Water Quality Awareness 101 8 | P a g e customers before any online monitoring would detect changes to drinking water quality. In effect, anything that is introduced may go undetected and consequently result in water contamination and a risk to public health. Beyond the general advice detailed in Section 1, there are several other activities that may have a detrimental effect on the quality of drinking water within a distribution system. 8.1.1 Issues  Spare pipes left unsealed whilst in storage, with the potential for debris, foreign material and vermin to enter the pipes A simple solution to avoid the entry of contaminants  Insufficient excavation size and/or shoring to prevent soil and contaminants entering open ended pipe sections during pipe laying  The use of non-compliant gaskets and sealants to join pipes together (not compliant with the requirements of AS4020). This could be experienced where there is a difficulty pushing pipe sections together and so a lubricant is introduced to assist the process  Cross contamination from tools, equipment and clothing being used for maintenance or repair work on both drinking water and sewerage systems