eFlash #640

eFlash #640 New

Date: 18-Dec-2025

In this edition: Season's Greetings and Office Closures | Clarification of Lead-Free Watermark Requirements | Opportunity for PhD Scholarship with UQ QAEHS | Managing Electricity Costs in Water Operations | WIOA National Award Winners | WSAA Report on Sustainable Biosolids Management Released | Current Vacancies

New / Hot Topics

Season’s Greetings and Office Closures

The qldwater team extends warm wishes to all our members, affiliates, and industry partners for a safe and joyful festive season. Here’s hoping Santa delivers perfect weather so our essential workers can enjoy a well-deserved break!

Please note: our offices will be closed from 24 December to 5 January, subject to weather and other unforeseen events.

We’re excited to reconnect in the new year at two key events:

Environment Forum – 26 February
Water Skills Forum – 19 March

And don’t miss the December edition of the Queensland Water Newsletter, landing this Friday! It’s packed with program updates, advocacy news, and plenty of good reading for the holiday break.

Clarification on Lead Free Watermark Requirements

Following earlier communications regarding the Lead Free WaterMark requirements, qldwater has sought direct clarification from the WaterMark Administration (ABCB) to resolve areas where national guidance and state regulatory arrangements intersect.

Given the ambiguity in how the requirements apply in practice, qldwater sought direct clarification from the WaterMark Administration.

WaterMark has now confirmed that WaterMark (and Lead Free WaterMark) requirements apply only to plumbing products that fall within the scope of the Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA). The PCA applies from the Point of Connection to the Point of Discharge.

As advised by WaterMark:

“The ‘Point of Connection’ is defined as the point where the service pipe within the premises connects to the Network Utility Operator’s (NUO) property service or to an alternative water supply system.”

What this means in practice for councils

For installations occurring on or after 1 May 2026, councils should ensure that:

Customer-side meter tails, couplings and fittings (downstream of the meter outlet and within PCA scope) are Lead Free WaterMark compliant.
These customer-side components are the only parts of the water meter assembly required to comply with the Lead Free WaterMark requirements.

qldwater will continue to support members by monitoring developments, providing updates, and assisting where further clarification is needed.

Opportunity for PhD scholarship with UQ QAEHS

The qldwater Consortium for Research and Advocacy on Contaminants (qCRAC) is a partner on the ARC Linkage project, "Identifying sources of contaminants of concern entering Australian sewers" run through the University of Queensland's Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences.

This important project will quantify sources of contaminants of concern entering Australian sewer systems by mapping industrial inputs via trade waste into catchments, and at the same time identify baseline domestic contributions of contaminants to wastewater.

The project is now underway, and the team is seeking a suitable person to undertake a PhD on this topic (with scholarship and fees included). If you know of somebody with a passion for knowledge to make the most of this opportunity, please pass this on.

More information is available here.

Managing Electricity Costs for Water Service Providers

The recordings of our two-part series of Fundamentals Webinars on navigating the integration of energy efficiency and renewable energy into water infrastructure are now available on our website.

In part one, regional energy specialist Andrew Chamberlin explained simple measures that water operators take to reduce energy costs through system maintenance and by understanding electricity tariffs and how to make them work for you by adjusting operations to align with tariff structures.

Watch the recording here.

In part 2, Andrew explored how to incorporate renewables into your site, understanding thresholds for feed-in tariffs, maximising the use of generated energy and when and how battery storage can add value.

Watch the recording here.

OTHER NEWS

WIOA National Award Winners

Big congratulations to Chris Blake from the Queensland Health Tropical Health Service who received the WIOA 2025 National Kwayte Award. The award recognises an initiative involving cultural or diversity and inclusion-based activities within a project and/or community in which they serve, and we can’t think of a more deserving winner.

Chris has had a great year, also receiving the qldwater Government Stakeholder Contribution Award at our Annual Forum in August.

New WSAA Report: Sustainable Biosolids Management

WSAA has released a new public report, Weighing Up the Options: Sustainable biosolids management across Australia & New Zealand, published on 10 December 2025. This report builds on the project qldwater contributed to through SWEAP, in collaboration with WSAA and the Australian & New Zealand Biosolids Partnership (ANZBP).

The report summarises the development of a Sustainable Biosolids Management Assessment Framework, which compares 20 traditional and emerging approaches to biosolids management. It explores future scenarios where land application may no longer be viable and provides insights to guide policy and regulatory decisions.

As biosolids remain a significant by-product of wastewater treatment, understanding sustainable options is critical for the sector’s future.

Read the summary report here.

CURRENT VACANCIES

Fraser Coast Regional Council are seeking two motivated and experienced Water Industry Team Leaders to lead frontline teams delivering the construction, maintenance, and operation of Council’s water and sewerage infrastructure. This is a hands-on leadership role ideal for qualified civil construction professionals or licensed plumbers with strong supervisory skills, a safety-first mindset, and a passion for community service. Applications close Thursday 8 January 2026.

For more information, please contact the recruitment team at email recruitment@frasercoast.qld.gov.au. To apply please visit Current Vacancies – Fraser Coast Regional Council