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Drinking water
To protect public health, the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water closely monitors and regulates drinking water in Queensland.
The Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008 applies to all drinking water service providers. This includes all councils and organisations, which own one or more elements of water infrastructure and intend to charge for the water supply and are involved in harvesting, collecting treating, transmitting or reticulating water for drinking purposes.
Registered drinking water service providers are required to have an approved drinking water quality management plan (DWQMP) in place, within one year of commencing the drinking water service and comply with the plan and any conditions placed upon the plan, by the regulator.
The department ensures that service providers' DWQMPs meet the requirements of the Act.
For full information, read the Guideline for the preparation, review, and audit of DWQMPs (PDF, 3MB).
This guide details the obligations of drinking water service providers in Queensland.
Quality management plans for drinking water providers
A drinking water quality management plan (DWQMP) is the cornerstone document of a regulated risk management framework to ensure the safety of customers of drinking water service providers.
As a registered service provider supplying drinking water in Queensland, you are required to have an approved DWQMP in place.
DWQMPs are prepared by drinking water service providers and approved by the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water.
Use the following forms when preparing and amending a DWQMP:
- Drinking water quality management plan approval application: Form WSR505 (PDF, 556KB) and the explanatory notes and instructions (PDF, 168KB)
- Drinking water quality management plan amendment application: Form WSR506 (PDF, 203KB) and the explanatory notes and instructions (PDF, 167KB)
- Research project notification form (PDF, 242KB)
- Internal review of decision application: Form WSR004 (PDF, 634KB)
Approved DWQMPs are required to be regularly reviewed and audited. As a service provider, you must also submit drinking water service annual reports summarising the implementation of your DWQMP. These annual reports must be published on your service provider website.
What is covered in a drinking water quality management plan
You must include in your DWQMP:
- details of the infrastructure for providing the services
- identification and assessment of the hazards that may affect water quality
- identification of how you as the provider intends to manage the risks, including
- operational procedures
- management of incidents and emergencies
- risk improvements plans
- details of the operational and verification monitoring of water quality.
Read the Guideline for the preparation, review, and audit of DWQMPs (PDF, 3MB).
When do I need to have an approved drinking water quality management plan
If you are an existing drinking water service provider, you will already have an approved DWQMP in place.
All newly registered drinking water service providers have 12 months from the date of registration to have an approved DWQMP in place. During this 12-month period, mandatory water quality monitoring and reporting will apply as detailed below.
Mandatory water quality monitoring and reporting
The department will issue a 'Monitoring and reporting requirement notice' to newly registered drinking water service providers. Service providers are required to monitor and report on their drinking water quality on a quarterly basis.
Compliance with the notice is mandatory and remains in place until the provider has an approved DWQMP.
The notice requires newly registered service providers to:
- monitor and report on Escherichia coli (E. coli) in accordance with the Public Health Regulation 2005
- continue with their existing drinking water quality monitoring program for other parameters (where one is in place), plus monitor any parameters the regulator states in the notice
- report any incident or event that will or is likely to adversely affect drinking water quality
- report all drinking water quality monitoring results on a quarterly basis.
Also consider...
- Learn more about the Australian drinking water guidelines which provides a framework for managing quality, including advice on parameters, monitoring methodology, sampling locations and sampling frequency.
- Read the Sampling procedures for drinking water (PDF, 475KB) from Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services.
- Learn about Guidance on competencies for operators within drinking water treatment systems (PDF, 112KB).
Annual reporting for drinking water providers
Drinking water service providers must prepare a drinking water service annual report, under the requirements of the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008.
This is the report required under section 142 of the Act (previously called a drinking water quality management plan (DWQMP) report.
Purpose of the report
The purpose of the annual report is to demonstrate to your customers, stakeholders and the water supply regulator (i.e. the Director-General of the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water) that you have satisfactorily implemented your approved DWQMP each financial year.
You must make the annual report publicly available at your place of business and publish it on your website.
The annual reports must be submitted to the department in December each year. Specific dates for each service provider can be found in the information notice approving their DWQMP.
Report contents
Under the Act, the annual report must include the following information:
- actions the service provider took to implement the DWQMP
- details of compliance with water quality criteria for drinking water
- incidents reported to the regulator
- drinking water quality related customer complaints
- DWQMP review outcomes
- DWQMP audit findings
- customer service standards review outcomes.
How to present the report
Read the Guideline for the preparation, review, and audit of DWQMPs (PDF, 3MB) for guidance on presenting the required information for your drinking water service annual report.
Submitting the report
Submit your annual report by:
Email: drinkingwater.reporting@rdmw.qld.gov.au
or
Mail:
Manager, Water Supply Regulation, Water Operations and Systems
Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water
PO Box 15216
CITY EAST QLD 4002
Quarterly reporting for drinking water providers
Quarterly reporting is only required for service providers operating under a 'Monitoring and reporting notice' (prior to approval of their drinking water quality management plan).
Quarterly reporting provides a summary of water quality monitoring that has been undertaken in the reporting quarter.
What to report
You should provide a summary of monitoring undertaken as described in the current monitoring program which was submitted to the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water following registration.
Reporting is based on a defined list of parameters.
Refer to Appendix C of the Explanatory notes and instructions: Drinking water quality: Quarterly report (PDF, 176KB).
You must submit quarterly reports to the department.
How to report
Complete the Drinking water quality: Current monitoring program: Form WSR502 (PDF, 635KB)
- Read the explanatory notes and instructions (PDF, 140KB) for further assistance.
Complete the Drinking water quality: Quarterly report: Form WSR501 (PDF, 627KB)
- Use the monitoring results table (PDF, 579KB) and the explanatory notes and instructions (PDF, 176KB) to help you complete the form.
Submit your completed quarterly report by email to drinkingwater.reporting@rdmw.qld.gov.au.
Due dates
Period | Due date |
---|---|
1 January to 31 March | 30 April (same year) |
1 April to 30 June | 31 July (same year) |
1 July to 30 September | 31 October (same year) |
1 October to 31 December | 31 January (following year) |
Contact us
For more information, email drinkingwater.reporting@rdmw.qld.gov.au.
Reporting drinking water incidents
Drinking water incidents must be reported to the water supply regulator (i.e. the Director-General of the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water).
Generally, drinking water incidents include:
- a detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli)
- an exceedance of a health guideline value in the Australian drinking water guidelines (ADWG)
- detections of parameters with no guideline valued in the ADWG
- water quality events that a service provider cannot manage within existing processes and/or that may impact on the health of customers.
Drinking water quality
Note: The department does not manage drinking water supplies. If you have a problem with the quality of your drinking water, contact your drinking water service provider.
Your drinking water service provider is responsible for providing a safe and reliable water supply, and to rectify any problems that may occur. The department does not have operational control of individual provider's systems, and does not intervene on behalf of a customer.
How to report
Incidents must be reported by telephoning 1300 596 709. This number operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
All incidents must be reported immediately after the provider becomes aware of an incident.
Use the following forms to report an incident:
- Notification of a drinking water event or detection of a parameter with no water quality criteria: Form WSR507 (PDF, 1.1MB) and the explanatory notes and instructions (PDF, 635KB)
- Notice of non-compliance with water quality criteria: Drinking water: Form WSR017 (PDF, 439KB) (for service providers with an approved drinking water quality management plan (DWQMP)) and the explanatory notes and instructions (PDF, 174KB)
- Drinking water quality: Incident reporting: Form WSR503 (PDF, 650KB) (for service providers without an approved DWQMP) and the explanatory notes and instructions (PDF, 158KB)
The following resources can assist when compiling information to report an incident.
- E. coli annual value: calculation tool (XLS, 203KB)
- Use of E. coli test kits for drinking water compliance monitoring (PDF, 75KB)
Why incidents need to be reported
- Provides assurance to the water supply regulator and Queensland Health that the incident is being managed appropriately to protect the health of customers.
- Helps to identify trends or emerging issues that may not be adequately or appropriately addressed in the DWQMP.
- Provides evidence that the DWQMP is being implemented and complied with.
- Enables service providers to seek advice or guidance to appropriately manage incidents.
- Incidents are assessed to determine if there are potential adverse public health impacts.
- Some incidents are reported to Queensland Health to enable the provision of public health advice or risk assessment where necessary.
How incidents are managed by the water supply regulator
Incidents are reviewed and assessed for compliance against approved DWQMPs.
Detailed information on water quality and incident reporting are outlined in the Water quality and reporting guideline for a drinking water service (PDF, 564KB).
Forms and guidelines for drinking water providers
Drinking water service providers should use the following forms, guidelines and tools for developing a drinking water management plan, management plan reporting, and drinking water incident reporting.
Service provider registration
Visit our page on registration of water service providers to access forms and registration information.
Drinking water quality management plan (preparation and implementation)
- Guideline for the preparation, review, and audit of DWQMPs (PDF, 3MB)
- E. coli annual value: calculation tool (XLS, 203KB)
Drinking water quality management plan forms
- Drinking water quality management plan approval application: Form WSR505 (PDF, 556KB) and the explanatory notes and instructions (PDF, 168KB)
- Drinking water quality management plan amendment application: Form WSR506 (PDF, 394KB) and the explanatory notes and instructions (PDF, 167KB)
- Research project notification form (PDF, 242KB)
- Internal review of decision application: Form WSR004 (PDF, 634KB)
Drinking water quality reporting
- Drinking water quality: Current monitoring program: Form WSR502 (PDF, 635KB) and the explanatory notes and instructions (PDF, 140KB)
- Drinking water quality: Quarterly report: Form WSR501 (PDF, 627KB) and the supplementary table (PDF, 579KB) and the explanatory notes and instructions (PDF, 176KB)
- Water quality and reporting guideline for a drinking water service (PDF, 564KB)
Drinking water incident reporting
- Notification of a drinking water event or detection of a parameter with no water quality criteria: Form WSR507 (PDF, 906KB) and the explanatory notes and instructions (PDF, 635KB)
- Notice of non-compliance with water quality criteria: Drinking water: Form WSR017 (PDF, 439KB) (for service providers with an approved DWQMP) and the explanatory notes and instructions (PDF, 174KB)
- Drinking water quality: Incident reporting: Form WSR503 (PDF, 650KB) (for service providers without an approved DWQMP) and the explanatory notes and instructions (PDF, 158KB)
- Use of E. coli test kits for drinking water compliance monitoring (PDF, 75KB)
© The State of Queensland 1995–2024
- Last reviewed: 08 Sep 2021
- Last updated: 08 Sep 2021