (New Works)

Design & Documentation (New Works)

Construction Of New Works

Due Diligence Analysis of Business

Operations Planning

-Implementation Plan -House keeping KPI’s

Operations Management - Compliance - Reporting

COUNCIL OWNED & FUNDED WITH OPERATION OUTSOURCED TO PRIVATE SECTOR

Operations Planning -Implementation Plan - House keeping KPI’s

Environmental Impact Assessment (New Works)

Design & Documentation (New Works)

Construction of New Works

Operations Management - Compliance Reporting

COUNCIL OWNED, FUNDED & OPERATED MANAGEMENT OPTION 1


236

Management Option 3 – In this option the water service business along with the existingand new water services assets and resources is transferred to a private Contractor orservice provider. The Contractor owns, operates and funds the services over a set periodfor a pre-determined annual payment. Similar to option 2, at the end of the set period thecontract is either renewed or terminated.


Assessing the costs benefits and risks associated with each of these management options is outside the scope ofthis report.

12.2 Procurement Methods

In both management options 2 and 3, the new assets and required funds could be procuredin a number of ways other than the present method of procurement. Identifying thesealternative procurement options and assessing their associated costs, benefits and risksare beyond the scope of this study.

Contract Documentation (For Whole Business)

Due Diligence Analysis of Business

Environ. Impact Assessment (New Works) Design & Construction

Of New Works

Operations Management - Compliance Reporting

Operations Planning -Implementation Plan -House keeping KPI’s

PRIVATELY OWNED, FUNDED & OPERATED OVER A SET PERIOD (NEW&OLD FACILITIES) MANAGEMENT OPTION 3


237

Part EHow Do We Know

the Issues Are Fixed?This Part provides an overview of the benefits achieved bythe IWCM process and how Council could sustain andrealise these benefits.


238



239

13 Overview

This section is concerned with answering the final of the three fundamental questions in theIWCM process, ‘how do we know the issue is fixed?’.

An answer to this question is timeframe dependent. This strategy provides IWCM optionsfor addressing both the immediate and the long term water resource issues in Eurobodallaat the regional, local and Shire wide level. It is important that the timeframe reflect both theshort term and long term vision of the Shire. In order to evaluate whether the issues specificto Eurobodalla have been addressed and whether the resource use is optimised based onsocial, economic and environmental objectives, it is important to appreciate the studyoutcomes. This we believe would give the water utilities a baseline to benchmark futurereviews and to assist in the journey towards achieving sustainable IWCM. It is envisagedthat follow-up assessment and review of this strategy will be undertaken at regular intervalsof around 5 years.

13.1 Study Outcomes

The Eurobodalla’s IWCM strategy has looked at all water resources in the Shire. The IWCMapproach has delivered significant benefits to the community, ESC, the State governmentand the environmental as demonstrated in the recommended solutions developed in thisstrategy. These benefits are discussed with respect to the triple bottom line outcomes.

13.1.1 Economic Outcomes

The IWCM planning process for Eurobodalla has revealed potential savings to the Shireand the state government of about $25M in infrastructure investment costs. This has beenachieved by ‘right’ sizing and optimising the infrastructure capacity, through the use of;

! Linked climate corrected demand tracking,

! Demand and wastewater forecasting and water services system models,

! Innovative tenement and water use category data capture systems, and

! Improved process designs.

Through utilising IWCM principles, this study has shown that the northern reclaimed waterreuse scheme is viable, with potential savings of $15M in pipeline and pumping costs and afurther $6M through the use of a scheme optimisation process. Initiating the northernreclaimed water reuse scheme will transfer what has traditionally been considered wasteinto a valuable resource. This will not only result in cost savings for the Shire community,but will assist in the development of a sustainable agricultural industry. Further, the savingsachieved from the pipeline, could potentially be used to implement the optimised southernreclaimed water reuse scheme. The optimisation of the southern reuse scheme is expectedto result in a potential saving of $10M.

The implementation of the reuse schemes would reduce extraction volumes and maytherefore allow for water trading to occur in the future. This may place Council in a positionto purchase some or all of these unused agricultural water entitlements and increase thetown’s share of the harvestable water from the Moruya and Tuross River catchments.


240

Taking into account all water resources through the IWCM planning process, this study hasuncovered significant savings in capital expenditure through the downsizing and/ordeferment of infrastructure projects. Integrated option 7 for example utilises demandmanagement, rainwater tanks and environmental flow substitution to meet the predictedwater needs for the next 30 years without the necessity of the southern dam. The captureof water at the point of use together with the proposed demand management program willprovide up to 25% savings in water services operating costs depending on the integratedoption adopted. The downsizing and deferment of capital costs also results in about $20Msavings in operating and maintenance costs over the 30 years. The greater the integrationof the water sources, equates to greater operating cost savings. For instance the maximumintegrated option (Scenario 7) is about 38% cheaper in terms of present value than thetraditional solution. Moreover Scenario 7 delivers significantly more environmental, socialand resource sustainability benefits.

The table below presents the savings achieved by each shire-wide integrated scenarioagainst the traditional solution.


1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Trad

ition

al

DM

DM

+ R

WT

DM

+ R

WT

DM

+ R

WT

DM

+ R

WT

+ Ag

ri.

DM

+ R

WT

+ Ag

ri. +

reus

e +

pot.

6 +

EFSu

bstit

utio

n

WaterSupply 0 46.1 37.2 35.6 33.5 33.5 32.9 39.1

Sewerage 0 53.6 49.0 49.0 48.3 38.9 38.9 38.9

SavingsfromTraditionalCase (PV@ 7%) Stormwater 0 - - - - 0 0 +3.2

13.1.2 Environmental Outcomes

The integrated water cycle management planning process for Eurobodalla has deliveredthe following benefit to the local environment. Further the strategies contained in this studywill also achieve a number of catchment management objectives over the long term.

! A reduction in the amount of water drawn for urban supply from the Shire’s riversthrough demand management measures and use of rainwater tanks.

! Better protection of low flows and preservation of natural flow patterns leading toimproved environmental water quality and improved aquatic habitat conditions.

! A reduction in future water storage requirements needed to provide the higher levelof low-flow protection.

! Reduced pollution of the waterways and coastal lakes through improvedwastewater and stormwater management, sewage pump station and treatmentplant upgrades.

! Reduced effluent discharges to waterways through the reductions in urban wateruse, stormwater inflow and groundwater infiltration, and the development of waterreuse systems.

! Improved recreational water quality in the Shire’s waterways, particularly duringholiday season and dry weather periods.

! Reduced stormwater quantity and quality discharges due to source control measurerather than end-of-pipe control measures.


241

! Improved management of existing on-site wastewater systems in the villagesresulting in lower environmental public health risk and improved sustainability oflocal aquifers.

! Reduces greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption.

! Streamlined subsequent facility specific environmental impact assessments,reducing study times and costs.

13.1.3 Social Outcomes

The IWCM process and the water cycle management options contained in this strategy willdeliver the following social outcomes.

! Reduced costs for village schemes through improved management of existing on-site systems, and through supplementation rather than replacement of existingwater supply and wastewater infrastructure.

! Improved water supply drought security and reliability of supply through increaseddelivery capacity and faster refilling of the Deep Creek storage.

! Improved water quality and public health protection for regional water supplyconsumers through the construction of water filtration plants.

! Existing deficiencies in the levels of service to consumers have been addressed.

! In some integrated options there is an opportunity for further savings by deferringthe need for a southern dam beyond the adopted 30 year planning horizon by usingreclaimed water to meet environmental flow needs.

! Provision of backyard supply sources provides customer with supply source choiceand an appreciation of their water use pattern resulting in lower water use in thelong term.

! The comprehensive demand management program in addition to delivering savingsin water bills will also result in electricity savings.

! Integrated solutions that closely match community wants and expectations.

13.2 How to Realise and Sustain the Outcomes

Sustaining the outcomes of this study requires both structural and non-structural solutions.The structural solutions refer to physical assets and the non-structural solutions encompassthe internal processes that support and monitor the performance of the water utilitybusiness and its assets. This study has identified that many of Council’s internal processare either absent or are lacking in clarity and detail. One important outcome from thedevelopment of this study has been the implementation of simple frameworks and systemsto capture data and information. For example linking meter readings to the GIS has allowedeasy evaluation of the quantity of water used within the Shire.

It is important that these frameworks and systems be further developed, adequatelyresourced and kept up to date, such that future assessment and review of this strategy canbe undertaken at minimal cost and timeframe. Capturing data and information in asystematic way is also essential in determining how effective the adopted integrated optionsare performing, and an important step in assessing whether the identified issues inEurobodalla are fixed.


242

Reducing water usage can be achieved through applying structural solutions such as theinstallation of more water efficient fixtures and appliances. While these may decrease theflow rate of water, they may not necessarily result in reduced water use. Behavioural andcultural aspects also form an important component of water consumption. These areprimarily addressed through the provision of education and information to the community.Therefore, a successful program to reduce water usage needs to incorporate bothstructural and non-structural solutions.

Ongoing monitoring systems need to be developed to ensure that initiatives such asdemand management are achieving their intended goals and should form a fundamentalcomponent in assessing whether those issues identified for the Eurobodalla Shire havebeen addressed. Data and information gathered through appropriate on-going monitoringsystems can then be feed back into the education campaign to form a continued refinementof this process.

Another important factor in ensuring that the outcomes from this IWCM strategy aresustained is to monitor the volume of bulk water production lost through the distributionsystem. This IWCM strategy has devised a two stage approach to reducing the amount ofwater lost. The accurate determination of unaccounted for water through additionalmetering has been identified as the first important step, prior to the implementation of theloss reduction program.

An additional aspect to consider in managing the urban water cycle of Eurobodalla in asustainable manner is to establish a common water cycle fund. This would allow Council tooffer choices of price paths for its customers to achieve differing levels of integration.Although, the current legislative arrangements do not allow this to occur, it is stronglyrecommended that Council and DLWC pursue this further, as a common water cycle fundprovides Council the flexibility and opportunity to signal its customers the expectedoutcomes.

13.3 Strategy Review Cycle

Although, this strategy has been developed for a planning period of 30 years, it isrecommended that the plan be regularly reviewed. The recommended review interval is fiveyears but not greater than 10 years.


243

14 Bibliography

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2001) 2001 Census

Australian Greenhouse Office (2001), Good Residential Design Guide – Your HomeTechnical Manual.

Coombes, Argue and Kuczera (2000), Figtree Place: A Case Study in Water SensitiveUrban Development.

Coombes, Kuczera and Kalma (2000), Economic, Water Quantity and Quality Results froma House with a Rainwater Tank in the Inner City.

EPA (1999) Water Quality and River Flow Interim Environmental Objectives – Clyde Riverand Jervis bay Catchments.

EPA (1999) Water Quality and River Flow Interim Environmental Objectives – Moruya RiverCatchment.

EPA (1999) Water Quality and River Flow Interim Environmental Objectives – Tuross RiverCatchment.

Eurobodalla Shire Council, (1998), Population Profile Eurobodalla Shire.

Department of Local Government, EPA, NSW Health, DLWC, DUAP (1998) Environmentand Health Protection Guidelines – On-site Sewage Management for Single Households

Healthy Rivers Commission, (2002) Independent Inquiry into Coastal Lakes

K.G. Macoun and Associates Pty Limited, (1999) Eurobodalla Shire Council – EurobodallaWater Supply Augmentation Water Demand Projections to 2021.

NHMRC/ARMCANZ (2001) Australian Drinking Water Guidelines

NHMRC/ARMCANZ/ANZECC (2000) National Water Quality Management Strategy –Guidelines for Sewerage Systems Use of Reclaimed Water.

NSW Agriculture, Organic Waste and Recycling Unit, (1998) Eurobodalla Shirewide Effluentand Biosolids Management Scheme.

NSW Department of Public Works and Services, (1998) Deep Creek Dam – FeasibilityStudy to Increase Dam Capacity.

NSW DLWC and Local Government and Shires Association of NSW, (2002) NSW WaterSupply and Sewerage Performance Comparisons.

NSW DUAP (2001) Sustainable Urban Settlement Guidelines for Regional NSW

NSW DUAP (1997), Lower South Coast Land and Housing Monitor.

NSW DUAP (1997), Lower South Coast Regional Settlement Strategy.

NSW Government (1991), Water Supply and Sewerage Management Guidelines.


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NSW Health (2000) Greywater Reuse in Sewered Single Domestic Premises.

NSW Water Resources Council (1994) Groundwater – NSW South East Region WaterManagement Strategy, Water Planning for the Future.

Public works (1993) Urban Residential Reuse Guidelines

SKP (1976)

Sinclair Knight Merz (1998) Eurobodalla Shire Council Amplification and Upgrade ofBatemans Bay Sewage Treatment Plant Concept Design.

South East Waterhttp://www.sewl.com.au/downloads/corporate_brochures/WaterSavers_3rd_Quarter_02.pdf

Sydney Water Corporationhttp://www.sydneywater.com.au/everydropcounts/garden/rainwater_tanks_rebates.cfm,

City Rainwater Tanks http://www.cityrainwatertanks.com.au/html/roundpricelist.html,

ActewAGL http://www.actewagl.com.au/environment/rainwater.cfm,

Documents

Eurobodalla Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy · Integrated water cycle management (IWCM) is an innovative way of managing the urban water services for local water utilities