All Ministers and Chief Executives are reminded of the importance of having procedures in place to quickly attend to and repair leaking water and sewerage infrastructure located on Government-owned property.

Given the severe drought situation across much of the State, it is important that the NSW Government should act as a model water utility customer and quickly attend to and repair any water leaks to avoid wastage of this precious resource.

Likewise, sewerage overflows and leaks can pose a public health and environmental risk if not attended to promptly.

Under the current customer contracts for Sydney Water Corporation and Hunter Water Corporation, it is the customer (property owner) who is responsible for water and sewer leaks located within the property boundary. There is no distinction between public and private landholders.

I am advised that in some cases water utilities have been called to attend to leaks that are within the customer's property boundary and therefore not the responsibility of the utility, which has led to delays in the leaks being addressed. This has, in turn, led to complaints from members of the public.

Ministers and Chief Executives are therefore requested to review their current maintenance procedures to ensure that there are appropriate arrangements to attend to leaks and overflows as a matter of priority. This should include agencies taking immediate action to attend to leaks when it is clear that the leak is occurring from pipes within their property boundary. Agencies should notify the relevant water utility of any leaks within their property boundaries that are of a significant nature.

NSW Government agencies that are serviced by Local Government-owned water utilities are advised to contact their local water utility to determine what arrangements are in place with regard to water and/or sewerage leaks under their customer contract, and review their maintenance arrangements accordingly.

If agencies require advice or assistance on improving the timeliness of repair services, they are encouraged to contact NSW Water Solutions within the Department of Commerce.

Morris Iemma
Premier