Technical support

The department facilitates best practice in the design, operation and maintenance of water and sewage treatment works. It oversees the performance of water treatment works, chlorinators/aerators and sewage treatment works to avoid treatment works failure and protect public health and the environment.

Continued care in this area is essential to ensure reliable, effective and safe services and avoid treatment works failures with consequent risks to life and the environment as well as financial losses.

The following functions are carried out to ensure reliable, effective and safe services and to avoid treatment works failures:

• Regular inspection and reporting on the operation and condition of water treatment works, chlorinators and sewage treatment works. A detailed report is issued to the local water utility outlining corrective actions or required works.
• The mentoring of water and sewerage operators through the inspection program.
• Operator training seminars/courses on water and wastewater treatment. Ten courses and seminars are conducted each year with up to 200 operators attending. Comprehensive course notes are provided to operators for the water and wastewater treatment courses.
• Approvals for water, sewerage and reuse works as required by Section 60 of the Local Government Act 1993. The approvals process will include a technical assessment of the project to ensure they are appropriate, cost effective and robust.
• Provision of expert advice on emerging technology and transfer.
• Provision of expert technical and operational advice or direction on a range of issues. This can include:
  • augmentation
  • investigation
  • design
  • commissioning
  • major servicing events
  • seasonal variations in loading
  • liquid trade waste discharges
  • process upset and failures
  • loading assessments and characterisation of inflow at sewage treatment works
  • investigation and optimisation of existing processes.
• Technical support and approval for the design of fluoridation plants and operator training in the implementation of fluoridation of public water supplies under the NSW Fluoridation of Public Water Supplies Act 1957.