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Water Quality Protection Notes

Water Quality Protection Notes are provided for activities that may impact on the quality of the State's water resources.

Water Quality Protection Notes are designed to convey our view on land use activities and water resource protection issues. Our aim is to ensure that the Department's advice is consistent and that land use planning proponents have an understanding of the factors considered when their proposal is assessed.

These notes provide a basis for developing formal best management practice guidelines in consultation with key stakeholders. They are recommendations only, and may be varied at the discretion of the Department.

We welcome your comments and suggestions on these notes. They will be improved as the need arises to make them as useful as possible. Our contact points are nominated in each note.
 
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Adobe Portable Document Format Agriculture - dryland crops near sensitive water resources
Document Size: 205050 bytes
Publish Date: 08-FEB-2006 05:15 PM
This note applies to dryland cropping near sensitive water resources.  
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Aquaculture
Document Size: 115559 bytes
Publish Date: 02-JUL-2006 05:22 PM
This note applies where sensitive water resources (see details in Appendix C) are at risk of contamination from any commercial aquaculture premises that: (a ) propagates or grows aquatic plants, or (b) breeds, grows or holds aquatic animals, including fish, crustaceans, and shellfish.  
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Australian Drinking Water Guidelines: An Overview
Document Size: 105763 bytes
Publish Date: 19-MAY-2008 06:28 AM
This note provides a brief background to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, an overview of their current status and key elements, and explains how departmental staff are involved in implementing these guidelines in Western Australia.  
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Bridle trails near sensitive water resources
Document Size: 116428 bytes
Publish Date: 26-MAY-2008 08:46 AM
Within surface drinking-water catchment areas the riding of horses is only permitted on established public roads or designated trails. This note offers guidance on the potential risks to water resources posed by bridle trails and current best management practice to avoid and/or reduce those risks. 
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Chemical blending
Document Size: 241660 bytes
Publish Date: 09-JAN-2007 05:23 PM
This note applies to all premises or activities where chemicals or chemical products are stored, decanted, blended, diluted or packaged, and the chemicals could cause contamination of water resources in the event of spillage or discharge. 
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Community drinking water sources - protection and management
Document Size: 105916 bytes
Publish Date: 19-JUL-2006 05:24 PM
A community drinking water source is any surface water body or groundwater resource used for domestic drinking water supply needs that is managed by a local group for household (drinking) water supplies. These sources generally serve communities of less than 1,000 people (eg mining camps, Aboriginal communities, caravan parks, roadhouses, farm-stays or other tourism facilities). They are normally located outside of gazetted towns that have government-managed reticulated water services. The resource may be accessed by wells, pumps or reservoirs that collect surface water run-off.  
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Contaminant spills - emergency response
Document Size: 151293 bytes
Publish Date: 10-FEB-2005 05:25 PM
This note applies to any chemical spillage that may pose a threat to aspects of the environment, including human health and amenity.  
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Cooling tower wastewater management and disposal
Document Size: 262835 bytes
Publish Date: 05-NOV-2007 03:27 PM
This note applies to the management and discharge of cooling-tower wastewater from refrigerated or evaporative air-conditioning systems. It has particular relevance to office cooling-tower systems.  
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Dairy processing plants
Document Size: 149021 bytes
Publish Date: 08-DEC-2005 05:26 PM
This note is intended as a generic guide on issues of environmental concern to areas where water resources are susceptible to contamination by dairy processing activities, and to offer potential solutions based on professional judgement and precedent.  
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Dam construction and operation in rural areas
Document Size: 261145 bytes
Publish Date: 18-JAN-2007 05:05 PM
This note describes the range of impacts private water supply dams, which are constructed in rural areas, can have on the State’s water resources. It also recommends how dam owners can minimise the environmental impacts of rural dams. 
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Dewatering of soils at construction sites
Document Size: 119316 bytes
Publish Date: 10-APR-2006 05:26 PM
This note applies to dewatering operations that remove water from groundwater seepage, excavations that intersect aquifers or pits flooded by storm events. Our main purpose is to guide the environmental management of dewatering at construction sites and during the installation of buried structures and services, however aspects may also relate to agricultural land drainage.  
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Extractive industries within public drinking water source areas
Document Size: 143922 bytes
Publish Date: 08-DEC-2005 05:27 PM
These notes apply to the establishment, operation and rehabilitation of extractive industries within Public Drinking Water Source Areas (PDWSAs) across the State. 
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Floriculture activities near sensitive water resources
Document Size: 103624 bytes
Publish Date: 08-JUL-2006 05:28 PM
Floriculture includes all commercially grown flowering and ornamental plants in greenhouse based pots, trays, troughs and contained beds, or in field settings. This note applies to both new and established operations growing plants near sensitive water resources. These resources include public drinking water source areas, conservation valued wetlands and waterways, and aquifers or waters with significant economic, social and/or cultural values.  
 
Adobe Portable Document Format General and heavy industry near sensitive waters
Document Size: 272767 bytes
Publish Date: 09-JAN-2007 05:30 PM
This note applies to general and heavy industrial facilities located near sensitive water resources. It is not intended to cover agricultural and mining activities or light industry, but may offer some useful guidance on potential risks to the environment and good practice. 
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Groundwater monitoring bores
Document Size: 196067 bytes
Publish Date: 08-FEB-2006 05:29 PM
This note applies to construction of screened or slotted casing groundwater monitoring bores. The bores may be installed using a variety of materials/ construction methods suited to their depth, intended use and the local soil strata.  
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Identification, assessment and protection of public drinking water source areas
Document Size: 321015 bytes
Publish Date: 05-NOV-2007 11:56 AM
This note describes the issues and procedures involved in developing drinking water source areas that are used to ensure the availability of safe, good quality drinking water to the Western Australian community. 
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Infrastructure corridors near sensitive water resources
Document Size: 507972 bytes
Publish Date: 22-NOV-2007 03:12 PM
This note applies to all new or upgraded infrastructure corridors and associated works such as access roads and drainage systems, where the development could harm the quality of any sensitive water resources. The note aims to cover all phases of the life cycle of an infrastructure corridor from initial planning and design, through to construction, operation and maintenance, to potential closure. 
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Iron staining caused by irrigation systems
Document Size: 88909 bytes
Publish Date: 08-DEC-2005 05:31 PM
Iron derived from groundwater irrigation systems produces unsightly rust stains on buildings, paths, fences and plants in many areas, especially the Perth coastal plain. This note discusses the causes, ways to minimise staining and measures that can be taken to remove the stains. 
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Irrigation with nutrient rich wastewater
Document Size: 197886 bytes
Publish Date: 08-AUG-2008 05:42 PM
This note covers the controlled sprinkler, dripper or sub-surface irrigation of vegetated land with stabilised nutrient rich wastewater from: (a)industry, such as abattoirs, animal holdings, aquaculture, breweries, and food processors; (b) recycled run-off from agricultural land; and (c)tertiary treated municipal wastewater (sewage) where permitted by health authorities.  
 
Adobe Portable Document Format Laboratories
Document Size: 99436 bytes
Publish Date: 23-JUL-2006 05:43 PM
This note applies to chemical management and waste disposal at all laboratories. It is intended to cover laboratories serving educational institutions; industrial, pathological, and pharmaceutical facilities; photographic processing and commercial analytical laboratories.