Annual Report 2016-2017 Service Area
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Annual Report 2016-2017 Service Area Water District Lakes Barwon Water reservoir Special water supply catchment Water channel/pipelines Main sewer Water service basin/tank Water treatment plant Groundwater production bores Water reclamation plants Sewer Flow Management Facility Recycled Water Plant Recycled water tank Recycled water pipeline Outfall 02 | Barwon Water Annual Report 2016-17 Contents Part 1 – Year in review 4 Part 4 – Corporate information 35 About us 5 Organisational structure 36 At a glance 7 Board committees 37 Message from the Chair and Managing Director 8 Board Directors 38 Summary of financial results 10 Employment data 40 Health, Safety and Wellbeing 43 Part 2 – Water consumption 13 Safety, Quality and Environment 44 Water consumption report 14 Access to information 45 Corporate water consumption 16 Other Acts 46 Major non-residential water users 16 Applicable policies 46 Part 3 – Environmental and social sustainability 17 Part 5 – Performance report 48 Environmental sustainability 18 Part 6 – Financial statements 57 • Sustainable water use 18 • Community engagement 21 Part 7 – Disclosure index 109 • Drought Response Plan 22 • Drinking water quality 22 • Environmental flows 22 • Other statutory obligations 23 Water District • Carbon emissions 25 Lakes • Bulk entitlement reporting 27 Barwon Water reservoir Social sustainability 33 Special water supply catchment • Customer Consultative Committee report 33 Water channel/pipelines Main sewer • Community Service Obligations 33 Water service basin/tank Water treatment plant Groundwater production bores Water reclamation plants Sewer Flow Management Facility Recycled Water Plant Recycled water tank Recycled water pipeline Outfall Part 1: Year in review 04 | Barwon Water Annual Report 2016-17 Part 1: Year in review Responsible Body Declaration We service a community of more than the economic, social and environmental 300,000 permanent residents over 8,100 dimensions of regional prosperity: In accordance with the Financial square kilometres. Over the holiday period, Management Act 1994, I am pleased to the serviced population can reach up to • Economic – enabling a strong and present Barwon Water’s Annual Report for 510,000 people. diverse business sector through support, the year ending June 30, 2017. partnerships and entrepreneurship, As a major employer in the region, we have to create new models for commercial more than 300 highly skilled employees ventures with Aboriginal and other from a diverse range of disciplines, including community groups, as well as small and Jo Plummer operations, engineering, strategic planning, large businesses. Chair finance and administration. In addition, Barwon Water’s expenditure in the region • Social – our water services underpin the health of our communities and About us creates additional external employment opportunities. It is estimated Barwon Water’s liveability of our cities and towns. We Barwon Water (Barwon Region Water annual capital and operating expenditure leverage the social value from the Corporation) is Victoria’s largest regional sustains an additional 120 full time equivalent services we provide by becoming a major urban water corporation. Its history dates jobs. vehicle for community connectedness, back to the establishment of the Geelong building linkages and understanding and Municipal Waterworks Trust in 1908. Building on our core business success, responding to the community’s views. we have entered a new phase in the Barwon Water was constituted in February, organisation’s history. Recognising the • Environmental – we build on our position 1994. For the 2016-17 reporting period, challenges of climate change, population as an environmental leader by an ethic Barwon Water operated as a statutory growth, rapid technological advancement of caring for country and protecting the corporation under the Water Act 1989. and economic transition, we are shifting our natural assets upon which we all depend. mindset from water utility to being a leader Barwon Water has more than 110 years of • Cultural – benefiting from diversity, of the region’s prosperity. experience in providing excellence in water, including enhancing Aboriginal values. sewer and recycled water services to its Our water and sewerage services underpin customers and the community. Our region Water sources Due to low storage levels, the Melbourne- Geelong pipeline and Barwon Downs Our region of responsibility stretches from The Greater Geelong region’s water is borefield continued to supplement surface Little River and the Bellarine Peninsula in the supplied by three major surface water water supplies for the Greater Geelong east to Colac in the west, and from Meredith sources – the Barwon River and its region in the first half of 2016-17. The and Cressy in the north to Apollo Bay on tributaries, East Moorabool River and Melbourne-Geelong pipeline sources water Victoria’s south-west coast. West Moorabool River, and from two allocated to Barwon Water from the Greater underground aquifers. Barwon Water also Yarra system – Thomson River pool. These The City of Greater Geelong, Borough of has a bulk entitlement to take and use water alternative water supplies were turned off in Queenscliffe, Surf Coast and Colac Otway through the Melbourne bulk transfer system late 2016 as spring rainfall recovered storage shires and part of Golden Plains Shire are allocated from the Greater Yarra system – levels. incorporated into our service area. Thomson River pool. Supplies in the Colac and Otway regions Assets The Barwon River system, from its Otway are drawn from five separate sources, all • 12 major reservoirs Ranges catchment, typically supplies 80 per located in the forested catchments of the • 8 water treatment plants cent of the water for Geelong, the Bellarine Otway Ranges. The Colac system provides Peninsula and Surf Coast via Wurdee Boluc • 2 water pre-treatment plants water to urban and rural districts extending Reservoir and Water Treatment Plant. The • 11 water reclamation plants as far north as Cressy. The pipeline that balance is supplied from catchments on • 2 Class A recycled water plants interconnects the Colac system to the the Moorabool River system, which provide Geelong system was under construction • 2 groundwater fields water to the Moorabool Water Treatment during 2016-17, with commissioning aimed to • 240 pumping stations Plant at She Oaks, north of Lethbridge. be complete in early 2017-18. (49 water, 191 sewerage) The Moorabool system also provides water • 20 water basins to Bannockburn, Gheringhap, Teesdale, Gellibrand, Apollo Bay/Skenes Creek and • 40 water tanks Shelford, Meredith and Inverleigh. Lorne have their own supply systems. • 6,729 kilometres of pipes Barwon Water Annual Report 2016-17 | 05 Part 1: Year in review Water customers The natural gas-fuelled drying process begins by seeding wet biosolids with dry Domestic customers comprise 92 per cent Strategy 2030 biosolids pellets. The mixture is raked across of our customer base, with the industrial Barwon Water is proud of its long history a succession of heated plates until it dries and commercial sectors accounting for the of delivering safe and reliable water and and forms into larger pellets. remaining 8 per cent. Approximately 29 per wastewater services. Our vision and mission cent of metered consumption is attributed In 2016-17, Barwon Water received 53,334 have been strongly tied to the safe and to non-domestic customers. tonnes of wet biosolids and produced 7,510 environmentally responsible delivery of tonnes of dried biosolids product which is services. Water reclamation plants used as a commercial fertiliser product. Barwon Water has 11 water reclamation This commitment to service delivery has plants, 10 of which are governed by The pellets meet the highest standards set been the source of our strength for more Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) by the Environment Protection Authority than 100 years. We continue to meet our Victoria licensing requirements. Black Rock, (EPA). service standards, we have secure water Anglesea, Apollo Bay and Lorne plants sources, strong financials and efficient, release water through ocean outfalls. Plants Future growth reliable systems. However, we also know at Aireys Inlet, Bannockburn, Portarlington, Over the next five years, Barwon Water will we are more than a service delivery Birregurra and Winchelsea are land-based commit $371 million to capital works. This organisation to our customers. We know systems. Water from the Colac facility is will ensure the completion of a number we play a significant role in the prosperity released into Lake Colac. The Northern of significant projects that will guarantee of the region and the wellbeing of our Water Plant is an advanced recycled water delivery of services in an efficient, cost- community. facility that supplies Class A recycled water effective and environmentally responsible By leveraging the intrinsic value of the for industrial use in Geelong’s northern manner, and provide the capacity to meet services we provide, we think there is suburbs. future growth and development. further scope to explore and realise new Recycled water Corporate Governance opportunities to benefit the regional community. Maximising use of our main waste stream, Barwon Water is established under the Water recycled water, from our water reclamation Act 1989. The responsible Minister for the Vision: A prosperous region plants is a key priority. In doing this we period from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017,