Heading

• Text Queensland Water Directorate

David WiskarChair Technical Reference

Group

Presentation Overview• The Regulatory Framework in Queensland

• Queensland Local Government Water Service Providers

• The Opportunity

• The Queensland Water Directorate – Who are we?

• A Paradigm Shift in the Policy Cycle

• Achievements

• The Future – Strengths, Weaknesses Opportunities and

Threats

Queensland Water Directorate

The Mission:

“To provide leadership to the Water Industry in Queensland, influence policy and regulation

and achieve better outcomes at lower cost”

EnvironmentalProtection

Agency

Natural Resourcesand Mines

Local Governmentand Planning

QueenslandHealth

5 State Government

Agencies

200 Water Service

Providers

125 Local Governments

Mining Companies

Remote & Indigenous

Communities

Island Resorts

9 State Government Regulatory Instruments

EP Act & Regs.

Water Act & Regs.

Local Government

Act

Health Act

QLD Competition

Authority

EPP Water Plumbing and Drainage Act

Water Boards

and Bulk Suppliers

Queensland Local Government Water Service Providers

• Replacement Asset Value $18 billion• Water and Sewer Customers 3.8 million• Water Connections 1.4 million• Sewer Connections 1.3 million• Length of water mains 33,000 km• Number of Water Treatment Plants 203• Number of Sewage Treatment Plants 560• Number of Water Storages 100• Total Water Storage Capacity 2,687 GL

Opportunity - A New Leadership Role for Local Government Water Service Providers

• One voice to influence policy and regulations

• A common approach to interpretation and implementation of policy and regulations

• Alliances for beneficial outcomes

• Demonstrate higher performance at lower cost

The Water Directorate – Who are we?LGAQ

LGMA

AWA

IPWEAQ Institute ofPublic WorksEngineering

AustraliaQld Division Inc

Organisational Structure

Institute ofPublic WorksEngineering

AustraliaQld Division Inc

QWD Executive

OfficerManagement Committee

Technical Reference Group

Assisting the Policy Cycle

Water Businesses Provide the Service

Water DirectorateTools and InformationTools and Information

Policy DevelopmentPolicy Development

LGAQ

Government Departments

develop policy

LGAQ

Executive Committee

Policy and Representation Committee

State Government Agencies

State Government Policy, Legislation and Strategic Projects that impact on Local Government Water Service Providers and hence the LGAQ and QWD.

QWD Executive

Officer

QWD Technical Reference

Group (TRG)

Queensland Water Directorate Policy Endorsement Process

QWD Management Committee

(Incorporating LGAQ, IPWEAQ, LGMA, AWA)

Cental Queensland Region

South East RegionSouth-West RegionNorthern Queensland Region

Queensland Water Directorate Members (Local Government Water Service Providers)

Achievements• Membership

• Strategic Plan 2005-2010

• Project Delivery Schedule 2005-2010

• State Government Project Partnerships

The Future – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats

• Water Reform Agenda – National and State

• Existing Networks

• Strategic Priorities

• Institutional Arrangements - Sustainability

• Resourcing

• Partnering

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Some Key Outputs

• State-wide Information Management (SWIM) Project

• Water Sensitive Urban Design Guidelines

• Drought Management Plan Template

• Fluoride Fact Sheets

• Demand Management Fact Sheets

• Water Loss Software

• STP Manual

• Greywater – How to Guide for Local Government

• Blue-Green Algae

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A Project Example

The ProblemThe Problem

• Local Government water service providers

currently collect, organise and store data for at

least 37 reports, requested by 9 different

organisations at various times of the year.

Some Examples Some Examples

Organisation Report Regulatory Voluntary

DLGPS&R Local Government Comparative Survey X

Comparative Performance Report X

Local Government Bodies Capital Works Subsidy Scheme(TMP (Financial Update Reporting) done by DNRM)

X X

Local Government Grants Commission X

5 year Capital Works Program X

Some Examples Some Examples

DNRM Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) X

Water Leakage Plans (2005) X

Customer Service Standards X

Water Consumption Data X

Water Resource Systems (WID) X

Water Utilities Queensland Report X

Dam Safety Data X

National Water Inventory X

Internal data review project X

Water Entitlements X

Some Examples Some Examples

EPA Annual Return for ERA’s X

Wastewater Spills Report X

License Exceedances X

License Reports X

Water Quality X

Environmental Protection Policy (Water Plans) X

Water Recycling & Efficiency Information X

Consumer Usage Patterns X

National Pollutant Inventory X

State of the Environment Reporting X

Local Government BenefitsLocal Government Benefits• Reducing resources diverted to reporting activities

from core business;• Improving accounting of key information for

business planning;• Identifying and quantifying potential operational

improvements;• Providing comparative data for benchmarking; • Improving access to data and communication within

the business; and• Improving community relations through greater

transparency.

State Government BenefitsState Government Benefits• Improved data accuracy.• Allow for the better prioritisation of grants and subsidy scheme funding

(benchmarking so that gaps in performance can be worked on).• Provides greater information about how to apply their policies to get the

best outcomes.• Meets the objectives of the National Water Initiative.• Enables a one stop shop for information about local and non-local

government water supply performance.• Improved operational efficiencies across State Government departments

currently duplicating requests for information and reporting compilation. This will free up resources to focus on other initiatives and on data analysis rather than data gathering.

• Much faster response times.• Increased reliability in terms of time scheduling and frequency.

Cutting reporting costsCutting reporting costs

-$5,000,000

$0

$5,000,000

$10,000,000

$15,000,000

$20,000,000

$25,000,000

$30,000,000

$35,000,000

$40,000,000

2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

Costs

Annual Estimated Benefitto LG's

Annual Estimated Benefitto State Government

Total Project CostBenefit

Cutting reporting costsCutting reporting costs

Organisation Size Calculation(multiplied by)

Efficiency gains to be redirect to core business

Estimated Operational Savings

75 Small Orgs 0.25 FTE $937,500 $1,220,000

30 Medium Orgs 0.5 FTE $750,000 $2,080,000

20 Large Orgs 1 FTE $1,000,000 $8,930,000

Total $2,687,500 $12,230,000

The SolutionThe Solution

• Design and implement by July 1 2007, an on-

line water reporting system in Queensland for

the efficient collection, storing and reporting of

local government water service provider data.

Project PartnersProject Partners

• Project Leader – Department of Local Government

Planning Sport and Recreation

• Queensland Water Directorate (QWD)

• Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ)

• Other State Government Departments; DNRM, EPA,

Treasury

Project PhasesProject Phases

• Initiation & Planning – 3rd quarter 2005

• Investigation & Evaluation – 1st Quarter 06

• Specification & Design of Systems – 3rd quarter 06

• System Implementation - 4th quarter 07

• Capacity Building – 2nd quarter 07

• Development & Enactment of Legislation – 1st quarter 07

• Review & Evaluate Implementation – 4th quarter 08

Project ManagementQWET

Steering Committee

Minister DLGPSR LGAQ Executive

LGAQ QWD State Agency Reps DLGPSR

Project Manager

Project support group

State Government Other Organisations Water Service Providers

Project EndorsementProject EndorsementHon Terry Mackenroth

Then Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Sport• I welcome this review of reporting requirements of local Government water

service providers as an opportunity to better integrate and streamline water service provider reporting requirements across all levels of government

Hon Desley Boyle

Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women• I am supportive of a review of current reporting requirements to identify the

most efficient mechanisms for collection of necessary data from local government water service providers. It is in everyone’s best interest to have the most effective processes in place to provide and receive data necessary for the maintenance of frameworks supporting water supply thought Queensland.

Some QueenslandWater Management Innovations

Of Interest

IPWEA NATIONAL CONFERENCE

ADELAIDE - AUGUST 2005

An Australian first….. ….in your front yard

The project• Replace old and failing meters• 20 000 domestic water meters• July 2006 – May 2007• $5.4 million - $2.6 million from federal

government• Discussions pending regarding a State

Government investment in the project• Every home fitted with “Smart Metering” units

- FREE

The project• Replace old and failing meters• 20 000 domestic water meters• July 2006 – May 2007• $5.4 million - $2.6 million from federal

government• Discussions pending regarding a State

Government investment in the project• Every home fitted with “Smart Metering” units

- FREE

Driving your Water Meters $ Further!Driving your Water Meters $ Further!• When you drive your shiny new Holden out of the

show room it decreases in value

• Every KL of water passing through your water meter means revenue reduction

Are our meters reading accurately?Are our meters reading accurately?

What is Smart Metering?• Elster meters fitted with Firefly data

loggers• Logs hourly water use data• Stores up to 90 days data• Automated Meter Reading (AMR)

technology

Every meter a data logger

• Every meter now is an interval data recorder

• Data not normally available without expensive fixed network or meter equipment

• Programmable from 1 minute to 4 hours

• FIREFLY – Intervals– 8k = 330.6 days @ 1 hour (Gas)– 16k = 165 days @ 15 minutes

(Electric)– 2k = 74 days @ 1 hour (Water)

• Dispute resolution, theft prevention, virtual turn on/turn off, conservation monitoring, peak demand, TOU billing, meter right sizing, system optimisation, customer usage comparisons, more...

Costs\benefitsCosts\benefits• Automatic Meter Reading more expensive:

• Normal Metering - $40 per installation

• AMR Metering - $150 per installation

• Costs offset by;• Water efficiency benefits• Capital deferment (Trunk infrastructure)• Improved and more accurate billing• More accurate metering• Potential meter reading cost reductions (medium to

long term)

How this initiative will conserve waterHow this initiative will conserve water

• Force outdoor usage off peak reduce water consumption.

• Highlight internal leakage through better communication

• Improve pricing signals to all customers (not just the environmentally motivated ones)

• Accurate metering

How this initiative will conserve water?How this initiative will conserve water?

• Encourage external water into the evenings reducing evaporation

• Better information regarding how people use water (this will allow improved targeting of encouragement and education initiatives)

• Preliminary estimates suggest savings of;

• 60,000 litres per property per year• 600 – 1000 megalitres per year

Closing slide…The Queensland Water Directorate

David Wiskar – Chair Technical Reference Group

Web www.qldwater.com.au

Email davidw@widebaywater.qld.gov.au

Phone (07) 4197 4143

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TASMANIA JUNE 2006