Community Forums

As part of the consultation process on Water2WATER, ACTEW ran community forums to allow you to hear more about the project and express your views. Your input is being collated and will be reported back to the community here.

• Woden - Tuesday 29 May 2007
• Ainslie - Wednesday 30 May 2007
• Queanbeyan - Thursday 14 June 2007

Community forum PowerPoint presentation by Gary Bickford - 29 and 30 May

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A selection of questions and answers from the first community forum can be found below. The remaining questions and answers will be placed here shortly. If you have any further questions, please contact the ACTEW office.

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Health and Safety

Can you guarantee the quality of the water, so we avoid an endocrine epidemic happening?

The technology under consideration is proven to produce high quality water that will not result in an endocrine epidemic. Water will meet the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

What star rating is currently being achieved in Canberra and the ACT?

The ACT does not use this system, but it would vary for different treatment plants.

Why are the serious/critical concerns regarding health and safety put forward by Professor Peter Collignon, being ignored?

Safety concerns are not being ignored, this is the reason that the ACT Government has established an independent Expert Panel on Health.

What are the terms of reference for all panels?

Please refer to Expert Panel on Health website.

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Options

Why not take 25ML/day from the Murrumbidgee (above Molonglo)?

This is already being done by taking water from the Murrumbidgee River at Cotter.

The storage capacity of our dams is a problem – why can't you get a big pump and pump from Murrumbidgee and put into Tennent Dam.

Pumps were installed in the Murrumbidgee River at Lower Cotter in 2004 as part of the Drought Contingency Plan. Over the last few weeks nearly 1GL of water has been abstracted. The Murrumbidgee will continue to form an important part of mainstream supply whilst it has sufficient flows.

Another option being considered is to pump Murrumbidgee River water to Googong. This was previously called the Virtual Tennent Option.

Why can't you built small weirs on the upper reaches of Naas Rover - one as option - why can't you include this in your analysis?

This was assessed as part of Future Water Options in 2005. Called the Virtual Tennent option, it was based on harvesting flows from the Naas/Gudgenby system at the Murrumbidgee River and storing them in Googong Dam. Now known as the Angle Crossing option, this proposal has been deemed to have merit and further analysis in being undertaken.

You quote greywater costs as $10-15K per household - where did you get these figures?

Figures based on typical greywater treatment system but they can vary between systems and location of installation.

Why not do a lot more smaller options and educate the public also? You change your mind all the time.

Some small options are also included, but it is often preferable and more economic to do the larger options.

Can we see all options to allow community to decide?

A large range of options, including increased demand management, are under consideration. The Water2WATER website explains the options under consideration.

With the Tantangara option, ACTEW's own analysis shows it is more viable than Water2WATER - why is it only just still on radar?

Tantangara transfer is a viable option but has several risks involved. ACTEW and the ACT Government are currently working hard to negotiate with several governments and organisations to transfer water from NSW via Tantangara to the ACT. This is a complex process and could still take some time.

What is the estimated price per kilolitre of both options (the two process treatment trains) and the cost of a desalination plant on coast and bringing it to Canberra?

Price per kilolitre will be determined when final costs are established. Estimated costs of a desalination plant range is about $500-700m. These figures are rough estimates only and likely to be too expensive compared to other options.

The only long-term completely reliable source is desalinated water – why is this not considered seriously?

This option has been subject to initial analysis but is very expensive and energy intensive. Will be covered in more detail in ACTEW's final report.

Why do we lurch from drought to long-term situations?

Future Water Options provided a strategy that dealt with drought contingency issues, medium term strategies and long term supply options. Water2WATER is the next step in that strategy. The immediate drought recovery is a separate process.

Can we have a full report on all long-term options - get all figures out?

See Future Water Options reports – Water2WATER reports will be available soon – the final report to ACT Government will explain all options.

Water2WATER is not a sustainable solution in its own right - why can't ACTEW recognise this?

Water2WATER is a means of supplementing the existing network with additional infrastructure to ensure long term security of supply. It must be viewed in the context of existing infrastructure as well as current initiatives such as demand management, effluent reuse schemes and recycling. The principle is security through diversity and overall equates to a sustainable water supply for the ACT and Region. Water2WATER is an insurance measure if all other measures do not meet the needs of the ACT.

What is the yield from the Tennent Dam?

This is dependent upon the optimization of the Dam in the context of the overall water supply network. It is also dependent upon the size of the dam. See Tennent Dam Report – Future Water Options.

Why can't we limit bore use or police water flow on small rural users near Googong Dam?

As the Googong Catchment is in NSW, the ACT can not to regulate activities. Discussions between ACTEW, the ACT Government and the NSW Government are ongoing on this issue.

Bores are fed by surface water. Why restrict bores as public restrictions?

Bores are managed by the ACT Government. There is currently a moratorium on ground water use in the ACT. Please contact Territory and Municipal Services for further information.

Why are we restricting river use on Queanbeyan golf course and local Queanbeyan parks?

The use of river water for irrigation is a matter for the NSW Government.

What is available in terms of subsidies for installing recycled grey water in your home?

None currently available – please see the grey water guidelines on ACT Health website. Grey water fact sheet.

Has the Chief Minister pressured ACTEW to avoid Tennent dam option?

ACTEW has received no direction from the ACT Government to progress any one option over another.

In 2005, ACTEW's report on cloud seeding said this was favourable - why are we not doing this now?

Please see fact sheet on cloud seeding.

Why not put water tanks in every household – this would be cheaper?

Please see fact sheet on rainwater tanks.

Why can't we recycle our shower water into our toilet?

Please see fact sheet on greywater reuse.

Why not treat recycle stormwater instead of sewerage? We get plenty of stormwater?

Please see fact sheet on stormwater harvesting.

Why aren't the health panel recommending the treatment option? The information session suggested they would respond to ACTEW's preferred option?

Refer also the Expert Panel on Health Issues Paper.

Will the ACT government discuss purchasing water from irrigators from the NSW government?

This is currently under investigation as a potential option, see discussion on Tantangara Transfer.

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Government

What is the relationship between ACTEW and the government?

http://www.actew.com.au/about/governance.aspx

A four corners segment on 28/5/07 told the story of the Thames Water Co. in December 2006. Macquarie Bank took over Thames Water Co. and requested that the new board is 1/2 occupied by Macquarie Bank people – they want the capital. Prior to Macquarie Bank coming on board, there had been years of neglect. Now the company has little or no regulation and billions of dollars is needed to upgrade the sewerage systems currently flowing straight into the Thames. The Thames Water Company will have to operate on a very tight budget. The same rules do not apply to private equity – as do the share market. Could this happen to our water company ACTEW?

ACTEW is a Territory Owned Corporation of the ACT Government with its shareholders being the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister.

The Thames Water example could not happen under the current structure.

What will stop the Federal Government from taking over our system as they just gave Googong Dam away without consultation and if the government plans to drain all the wetlands they could do the same with our system?

Current status of negotiations over the transfer of Googong Dam to ACT ownership are well progressed and it is hoped a satisfactory outcome will be achieved soon.

The ACT Government and ACTEW continues to work closely with the Commonwealth over the development of national water policies.

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Energy Supply

Doesn't Water2WATER simply move the problem of water shortages to energy generation?

The ACT water system is based on accessing the best quality, lower cost water first. Bendora and Corin water will always be used first, if available, because it is of a higher quality and gravity fed (requires no pumping). The Water2WATER proposal does have a higher energy cost but this is a trade off with security of supply.

What impact will this have on our power supply?

Any new scheme that involves pumping requires a secure power supply. In the overall power use of the ACT, the impact will not be large; the required power can be supplied.

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Environment

Can you provide clarification of fish issues please?
Why are fish in an artificial environment more important than safe water for Canberra citizens?

Water supply is a balance between meeting the needs of the community whilst protecting our environment. The lower Cotter Reservoir is home to two endangered fish species, the Macquarie Perch and the Trout Cod. In any expansion of the dam, these fish would need to be protected which is required under both ACT and Commonwealth legislation. In the operation of the existing dam, there is a need to limit the drawdown to protect the macrophyte beds that provide shelter top the fish. Ongoing adaptive management principles are being successfully practiced by ACTEW and Environment ACT in the operation of the dam.

What are the greenhouse gas emissions from the system?

Being determined as part of the technical analysis.

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Flows

What are impacts of taking 10-15% flows from the Cotter system?

Placing a larger storage on the Cotter River would therefore not have a large impact on river flows as the current environmental flow regime would be maintained.

What impact does this have on our downstream neighbours? We are not on the coast.
In all discussion about water saving in the home, are we taking due account of the fact that we are an inland city? E.g. I buy a water tank and catch water that would otherwise go down the drain into the river.

Obviously if we use more water in the ACT there is less available downstream. It needs to be noted however, that the ACT is a net exporter of water – that is more water flows out of the ACT than flows in. This is due to the inflows from ACT streams into the Murrumbidgee River including the Gudgenby, Molonglo, Paddy's and Cotter rivers. It is also worth noting that the ACT only uses about 6% of available water resources.

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Water Restrictions

Why would we let go of water restrictions?

In 2006 ACTEW implemented a scheme of Permanence Water Conservation measures. Details available on the ACTEW website.

Knowing we have 1 to 2 years of water left, why have sprinklers in summer and water alternate days?

Stage 3 Water Restrictions do not allow the use of sprinklers or lawn watering. However, ACTEW introduced a general exemption for the use of sprinklers once per week on lawn and other areas between 16 December 2006 and 28 February 2007. This was designed to help the community through the summer periods and encourage watering only once per week.

If we are consuming more water than inflows, why not have tighter restrictions NOW?

The restrictions scheme is based on implementing certain stages when it will have most effect. For example, nearly half our water use is outside the house, therefore restricting external use has most impact during summer when there are periods of peak demand.

Why can't we change the current 6 hours/second day regime – we want to water for 2 hours once a week into the future?

The state of the ACT water supplies are continually being monitored and decisions on the level of restrictions, which dictates the regime for irrigations are made accordingly.

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Cost

What is the likely maintenance cost of Water2WATER?

Operational costs will depend on specification of final scheme. Could range from $5m-$12m per year.

What is ACTEW using the extra charge on our current water rates and what charges they going to impose to fund the recycling?

The Water Abstraction Charge is a charge levied by the ACT Government. This charge is a collected by ACTEW and passed directly to the Government.

Water charges are determined by the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission, and any proposed recycling scheme would be subject to their consideration.

Why is Cotter Dam cost falling from $250 million to $150 million while Tennent Dam is pushed up from $150 million to $300 million? Is concrete getting cheaper at Cotter and more expensive at Tennent?

The original Future Water Options report in 2005 costed a 78GL Lower Cotter Dam at $120m and a 159 GL Tennent Dam at $250m (both these costing have a factor of +/- 30 % due to the preliminary nature of the estimates). A review of these costs indicate a 20 % cost escalation factor – the cost estimates have therefore risen to $150m for Cotter and $300m for Tennent.

What is the cost of recycled water in new suburbs compared with providing single pipe systems?

Studies undertaken in the new suburbs of Forde and Franklin indicate dual pipe systems are still more expensive than single pipe systems. Further work is being undertaken for the future development in the Molonglo Valley. The costs and benefits of recycled water will continue to be assessed in new developments. It is more cost effective to place these schemes in new suburbs compared to retrofitting into established suburbs.

If I am not mistaken people in Canberra were charged an amount a few years ago for the construction of a new dam. What happened to this money?

This is not correct. No new dam has been built since Googong in 1979. Water rates are based the cost of operating the entire network, including all assets. Any new dam would be factored into this calculation.

Figures regarding sewer mining in the FAQ are not accurate and do not add up?

ACTEW have commissioned further work on sewer mining, however the information provided to date is considered accurate.

Is there a cash reserve to cover the cost of these projects? What will the annual cost of covering the debt is there isn't cash reserves? What will be the price rise per kilolitre?

There is no cash reserve to cover the costs. The exact financing arrangements and ultimate costs to the consumer are yet to be determined.

Could dollars spent on advertising have been better spent exploring all other options prior to proceeding to what should be considered an absolute last resort when all other options have been exhausted?

ACTEW is assessing a range of options to secure our supply including the Water2WATER proposal. Due to the level of public interest, a comprehensive consultation program was conducted on this particular option.

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Community Consultation

Why does ACTEW assume what the people want? Listen to the people and you will hear what they want?

Community consultation is a vital part of ACTEW's operations. All major initiatives over the previous few years, including Future Water Options, Permanent Water Conservation Measures and Water2WATER have been subject to extensive community consultation.

Will the scheme go ahead if the people in Canberra are anti Water 2 Water?

The final decision is to be made by the ACT Government. In making this decision, the Government will be informed by the views of the community expressed during the consultation process.

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Other

After fires there were faults found on Cotter dam walls - why is it OK now?

There were no faults on the existing Cotter Dam wall. Recent geotechnical studies undertaken by ACTEW have confirmed the suitability of the lower Cotter dam site for enlargement.

What are we doing to control the population in Canberra?

This is a matter for the ACT Government – see Canberra Spatial Plan.

Limiting population intake to Canberra till the water crisis is over come – is this a possibility? More people means less water to go around?

This is a matter for the ACT Government – see Canberra Spatial Plan.

When will ACTEW provide individual water meters to members of body corporate?

A multi metering policy for body corporates is currently under development.

What would another bushfire do to Canberra's water supply?

As a result of the 2003 bushfires ACTEW has greatly increased our water treatment capacity at Mt Stromlo Water Treatment Plant, and diversified the water supply network with the addition of the Cotter Googong Bulk Transfer and capacity to abstract from the Murrumbidgee River. This diversification will greatly enhance our ability to cope with major events, such as another bushfire.

Is it illegal to purchase water to top up rainwater tanks – both potable and non-potable?

You are able to purchase water from independent suppliers to top up water tanks. It should be noted that these suppliers are not able to source this water from ACT potable supplies.

Why is the heritage value of Cotter Dam an issue if it will be covered by water?

The existing Lower Cotter dam is listed on the Register of the National Estate. This would need to managed in terms of carefully documenting the heritage values of the dam, however there would be no impediment to the inundation of the dam.

Why should ACTEW be involved in the issue?

ACTEW, as the owner and operator of all water and wastewater assets in the Territory, has a central role in water supply planning. The Government has requested that ACTEW provide advice on long term water supply security via Think Water Act water.

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