Flipbook

Water Quality Awareness 101 4 | P a g e 5.1.1 Issues  Direct entry of faecal material into the treated drinking water supply  Lack of personal hygiene  Wearing boots and clothing that were worn whilst working on or near sewerage systems without suitable cleaning and disinfection protocols being applied prior to working on drinking water systems  Not washing hands between working on sewerage systems and then drinking water systems  Using tools and equipment that were previously used on sewerage system works, then on a drinking water system without suitable cleaning and disinfection protocols prior to use 5.1.2 Solutions Design Considerations:  Use only materials that are designed for use in drinking water systems  Ensure all substances in contact with the water comply with AS/NZS 4020:2005 - Testing of products for use in contact with drinking water  For dual reticulation systems (drinking water and recycled water), ensure that the pipe work is correctly colour coded to eliminate potential cross connections (blue for drinking water or purple for recycled water)  Ensure adequate labelling on pipework to minimise potential cross connections  Ensure untreated water cannot enter treated water storages through ill-fitting, poorly designed or poorly maintained structures  Ensure backflow prevention devices are in place and are regularly serviced Operational Considerations:  Wherever possible prioritise work on drinking water systems prior to work on wastewater or recycled water systems  Wash and/or disinfect contaminated clothing and equipment before working on or around drinking water systems and assets  Do not isolate or shut down treatment facilities or plant sections without authorisation (e.g. operate valves or interrupt power supplies)  Test conductivity of the water in the main under repair if unsure whether it contains drinking water or recycled water (for Class A recycled water schemes only). Recycled water will give a higher conductivity reading  Test for disinfectant (chlorine) levels of mains if unsure which is the raw water (for raw water systems only)