swimlocal is the database system used by Service Providers (SP) to report their water and sewerage data to government agencies via SWIM. It is a software system designed to operate within each SP, with the central SWIM system and, most importantly, see the Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) procedures built into SWIM moved closer to the point of data capture. The system allows SPs to have ultimate flexibility in their water and sewerage data management while integrating with other local systems.
The participation from our members has been crucial in the software’s development, with several Councils partnering with us to directly guide the development and updating of the swimlocal tools. In fact, swimlocal is substantially modelled (at least in look and feel and partly in concept) on a system developed by Gympie Regional Council to help manage its own internal reporting needs as well as input to SWIM. The 'task' module was a direct response to a need identified by Banana Shire Council, and other current and planned functionality is a result of direct input from a number of members.
Twenty-eight Queensland and one NSW service provider are currently using the full licensed version of the software with all 76 qldwater members able to use the free (limited) version of swimlocal for their mandatory annual water and sewerage data reporting. The software originally went ‘live’ in November 2012, with the new (free) Annual Data Tool first used for 2014/15 reporting.
The annual license and maintenance price for the software is based on the size of the SP (i.e. number of connections) and can be provided by contacting qldwater at swim@qldwater.com.au. The swimlocal system of pricing is based on a cost recovery model.
There are currently two modules for the fully licensed swimlocal version available:
- Indicators module which allows SPs to manage their indicator data
- Task module which allows SPs to manage their ‘regular’ maintenance tasks
There are four tools which allow SPs to work with these modules:
- Admin tool – creating, editing, removing of users, schemes, sites, categories and indicators
- Annual data tool – entering/editing annual water and sewerage data
- Operations tool – entering/editing operational ‘daily’ data
- Reporting tool – extracting data for internal reporting
Several new modules and additions have been added over the last year, such as:
- An SMS/email alert system for indicators exceedances and missed tasks
- A Web Data Entry Portal which allows data entry directly from mobile devices (i.e. tablets and phones).
We are currently trialling some improvements to the reporting capacity of the system with dashboards and the generation of regular reports being generated by a New Zealand company and accessible via a secure website.
The software essentially works with any computer running Windows.
The swimlocal Licence Fee includes initial training and help with setup, and ongoing technical support (via phone) during working hours to all licensed users. Contact SWIM Manager David Scheltinga on 0415 881 195 or email swim@qldwater.com.au.