Australia Yearbook - 2001

Chapter 14—Environment 583
14.7 COMPLIANCE WITH PHYSICO-CHEMICAL QUALITY STANDARDS, Selected Water
Suppliers—1993–94 and 1997–98
ACTEW, ACT
Brisbane Water, Qld(a)
Hobart Water, Tas.
Melbourne Water, Vic.
Power and Water Authority, NT
South Australian Water, SA
Sydney Water Coporation, NSW
Water Corporation, WA
1993–94(a)
1997–98
80 85 90 95 100
%
(a) Data for Brisbane Water are from 1994–95.
Source: Water Services Association of Australia 1998.
Graphs 14.6 and 14.7 indicate that the quality of
water delivered to homes by these water
suppliers has been maintained or improved, and
is generally of a high standard. In the Australian
Capital Territory a modest decline in compliance
levels with physico-chemical standards was
reported by ACTEW between 1993–94 and
1997–98 (graph 14.7). The Northern Territory
showed a slight decrease (2%) in bacteriological
compliance levels, between 1993–94 and 1997–98
(graph 14.6), while registering a 9% improvement
in compliance levels with physico-chemical
standards (graph 14.7). Compliance with
physico-chemical water quality standards in South
Australia has improved by about 15%
(graph 14.7), with the relatively low compliance
levels achieved in 1993–94 indicative of water
quality problems discussed earlier. The water
quality compliance levels presented here reflect
only two dimensions of service performance by
these suppliers in urban areas. A more complete
picture of urban water services is presented in the
annual publication The Australian Urban Water
Industry (WSAA 1999).
Despite the generally high standards for water
quality delivered by the above water suppliers,
fewer Australian households were drinking their
mains water as their primary source of drinking
water in 1998 compared to 1994 (graph 14.8).
This change coincides with an increase in the
number of Australian households consuming
bottled water as their primary source of drinking
water in 1998.
14.8 CHANGES IN SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER—1994 to 1998
Mains/towns
Rainwater tank
Spring
Bottled
Other
–4 –2 0 2 4
% change
Source: Environmental Issues: People's Views and Practices (4602.0).