Urban water risk assessment project

The project will evaluate risks to water quality, water security and water and sewerage service delivery for all providers (mostly local governments) outside of South-East Queensland. The stakeholders include:

• individual local government water, sewerage service providers
• industry
• peak bodies
• government agencies
• First Nations communities.

We will work with all stakeholders to document gaps, create plans for improvements, and monitor progress. This work will support remote and regional communities with improved water and sewerage services.

Queenslanders should enjoy access to safe, reliable and secure drinking water. The infrastructure that delivers this is not a ‘set-and-forget’ system and requires maintenance, upgrades and training for operators.

Project timeline

The Urban water risk assessment is a two-stage project.

Stage 1 (completed January 2024)

An high-level desktop scan of existing data and reports.

Stage 2 (current, due June 2024)

This stage is focussed on closing the information gaps identified in stage 1. We will:

• request more information from stakeholders
• validate the data on record
• update information
• verify the draft results
• create plans
• make recommendations for next steps.

Engagement during stage 2

We will have:

• direct contact with individual service providers to source additional data and verify the draft results
• information sessions with local government service providers
• meetings and workshops with stakeholders (including industry peak bodies and other organisations)
• site visits.

Project governance

The urban water risk assessment project outcomes will help the Queensland Government and local governments plan for the future and make informed decisions about where to prioritise efforts to deliver high quality water and sewerage services.

The project is being led by the department with support from Queensland Health, the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training, the Department of State Development and Infrastructure and the Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works, a whole-of-government approach.

Updates on the Urban water risk assessment project will be provided as the project progresses.

More information

Queensland’s urban water explorer is an interactive digital tool that allows providers and customers to explore, visualise and compare data provided by urban water and sewerage service providers.

Contact the Urban Water Risk Assessment team via email urbanwaterrisk@rdmw.qld.gov.au