Sydeny, A new report from the Productivity Commission calls on Australian governments to commit to providing universal access to safe and reliable drinking water, warning that public health depends on it.
The report, National Water Reform 2024, is the result of research requested by the federal government. It found that Australian governments must reform many of the ways water is managed to ensure the current and future wellbeing of our communities, environment and economy.
Australia has a strategy for national water reform, known as the National Water Initiative (NWI). It was agreed with states and territories in 2004. The Productivity Commission concluded that the initiative has been useful to Australia over the past 20 years, but water management challenges are increasing. The demand for water is increasing and changing. Climate change is making precipitation less reliable as a water source.
An updated National Water Initiative will help governments overcome these challenges.
The report calls for greater attention to providing water services that are “effective, equitable and efficient.” That requires good management. The report highlights the concept of a basic level of service, which requires all governments to commit to providing universal access to a safe and reliable supply of drinking water. Why doesn't everyone have a supply of drinking water?
Most Australians already enjoy very safe and reliable drinking water services. However, some communities do not. Many small and remote communities, many of which have a high indigenous population, have poor quality drinking water.
A December 2023 review looked at water quality trends in remote Australian communities. Highlighted contaminants in water as a concern. Very high levels of contaminants in source water are leading to levels that exceed the thresholds set by the Australian Guidelines for Drinking Water. Excessive levels of hardness, turbidity, fluoride, iron, and manganese are found in communities with limited treatment facilities.
Other communities have drilling or groundwater in poor condition. These are often vulnerable to contamination from livestock runoff. This exposes communities to risks of infection by bacteria and other pathogens, causing gastrointestinal diseases.
Inadequate water quality and quantity are harming the health of remote communities, particularly among indigenous populations. Bad-tasting or visually unappealing drinking water can cause them to drink sugary drinks instead. Water safety remains an issue for larger communities
In contrast, water quality in Australia's larger towns and cities is generally very high. But excellent levels of security are not universal.
Water supply security is not defined solely by historical water quality. Safety also encompasses the probability and consequences of future incidents. Some scenarios can be viewed as “an accident waiting to happen.” Even where water quality has historically been excellent, accidents happen. The consequences can be significant if appropriate measures are not taken to manage them. Important preventative measures include strict management of drinking water catchments, implementation of multiple independent water treatment processes, comprehensive monitoring of these processes, and effective incident response procedures.
In major cities in highly developed countries, water quality incidents tend to occur when something goes seriously wrong. There have been major outbreaks of waterborne diseases in:
New Zealand, caused by a bacterial infection, campylobacteriosis. United States, caused by the parasite Cryptosporidium
Canada, caused by the bacteria E. coli and Campylobacter jejuni
the United Kingdom, caused by CryptosporidiumNorway, caused by the Campylobacter bacteria.
What are the lessons for Australia?
Often these incidents involve an element of human error. The risks are greater when skills and training have been neglected. Earlier this year, the Australian Water Services Association highlighted gaps in the skills and training of water supply operators. Many of Australia's drinking water supplies are also vulnerable to extreme weather conditions. Heatwaves, droughts, bushfires, cyclones and floods can threaten drinking water supplies.
Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of many types of extreme weather events. This means the risk of water quality incidents in our towns and cities will increase.
How do we pay for a secure supply? Another important aspect of providing universal access is affordability. If improved services mean that customers can no longer pay their water bills, their situation will not improve.
This need for affordability is often what really limits our ability to improve water quality and safety. There is a technical solution to virtually any water quality problem, but someone has to pay for it. The question of how we pay for improvements in water quality needs to be further considered.
Our capitals generally apply the concept of “postage stamp price”. All customers pay the same rates for drinking water, although some customers' service costs much more than others. But this cross-subsidy between customers is limited in states where local councils, rather than larger state entities, supply water to regional cities and remote communities. All stages of the supply chain are important.
The reforms needed to ensure universal access to safe and reliable drinking water also include institutional improvements. The Productivity Commission found that it is necessary to ensure separation between policy setting, service delivery and regulation, each with clearly defined roles.
Water service providers must have incentives to be efficient and innovative, and to deliver services in a cost-effective manner that is in the best interests of their customers. To achieve long-term success, Australian governments must establish and maintain processes that ensure that water infrastructure developments and renovations are ecologically sustainable, economically viable and culturally responsive. If these broader impacts are ignored, improvements in drinking water quality and safety will be short-lived and come at a high price. (The conversation) AMS
The report, National Water Reform 2024, is the result of research requested by the federal government. It found that Australian governments must reform many of the ways water is managed to ensure the current and future wellbeing of our communities, environment and economy.
Australia has a strategy for national water reform, known as the National Water Initiative (NWI). It was agreed with states and territories in 2004. The Productivity Commission concluded that the initiative has been useful to Australia over the past 20 years, but water management challenges are increasing. The demand for water is increasing and changing. Climate change is making precipitation less reliable as a water source.
An updated National Water Initiative will help governments overcome these challenges.
The report calls for greater attention to providing water services that are “effective, equitable and efficient.” That requires good management. The report highlights the concept of a basic level of service, which requires all governments to commit to providing universal access to a safe and reliable supply of drinking water. Why doesn't everyone have a supply of drinking water?
Most Australians already enjoy very safe and reliable drinking water services. However, some communities do not. Many small and remote communities, many of which have a high indigenous population, have poor quality drinking water.
A December 2023 review looked at water quality trends in remote Australian communities. Highlighted contaminants in water as a concern. Very high levels of contaminants in source water are leading to levels that exceed the thresholds set by the Australian Guidelines for Drinking Water. Excessive levels of hardness, turbidity, fluoride, iron, and manganese are found in communities with limited treatment facilities.
Other communities have drilling or groundwater in poor condition. These are often vulnerable to contamination from livestock runoff. This exposes communities to risks of infection by bacteria and other pathogens, causing gastrointestinal diseases.
Inadequate water quality and quantity are harming the health of remote communities, particularly among indigenous populations. Bad-tasting or visually unappealing drinking water can cause them to drink sugary drinks instead. Water safety remains an issue for larger communities
In contrast, water quality in Australia's larger towns and cities is generally very high. But excellent levels of security are not universal.
Water supply security is not defined solely by historical water quality. Safety also encompasses the probability and consequences of future incidents. Some scenarios can be viewed as “an accident waiting to happen.” Even where water quality has historically been excellent, accidents happen. The consequences can be significant if appropriate measures are not taken to manage them. Important preventative measures include strict management of drinking water catchments, implementation of multiple independent water treatment processes, comprehensive monitoring of these processes, and effective incident response procedures.
In major cities in highly developed countries, water quality incidents tend to occur when something goes seriously wrong. There have been major outbreaks of waterborne diseases in:
New Zealand, caused by a bacterial infection, campylobacteriosis. United States, caused by the parasite Cryptosporidium
Canada, caused by the bacteria E. coli and Campylobacter jejuni
the United Kingdom, caused by CryptosporidiumNorway, caused by the Campylobacter bacteria.
What are the lessons for Australia?
Often these incidents involve an element of human error. The risks are greater when skills and training have been neglected. Earlier this year, the Australian Water Services Association highlighted gaps in the skills and training of water supply operators. Many of Australia's drinking water supplies are also vulnerable to extreme weather conditions. Heatwaves, droughts, bushfires, cyclones and floods can threaten drinking water supplies.
Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of many types of extreme weather events. This means the risk of water quality incidents in our towns and cities will increase.
How do we pay for a secure supply? Another important aspect of providing universal access is affordability. If improved services mean that customers can no longer pay their water bills, their situation will not improve.
This need for affordability is often what really limits our ability to improve water quality and safety. There is a technical solution to virtually any water quality problem, but someone has to pay for it. The question of how we pay for improvements in water quality needs to be further considered.
Our capitals generally apply the concept of “postage stamp price”. All customers pay the same rates for drinking water, although some customers' service costs much more than others. But this cross-subsidy between customers is limited in states where local councils, rather than larger state entities, supply water to regional cities and remote communities. All stages of the supply chain are important.
The reforms needed to ensure universal access to safe and reliable drinking water also include institutional improvements. The Productivity Commission found that it is necessary to ensure separation between policy setting, service delivery and regulation, each with clearly defined roles.
Water service providers must have incentives to be efficient and innovative, and to deliver services in a cost-effective manner that is in the best interests of their customers. To achieve long-term success, Australian governments must establish and maintain processes that ensure that water infrastructure developments and renovations are ecologically sustainable, economically viable and culturally responsive. If these broader impacts are ignored, improvements in drinking water quality and safety will be short-lived and come at a high price. (The conversation) AMS
