eFlash #639

eFlash #639 New

Date: 01-Dec-2025

New / Hot Topics

Lead-free WaterMark deadline – action required before 1 May 2026

A reminder to all Water Service Providers that from 1 May 2026, any copper alloy plumbing product used in drinking water systems must comply with the Lead Free WaterMark (<0.25% lead). After this date, non-lead-free products cannot be installed in drinking water systems. This affects water meters, meter assemblies, valves, fittings and other brass/bronze components.

We urge all WSPs to conduct an urgent stock audit to identify all copper alloy products held in stores that are used in drinking water systems, especially items purchased in 2024/2025. Contact suppliers for written confirmation whether each product is Lead Free WaterMark compliant, and whether it can be installed after 1 May 2026. Request options if items are not compliant (exchange/credit/upgrade).

Where safe and appropriate, install any existing products before 1 May 2026 to avoid un-usable stock and require Lead Free WaterMark products for all new drinking-water installations from now on. Make sure procurement, stores, network crews, design and capital works teams are aware of the 2026 deadline.

This is the new symbol that operators should be looking for if they are using a Lead-free fitting. The physical product will be marked with an updated WaterMark logo featuring “Lead Free” or the abbreviation “LF.”

qldwater is looking into whether suppliers met their due diligence obligations to inform WSPs of known regulatory changes, particularly where those changes could affect the future use or compliance of products purchased in good faith. In short, did your suppliers have an obligation to disclose this risk to you? Let us know if you have large volumes of at-risk stock or unhelpful supplier responses so we can assess sector-wide impacts.

qldwater has written to the Australian Building Codes Board informing them of the issues/impacts to Queensland WSPs and to seek an extension for WSPs.

Essentials Webinar: Asset Criticality

A recording of the webinar on the Asset Criticality tool developed by qldwater in partnership with Mackay, Whitsunday and Fraser Coast Regional Councils and Clear Idea is now available on the qldwater website.

Thanks to Moira Zeilinga for taking the time to step us through the use of the tool along with some case studies and lessons learned.

More information about the project is available here.

Fundamentals Webinar: Reducing Energy Costs in Water Operations

A recording of the webinar from regional energy specialist Andrew Chamberlin is now available on our website. In this webinar, Andrew explained how water operators can reduce energy costs and improve pump performance including understanding electricity tariffs and how to make them work for you, adjusting operations to align with tariff structures and reduce peak charges, and improving motor and pump efficiency with simple checks and tweaks.

This webinar was part 1 in a series of energy and energy efficiency support offered by qldwater and provides basic information that can assist water service providers thinking of incorporating renewables into Urban Water Operations.

Part 2, scheduled for 10am on 11 December, will look at thresholds for feed-in tariffs, maximising the use of generated energy, and when and how battery storage can add value. Register here.

qldwater Advocacy

Our latest submissions include a letter to the Deputy Director-General, Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers, requesting amendments and regulatory clarity to the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008 (Qld). We call for exemption criteria to be based on risk level, scale and use rather than commercial status; clarification of the role of "Authorised Person"; and including a clear definition of "Competent Operator" consistent with the Drinking Water Quality Management Plan framework.

We also provided feedback to the Office of the Great Barrier Reef supporting the intent of the Draft Reef 2050 Catchment Water Quality Strategy but calling for the Strategy to recognise the operational realities, demographic pressures and financial constraints facing Queensland’s urban water sector. Any future regulatory expectations, particularly relating to best practice in wastewater treatment, must be technically achievable, financially supportable and aligned with broader policy instruments such as Reef Credits.

All qldwater reports and submissionsare available here.

EPBC Bill Passes Parliament

The Australian Government’s Environment Protection Reform Bills were passed by the Australian Parliament on Friday 28 November 2025.

Some parts of the new laws will take effect immediately while other parts will take longer to implement. The Government is continuing its consultation process and submissions for the Senate inquiry on the seven Bills is still due December 5, 2025. qldwater is continuing to work on a submission to the Bills and any feedback or comments should be provided to Georgina (gdavis@qldwater.com.au).

We also note that consultation is open on two draft National Environmental Standards:

Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES)
Environmental Offsets.

Consultation closes 30 January 2026

swimlocal: New DWQMP Annual Report Functionality

The new DWQMP Annual Report (data summary) is now available for swimlocal users from the swimlocal Web Reports website. The report calculates: counts, minimum, maximum, average, median, standard deviation, 5th percentile, 95th percentile and units for you in a matter of seconds. The DWQMP E. coli report is also available.

Any issue or questions contact David (dscheltinga@qldwater.com.au) or Jess (jdean@qldwater.com.au).

QWRAP Update

The QWRAP program continues to deliver strong outcomes across Queensland, with 31 projects currently under the Deed (10 completed and 21 active). To date, $1.6 million in funding has been committed. Round 2 of the new bid pool funding rounds recently closed, attracting seven applications requesting approximately $230,000 in support. All nine Alliances now have regional coordinators in place, strengthening collaboration across the state.

A refreshed suite of templates and guideline documents is in the final endorsement phase and will soon be released to regional coordinators - thank you for your patience as we worked through this update. Looking ahead, Round 3 funding opportunities are anticipated to open on 9 December and close on 30 January 2026. This round will be ideal for short-term projects or early-stage initiatives that set the foundation for future works. Weekly online drop-in sessions for funding queries will continue every Thursday from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm, and feedback on the pilot funding rounds will be sought in 2026. Finally, the QWRAP 2025 Annual Report has been finalised, endorsed, and published on the QWRAP website.

Environment Forum 2026

Back by popular demand, the qldwater Environment Forum brings together stakeholders across the water sector: local councils, SEQ service providers, State Government, Universities, and Catchment and River Trust groups, to delve into what offsets really look like in practice and how water service providers can create measurable environmental outcomes.

Aligned with our 2026 theme, Offsets and Outcomes: Delivering Environmental Value Through Water Services, the event will showcase practical examples, emerging approaches, and opportunities for collaboration. Following the success of our inaugural Gympie Forum, we’re excited to build on that momentum with the support of our generous hosts, Redland City Council.

This in person event will take place on 26 February at Redlands IndigiScapes Centre and Cafe in Capalaba.

OTHER NEWS

DWQMP guideline updates – EOI for feedback

The Water Supply Regulation team is looking for feedback on changes to the ‘Guideline for the preparation, review and audit of DWQMPs’. These proposed changes relate to:

Water legislation amendments - required
Correction of minor errors and identified improvements
Improving and clarifying drinking water supply reliability information (water security risks)

If you would like to provide feedback, please use the below link to register your interest. Feedback on the revised guideline will be due mid to late December 2025.

Stakeholder Feedback - Register your interest

High-risk weather preparation

If the latest storms that smashed Queensland is anything to go by, we may be in for another high-risk weather season. Operators are encouraged to monitor weather conditions and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM)(external link) website closely for seasonal weather outlooks, important updates and weather warnings. As BoM’s weather updates can change considerably and weather forecasting of this nature can be challenging, it is important to regularly monitor updates from the BoM in order to prepare for any potential risks associated with extreme weather events.

Sites that are well prepared and have their high-risk weather season contingencies in place, tend to manage much better during significant weather events and are also less likely to attract an enforcement response from the department. To help you prepare and be ready to respond to high-risk weather events, the Department of Environment, Tourism and Science (DETSI) have a collection of short, recorded webinars on their website from the link below.

High-risk weather preparation | Environment | DETSI

Australian Stockholm Junior Water Prize

The Australian Stockholm Junior Water Prize is now open for submissions! It's all about bright young minds designing solutions to global water challenges, like 2025 winner Matthew Young, whose solar-powered robot boosts oxygen in waterways to prevent algal blooms.

More info here.

CURRENT VACANCIES

Cairns Regional Council is looking for two skilled Control Systems Technicians to help deliver, maintain, and continuously improve their industrial control and SCADA systems — perfect for those ready to swap the fly-in fly-out grind for stability and a better lifestyle!

1. Control Systems Technician (SCADA Security) – Reference #926

You will support the security, reliability, and continuous improvement of Council’s Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and SCADA environments. This role assists in protecting essential water, wastewater, and waste infrastructure through effective cyber security practices, secure network management, and rigorous operational standards. Working closely with the SCADA Coordinator, you will deliver planned and reactive cyber security activities.

2. Control Systems Technician (SCADA Projects) – Reference #925

In this role, you’ll be an important part to the team, ensuring the reliability, safety, and performance of key infrastructure that supports the community.

For more information, please contact the recruitment team on (07) 4044 3310 or jobs@cairns.qld.gov.au. To apply please visit the Employment at Council website.

Application Close Date: Sunday, 11 January 2026 at 11.30pm AEST