Recycled water management

Water Services Licensing Act 1995
Creates the regulatory regime for sewerage service providers administered by the Economic Regulation Authority.

Health Act 1911
Relates to the regulation of activities and the provision of services relating to public health. It provides for the development of codes of practice.

Environmental Protection Act 1986
Establishes the Environmental Protection Authority. It also provides for the prevention, control and abatement of pollution and environmental harm and for the conservation, preservation, protection, enhancement and management of the environment. Many of these responsibilities are also delegated to local governments.

Minister for Water
Has responsibility for the Department of Water, Water Corporation, Busselton Water Board and Aqwest (Bunbury Water Board).
The Minister is the price regulator for water services and has responsibility for sewerage service policy. The Minister has price regulation and major works approval responsibilities under the Water Agencies Powers Act 1984.
The Minister is supported by the Department of Water.

Minister for Health
Has overall responsibility for the provision of health related services in Western Australia. The Minister for Health is supported by the Department of Health.
In this role the Minister is responsible for the preparation of guidelines and policies relating to water reuse.

Minister for Environment
Has responsibility for the protection of Western Australia’s environment through the administration and enforcement of the Environment Protection Act 1997. The Minister is supported by Department of Environment and Conservation.

Department of Water
Has prime responsibility for water resource planning, management and regulation, and administration of water entitlements and water rights in Western Australia. The Department of Water also produces water resource policy and undertakes investigations and assessment. It supports the Minister for Water by developing sewerage service policy.

The Economic Regulation Authority licences the provision of water services, including the supply of recycled water, under the Water Services Licensing Act 1995.

Department of Health
State government agency with responsibility for the provision of health services to Western Australia’s population. The department’s responsibilities include the administration and enforcement of the Health Act 1911.

Environmental Protection Authority
Independent statutory authority with the broad objective of protecting Western Australia’s environment. The authority consists of five members and is supported by the Department of Environment and Conservation under a service level agreement. The authority provides environmental advice to the Minister, prepares environmental protection policies and state environment policies under the Environmental Protection Act 1986, and provides public statements about matters of environmental importance.

State water recycling strategy
The state government, in partnership with stakeholders, has developed the State water recycling strategy to explore and determine how recycled water can be safely incorporated across the range of water-use sectors. 

Water services licences
Recycled water providers need to hold a water services operating licence issued under the Water Services Licensing Act 1995.

Draft recycled water - groundwater recharge guidelines
Released in 2005, these guidelines consider water recycling through a groundwater system acceptable for non-drinking use after treatment to an appropriate standard. It includes a number of other requirements relating to monitoring, risk management and plumbing controls.

Code of practiice for the reuse of greywater in WA 
A statutory document produced by the Department of Health under the Health Act 1911 governing grey water reuse on gardens. The code sets minimum design and installation standards and procedures for greywater reuse systems to protect public health and the quality of surface water and groundwater sources.

Environmental impact assessments
The Environmental Protection Act 1986 Part IV provides the legislative framework for the environmental impact assessment process. Under this process, the EPA looks at statutory planning schemes and development proposals to assess their likely impacts on the environment. If the impacts are likely to be significant then the EPA provides advice to the Minister for the Environment on whether the proposal or scheme should be allowed to proceed and, if so, under what conditions to ensure that the environment is protected.

Works approvals and licences
The Department of Environment and Conservation grants works approvals to ensure that potential adverse environmental impacts of a proposal are properly assessed and are prevented or minimised during construction and operation of works. The purpose of an industry licence is to manage discharges which require ongoing management, monitoring and reporting to ensure that impact on the environment is acceptable.

Sewerage service providers
The Water Corporation is the major provider of sewerage services in Western Australia. There are also a number of local government providers of sewerage services, the largest of which is the City of Kalgoorlie Boulder.