The Pipeline - Issue one - Yarra Valley Water

The Pipeline
Issue One April 2006
A Melbourne Retail Water Agency
Newsletter for Property Developers,
Consultants and Contractors
Welcome………
This is the first edition of ‘The Pipeline’, a bi-annual newsletter, which has been
designed to provide you with an update on the latest industry developments,
issues and news.
‘The Pipeline’ is a joint Melbourne Retail Water Agency (MRWA) initiative and is
available at all three MRWA websites (click on the logo links below).
Importantly, we are also looking for your involvement in future editions and invite your
input on any issue you may like to be addressed, or if you have any suggestions on how
we can further improve ‘The Pipeline’.
We hope that you find this issue informative and that you subscribe to future editions.
What’s New & Changed
Standards Update
WSAA Codes – Minor Amendments
The MRWA’s Edition of the Water Services
Association of Australia (WSAA), Water
Supply and Sewerage Codes have been in
place for some 12 months.
These Codes are being reviewed by the
MRWA’s to ensure that they are up to date.
Once completed, details of changes and
minor amendments will be forwarded to
organisations that have registered with
WSAA as a Code subscriber.
Tip:
Make sure you register with WSAA by
simply filling in the subscription form when
purchasing each Code.
Maintenance Hole Ladder Brackets
Property developers, consultants and
contractors are reminded that ladder
brackets are to be installed flush against the
curved walls of the Maintenance Hole.
Appropriately angled brackets are available
from suppliers. However, it is suggested
that care be taken when ordering brackets.
This is to ensure that the supplier knows
what they are intended to be used for so
that the correct angled bracket is supplied.
Note:
90º brackets stand proud of the
Maintenance Hole wall and are therefore
not acceptable.
Use of Maintenance Shafts
The MRWA’s are keen to promote the use
of Maintenance Shafts within the
sewerage system.
Maintenance Shafts (MS) are designed to
be used as an alternative to sewer
Maintenance Holes (MH) and have the
potential to reduce cost to the developer,
reduce OH&S construction risks to
contractors and minimise entry into live
sewers.
Details of the design principles, approved
products and materials and installation
arrangements are defined in the MRWA
Edition of the WSAA Sewerage Code
(WSA 02-2002).
Note:
The MRWA’s are currently preparing a
Technical Note for MS design and
installation guidelines. This is being
developed to encourage the use of MS
in sewer reticulation works, especially in
new developments. Once completed it
will be made available to industry.
See also
City West Water demonstration project
www.citywestwater.com.au
…… continued next page
In this Issue
Standards Update
• WSAA Codes
• Maintenance Hole
Ladder Brackets
• Use of Maintenance Shafts
• Quarry Products
• Water Quality in Court Bowls
• Valving Within Shared Trenches
• Approved Products Catalogues
• Auditing Checklists
• Backfill Specification
• Improving Maintenance Hole
Table Design and Construction
• Welding Specifications
Standards Alert
• Dual Water Standards
Safety Alerts
• Compliance with the New OH&S
Act 2004
• Stringing Pipes Along Roadways
•Electrification of Metallic
Water Pipes
Coming Events
Training/Workshops
Disinfection of Water Mains
The MWRA’s, together with the
Water Industry Training Centre at
Deakin University, Belmont have
established an accredited
contractor training course for the
Disinfection of Water Mains.
Currently, there is limited access
to approved contractors to carry
out disinfection of water mains.
Any contractor interested in
undertaking this activity is
encouraged to sign up for the
course, as only accredited
personnel will be able to carry
out these works in the near
future. Contact your nearest
MWRA (see back page) for
details of the course.

The Pipeline
What’s New & Changed
…continued
Quarry Products
Since 1995, all suppliers of quarry
products, which includes embedment
sand, have been required to have ISO
accreditation.
Tip:
When ordering quarry products remember
that the current WSAA Purchase
Specifications, requires suppliers to have
ISO 9001 accreditation.
Water Quality in Court Bowls
The MRWA Edition of the WSAA Water
Code includes a standard drawing for
court bowl installations (WAT-1121-M).
Detail C of the Code specifies the MRWA’s
requirements for connecting the 100mm
main to a courts 63mm/50mm diameter
pipe.This detail has been introduced to
minimise the possible build-up of silt within
water mains and associated water quality
issues within court bowls.
Alert:
Note 11 on this drawing includes an
error. The MRWA’s require all
sub-mains to terminate in a flushing
assembly regardless of diameter.
Valving Within Shared Trenches
The MRWA’s Edition of the WSAA
Water Supply Code includes a slight
change to past practice to valves
installed within shared trenches.
An extract from Section 4.4 of the Code
states - (h) valve types, that only FL-FL
valves are permitted in shared trenching
conditions (socketed or spigotted valves
are not permitted).
The adopted change has been
introduced to ensure that valving
installed within wider than normal
trenches will not leak or move when
opened or closed during normal
operations and maintenance.
Note:
Any request for concession should be
referred to the MRWA’s prior to any
installation proceeding.
Approved Products Catalogues
Each of the MRWA’s maintain their own
Approved Products Catalogues. These
catalogues are periodically and
independently revised by each of the
MWRA’s. Each of the MWRA’s will inform
the Consulting Engineers and the Civil
Contractors Federation when this occurs.
Tip:
All contractors and consultants are
encouraged to familiarise themselves with
these lists, which are available at each of
the MWRA’s websites.
Auditing Checklists
The MRWA’s have recently revised their
own Water Supply and Sewer Design
Construction Checklists. This is to ensure
that they are consistent with the MRWA
edition of the WSAA Water Supply and
Sewerage Codes.
Copies of Checklists are available at each
of the MRWA’s websites.
Standard Alert
Dual Water Supply Systems
Supplement to Water Supply
Code of Australia
(MRWA Edition WSA 03-2002-2.3)
The first edition of the Dual Water
Supply System Supplement for the
design and construction of dual
water systems has now been
published by the WSAA.
However, the supplement does not
address all of the MRWA’s
requirements. Consequently, the
MRWA’s have revised this
supplement to communicate
differences between local practice
and generally accepted norms for
the water industry as presented by
WSAA.
Note:
The document is currently being
circulated for comment by industry.
Backfill Specification
The independent review of the Backfill Specification has been completed after
consultation with the Urban Development Institute of Victoria (UDIV) and the
Association of the Land Development Engineers. This review also incorporates
the recent views of the consultant engaged by the UDIV.
At the recent Water Industry Liaison Committee meeting, it was agreed that all
projects under construction on or after 1 September 2006 shall be backfilled in
accordance this MWRA specification
Improving Maintenance Hole Table Design/Construction
A lack of table design is resulting in the construction of Maintenance Holes that
do not meet current standards across new developments.
Designers are encouraged to raise the standard of Maintenance Hole table
design and construction by considering minimum table widths and channel radii,
the possible offset of maintenance holes and/or upsizing them where
necessary.
The construction of Maintenance Hole tables could be further improved in some
instances. Contractors are reminded to be aware of “dummy” channels, the
shape and direction of channels and minimum channel radii when constructing
Maintenance Hole tables. Channels are to be formed with polystyrene blocks
and not formed by hand.
Welding Specifications
The MRWA’s are currently developing a new welding specification. Watch
out, as this is likely to be finalised within the next few months and will be
distributed to industry once completed.

The Pipeline
Safety Alerts
Compliance with the New
Occupational Health and Safety
(OH&S) Act, 2004
All designers, contractor
superintendents and project managers
should familerise themselves with the
requirements of the new OH&S Act
2004, which came into force on 1 July
2005.
The MRWA’s have adopted policies,
processes and practices to manage
compliance with this legislation. In
addition, the MRWA’s have an
obligation to ensure that all parties
associated with any works that will
ultimately be operated and/or
maintained by the MRWA’s fulfil these
new obligations.
Over the past four years the MRWA’s
have recorded OH&S compliance and
have identified several potential areas
of improvement in consultant/contractor
OH&S process and practice.
As a result, strategies are being
developed to audit, monitor and report
on consultant design/project
management and contractor installation
performance against the defined OH&S
regulations and requirements.
This process is expected to manifest itself
through the review of adopted consultant
and contractor systems.
The intent of this approach is focused
primarily on defining OH&S opportunities
for improvement.
However, it should be noted that
significant breaches of the legislative
requirements and regulations will incur
corrective actions, and organisations not
able to demonstrate process improvement
will be the focus of future auditing.
Further information regarding the new
OH&S Act 2004 can be obtained from
the Worksafe website at:
www.worksafe.vic.gov.au
Stringing Pipes Along Roadways
It has recently been reported that during
construction of a Hunter Water (NSW)
water main a vehicle struck a ductile iron
(DI) pipe, which had been previously laid
out along the roadway.
This is an important reminder to ensure
that appropriate safety measures and
procedures are in place when stringing
pipes along roadways.
Electrification of Metallic Water
Pipes
In January 2005, a water industry
employee died after receiving an electric
shock during repairs on a main to meter
water service.
In March 2005, a water industry employee
sustained minor injuries after receiving an
electric shock when a clamp device was
mistakenly applied to a power service.
These are not isolated incidents but
highlight the need for maintaining
vigilance when working with metallic
pipes.
In response, Safety Alerts highlighting
the potential hazard for Electrocution
from Work on Metallic Pipes have
been issued.
The Alert defines a list of minimum
requirements for anyone working on
MWRA metallic pipes connecting -
properties or up to 300 mm in
diameter.
The Alert is relevant to all contractors
and developers conducting water
main to meter repairs and
replacement or maintenance activities
on existing metallic pipes. It is critical
that all contractors and developers
review work procedures and adopt
the measures outlined in the Safety
Alert as minimum requirements.
Further Information
City West Water: Carl Radford
Tel: (03) 9313 8592
Email: cradford@citywestwater.com.au
Web: www.citywestwater.com.au
South East Water: David Moore
Tel: (03) 9552 3651
Email: david.moore@sewl.com.au
Web: www.southeastwater.com.au
Yarra Valley Water : Kevin Dawson
Tel: (03) 9872 1474
Email: kevin.dawson@yvw.com.au
Web:www.yvw.com.au
Next Issue
To make sure that you receive your
next issue of ‘The Pipeline’ why not
sign-up to receive it directly to your
home computer.
To register or for further information
email:
thepipeline@sewl.com.au
Privacy…please
Please use the following links to
view the various MWRA’s privacy
policies:
City West Water:
South East Water:
Yarra Valley Water: