waterMAP program
Water Management Action Plan (waterMAP)
Victoria’s water supplies are under pressure. Drought and the uncertainty surrounding climate change, as well as population growth, have increased the pressure on Victoria’s water storages.  To ensure a secure and reliable water supply for Victoria, the government has developed a holistic approach for urban water management and has set targets to reduce potable water consumption.
To meet water conservation targets, the Victorian Government requires major industrial, commercial and institutional water-using customers that consume more than 10Â megalitres (10 million litres) of water from an urban water supply in a financial year to:
1. Develop a water Management Action Plan (waterMAP) by:
- Assessing their current water use
- Identifying inefficiencies and opportunities for water savings
- Prepare and submit an action plan to implement water conservation and efficiency actions identified
2. Report annually on implementation of water conservation and efficiency actions
These tasks are conditions outlined in the Victorian Water Corporation’s Permanent Water Savings Plan (PWSP’s) created under the Water Act 1989 and Water Industry Act 1993 and are therefore mandatory. The mandatory process requires industrial, commercial and institutional customers to complete a series of seven templates and submit these to their water corporation, i.e. North East Water.
History of the waterMAP Program
On 24 July 2007, the Victorian Government announced that non-residential water users that use at least 10 megalitres of potable water, at any one site in a financial year, would be required to develop and submit a waterMAP to their water corporation. The aim of the waterMAP program is to highlight where water is used on a site and then find ways of reducing the potable water consumption. The government aims to decrease usage within the sector by 10% across the state. Â
In the first round of the program (based on consumption figures for 2006-07), North East Water had 68 sites trigger the 10 megalitre threshold. Of these, a total of 57 submitted a waterMAP and the remaining 11 were granted an exemption from the program for various reasons.
Total water usage for 2007/08 for waterMAP customers decreased by 23.9% or 651 megalitres, but across the state of Victoria the total savings were over 10,000 megalitres or 8.4%.
In the second round of the program (based on consumption figures for 2007-08), North East Water had 52 sites trigger the 10 megalitre threshold, but only eight of these sites were new to the program. Seven of these sites were required to submit a waterMAP and one site was granted an exemption from the program. Water usage decreased within the sector by a further 16.6% or 430 megalitres for North East Water customers.
Potable water usage for the 2008/09 year decreased by a further 16.6% or 430 megalitres for North East Water customers. The total savings across Victoria were 4,070 megalitres or an 4.7% reduction on the previous year.
How long does a site remain in the waterMAP program?
Sites that trigger the 10 megalitre threshold must complete templates 1 – 5 of the waterMAP handbook and send these to their water corporation. Should the site use more than 10 megalitres in the following year, then they must complete templates 6 and 7 of the handbook and send these to their water corporation. If the site uses less than 10 megalitres, then they do not need to report to the water corporation and are now exempt from the program.
Why target non-residential customers who use more than 10 megalitres?
In 2008-09, non-residential customers at North East Water accounted for 36% of the total water consumption. Those customers that triggered the 10 megalitre threshold accounted for 52% of the usage within the non-residential sector or 55 customers.
The graphs below illustrate the breakdown of customers and consumption as defined by the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) coding system within each sector. North East Water must report annually to the Department of Sustainability and Environment on the amount of water used for each of the customers as defined by the ANZSIC coding system.
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How do you prepare a waterMAP?
In the first and second rounds of the program, participants were required to complete templates 1 – 5 of the waterMAP handbook and send them to North East Water before 31 December of that year. Templates 6 and 7 would then need to be submitted before 30 September the following year should the site consume more and 10 megalitres year.
The above method of manually submitting a waterMAP is still acceptable but the preferred option is to now use the online system. The online waterMAP program is now used by over 800 sites throughout Victoria. The major benefit of the online system is that it enables participants to gain access to their waterMAPs and provide updates so that the action plans and information remains current.
Other benefits of completing your waterMAP online include:
- Your water consumption data automatically loads into the template
- You can view your water use history graphically
- An online help function is available to guide you through the waterMAP template
- You may enter and leave the secure environment as required and data will be saved in the system for future use  and
- A PDF version of your waterMAP can be generated for use within your business
To access the online reporting tool, click on the link at the top of the page and follow the prompts.Â
If you do not wish to or are unable to access the website portal to submit your waterMAP online please find below word documents that you can use to complete your waterMAP.
Contact
If you have any questions or would like any assistance with the waterMAP program including the online tool or to arrange a North East Water representative to visit your business, please contact Michael Sinclair msinclair@nerwa.vic.gov.au on (02) 6022 0573 or Alister Laidlaw alaidlaw@nerwa.vic.gov.au on (02) 6022 0556.