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CHRISTMAS ISLAND, INDIAN OCEAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN Prepared for GHD Pty Ltd and Christmas Island Administration by Tony Falkland ACTEW Corporation Ltd and Rod Usback Sustainable Environmental Solutions Pty Ltd October 1999 Christmas Island – Water Management Plan, November 1999 page i CHRISTMAS ISLAND, INDIAN OCEAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN Prepared for GHD Pty Ltd and Christmas Island Administration by Tony Falkland ACTEW Corporation Ltd and Rod Usback Sustainable Environmental Solutions Pty Ltd November 1999 Christmas Island – Water Management Plan, November 1999 page ii Table of Contents Table of Contents ii List of Annexes v List of Tables v List of Figures v Abbreviations vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 Introduction 1 Summary and Conclusions 1 Recommendations 8 Action Plan 12 1. INTRODUCTION 13 1.1 Overview 13 1.2 Background 13 1.3 Structure of the Plan 15 2. LEGISLATION 16 2.1 Requirements of the Brief 16 2.2 Introduction 16 2.3 Present Laws Relevant to Water on Christmas Island 16 2.4 Directions and Requirements 17 3. ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS 19 3.1 Requirements of the Brief 19 3.2 Broader Directions and Context 19 3.3 Current Administrative Arrangements 19 3.4 Water Supply Authority Options for Christmas Island 20 3.5 Formal Transfer of Water Supply Function – Need for MOU 21 4. GROUNDWATER INVESTIGATIONS AND MONITORING 23 4.1 Requirements of the Brief 23 4.2 Introduction 23 4.3 Drilling and Testing Program 23 4.3.1 Water resources monitoring boreholes 23 4.3.2 Pollution monitoring boreholes 24 4.4 Groundwater Recharge Assessment 25 4.5 Satellite Imagery Study for Coastal Outflows 25 4.6 Rainfall-flow model for springs & Jedda Cave 26 4.7 Aquifer Classification and Vulnerability 26 4.7.1 Aquifer classification 26 4.7.2 Vulnerability map 28 4.8 Water Monitoring Program 28 4.8.1 During the project 28 4.8.2 Ongoing monitoring program 28 4.8.3 Costs for ongoing monitoring 32 5. GROUNDWATER QUALITY STANDARDS 34 5.1 Requirements of the Brief 34 Christmas Island – Water Management Plan, November 1999 page iii 5.2 Classes of Water 34 5.3 Water for Drinking Purposes 34 5.3.1 Salinity 34 5.3.2 Hardness 34 5.3.3 Other physical and chemical quality parameters 35 5.3.4 Chemical pollutants 35 5.3.5 Microbiology 35 5.4 Water for other purposes 35 6. GROUNDWATER DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS 37 6.1 Requirements of the Brief 37 6.2 Presently Developed Sources 37 6.2.1 Outline 37 6.2.2 Possible threats to flow and water quality 37 6.3 Options for Increasing Water Supply 37 6.4 Analysis of Groundwater Development Options 38 6.4.1 Improve Waterfall Spring collection system 38 6.4.2 Improve Freshwater and Jones Spring collection systems 39 6.4.3 Smithson Bight borehole network 39 6.4.4 Daniel Roux Cave ‘gusher’ 40 6.5 Demand Management and Leakage Control Program 40 6.5.1 Overview 40 6.5.2 Current demand and system losses 42 6.5.3 Future demand management 44 6.6 Rainwater collection 44 6.7 Desalination 45 6.8 Summary of Options 45 6.9 Preferred Options and Priorities 46 7. WATER ALLOCATION AND CHARGING POLICY 48 7.1 Requirements of the Brief 48 7.2 Introduction 48 7.3 Water Allocation 48 7.4 Water Resources Investigations and Assessment 49 7.5 Environmental Needs 49 7.6 Licensing for Public Water Supply and Demand Management 49 7.7 Licensing for Private Water Use 50 7.8 Pricing Policy and Water Charging Arrangements 51 7.8.1 Background and context 51 7.8.2 Present situation on Christmas Island 51 7.8.3 Water costs - the level of subsidisation 52 7.8.4 Operating costs and system water loss 53 7.8.5 Water charging scenarios and implications for consumers 54 8. GROUNDWATER PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS 60 8.1 Requirements of the Brief 60 8.2 Introduction 60 8.3 Sources of Pollution 60 8.4 Investigations and Discussions 61 8.5 Requirements for Adequate Groundwater Protection 61 8.5.1 Land use planning 61 8.5.2 Waste management 62 8.5.3 Ongoing monitoring 62 8.5.4 Future waste disposal sites 63 9. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND AWARENESS 64 9.1 Requirements of the Brief 64 Christmas Island – Water Management Plan, November 1999 page iv 9.2 Introduction 64 9.3 Community Consultation Efforts 64 9.3.1 Christmas Island Social Worker 68 9.3.2 Australian Mahayana Buddhist Society 69 9.3.3 Ba’hai Group 69 9.3.4 Christmas Island Chamber of Commerce 69 9.3.5 Christmas Island Phosphates 70 9.3.6 Islamic Council 70 9.4 Ongoing Consultation and Education 70 9.4.1 Context 70 9.4.2 Approach 70 10. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 72 10.1 Conclusions 72 10.2 Recommendations 79 11. ACTION PLAN 83 12. REFERENCES 85 13. ANNEXES 87 Photographs on Front Cover: Top Left: Flow in Jedda Cave, gauge board to right and weir to left Top Right: Jedda pump station Bottom Left: George Fam storage tank Bottom Right: Waterfall at Dales Christmas Island – Water Management Plan, November 1999 page v List of Annexes A. Project Brief 84 B. Discussion Paper - “Christmas Island Water Management - Issues for Community Discussion” 86 C. Leaflet - “Christmas Island Water Management - Summary of Issues for Community Discussion” in 3 languages (English, Chinese and Malay) 91 List of Tables 1. Summary of freshwater conditions at water resources monitoring boreholes 24 2. Summary of options for increasing freshwater supply 43 3. Consumption tariffs for Western Australia North 1998 52 4. Annual water consumption costs based on various charging models 52 5. Summary of charging models examined and associated outcomes 54 6. Action Plan 79 List of Figures 1. Christmas Island showing main features, key water sources and monitoring boreholes 14 2. Christmas Island aquifer classification map 29 3. Christmas Island aquifer vulnerability map 30 4. Christmas Island water supply balance, 1998 39 5. Water consumption curves for residential, commercial and public categories 49 6. Annual revenues for the three water consumption scenarios 55 Christmas Island – Water Management Plan, November 1999 page vi Abbreviations ACTEW ACTEW Corporation (formerly ACT Electricity and Water) Administration Christmas Island Administration APSA Asia Pacific Space Centre ARMCANZ Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand Asap As soon as possible bgl below ground level BoM Bureau of Meteorology CEO Chief Executive Officer CIP Christmas Island Phosphates (Mining Company) CIR Christmas Island Resort COAG Council of Australian Governments CSO community service obligation DOEH Department of the Environment and Heritage DTRS Department of Transport and Regional Services (formerly the Department of Transport and Regional Development) EC electrical conductivity (a measure of salinity) EIS Environmental Impact Statement ESD ecologically sustainable development GHD Gutteridge Haskins and Davey Pty Ltd GIM groundwater investigations and monitoring IOT Indian Ocean Territories kL kilolitre (= one thousand litres) L litres L/p/d litres per person per day L/s litres per second m metres ML megalitres (= one million litres) MOU Memorandum of Understanding MSL mean sea level OSS Office of the Supervising Scientist (DOEH) PMCI Phosphate Mining Corporation of Christmas Island (before CIP) RL reduced level (by survey) Shire Shire of Christmas Island SKM Sinclair Knight Merz SMB salinity monitoring borehole WA Western Australia WMP Water Management Plan WSI Water Source Improvements mS/cm microsiemens per centimetre (unit of electrical conductivity, and used as an indicator of salinity) Christmas Island – Water Management Plan, November 1999 page 1 Executive Summary Introduction The objective of this report is to present a Plan for the management of water on Christmas Island. The Christmas Island Water Management Plan (WMP) is the culmination of 3 years of work which, importantly, has included an extensive period of water resources investigations and monitoring at key sites. In addition, the work has involved interaction with key stakeholders, consumers and the Christmas Island community to determine issues, views and water usage habits. The water supply situation on the island has been reviewed and considered in the context of directions being followed under the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) national water reform agenda. This WMP should be viewed as part of an ongoing water management process on the island. It is not a static plan but one which should be reviewed, adjusted and updated as circumstances change and new information becomes available. It is recommended that the WMP be formally updated as a written document at intervals of approximately 5 years. Full details of the project brief for this WMP are given in Annex A. A significant part of the WMP project was a Groundwater Investigations and Monitoring (GIM) Program including a major groundwater drilling component. This was required to better assess the groundwater potential of the island and its vulnerability to contamination. Details of each component of the GIM Program are presented in the accompanying GIM Report (ACTEW, 1999) and a summary is contained in this Plan. The information gained from the GIM Program has been integrated in this Plan. Summary and Conclusions Legislation The principal laws relating to the management of groundwater and provision of water supply services on Christmas Island are: the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 (WA) (CI); the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA) (CI); and the Services and Utilities Ordinance 1996 (CI). Under the existing arrangements on Christmas Island, aside from the possible need for additional regulations, legislation is considered sufficient to achieve the basic objectives for provision of water services. However, present arrangements are unsatisfactory due to the inadequate separation of the basic functions of water resource management and protection, supply service provision and price-setting.
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