Wednesday 25 September 11:00am
EMPOWERING CLIMATE ACTION – FROM THE CLIMATE CHANGE GROUP
Purpose:
An interactive review of tools available for taking action to reduce carbon, throughout the lifecycle of water service delivery, and to identify future sector needs.
Agenda:
1. What has the SiG been doing? New guidelines and information.
2. Review of the revised PAS2080 framework
3. Break into three groups focussed on:
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- Planning & Asset Management
- Design & Construction
- Operation & Maintenance
4. Challenge questions:
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- What tools have they found useful?
- What else do you need to do your work?
5. Present and vote
Wednesday 25 September 2:00pm
DRINKING WATER QUALITY GROUP – WATER QUALITY GENERAL CODE OF PRACTICE
Purpose:
This workshop is intended to have a robust discussion and confirm the scope for the Drinking Water General Code of Practice. The Drinking Water Quality SIG is working on development of a technical guidance document to support consistency among the water industry in approaching water quality compliance and emerging issues.
The objectives of this Code of Practice are to provide guidance for managing water quality, compliance/operational monitoring and response to events that indicate potential contamination. The Code is also intended to be a guidance for best management practices in everyday operations of water supplies. It is being prepared in line with the requirements of the Drinking Water Standards for New Zealand (2022) (DWSNZ), Drinking Water Aesthetic Values (2022) (DWAV) and Drinking Water Quality Assurance Rules (2022) (DWQAR).
This Code of Practice is intended to provide guidance to water suppliers from large to small to meet their statutory requirements and anticipate emerging issues.
Agenda:
1. Enable consistent response for managing water quality.
2. Enable consistent response to incidents and emergencies.
3. Discussion through the sections already included in the Code of Practice.
4. Identify opportunities for other topics/issues that water suppliers need support with to be included in the Code of Practice.
5. Use this feedback from the water suppliers and industry experts to make recommendations on further development of the Code of Practice.
Wednesday 25 September 4:00pm
FROM BLOCKERS TO BUILDING BLOCKS: DEFINING PATH TO INTELLIGENT WATER MANAGEMENT – FROM THE SMART WATER INFRASTRUCTURE GROUP
Purpose:
The Smart Water Group is inviting you to an interactive workshop where together we will identify blockers to the use of digital technologies in water managements and how we can design the building blocks for a path forward. You will come away with insights to support your digital journey and an opportunity to contribute to our work programme for 2025.
Agenda:
1. Introduction to the Smart Water Group and our work programme
2. Brainstorming Blockers (Interactive)
3. Designing Building Blocks (Interactive)
Thursday 26 September 10:30am
IWA WORKSHOP: ANTIMICROBIALS AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE GENES IN NEW ZEALAND WATER BODIES – POLLUTION, RISK, AND CONTROL
Purpose:
The World Health Organization has declared antimicrobial resistance (AMR) one of the top 10 global public health threats, estimating a staggering 10 million annual deaths related to AMR by 2050 worldwide. With the unlikelihood of new broad-spectrum antibiotics being discovered, we need to prevent AMR transmission and reduce the need for more powerful antimicrobials. Wastewater is critical in spreading antimicrobial-resistant microbes, antimicrobial drug residues and AMR genes in the environment. High concentrations of AMR genes and AMR organisms have been detected in environmental samples recovered from hospital and urban-treated wastewater. In New Zealand, where several wastewater treatment plants urgently need upgrades to meet basic effluent standards, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes in our waters poses particularly significant threats that have largely gone unreported.
Join us for a workshop where domestic and international experts discuss the threats of AMR emergence in New Zealand’s water environments and share creative ways to control it. This event will allow knowledge-sharing across disciplines and encourage partnerships among individuals in different fields. Attending informative talks and engaging in interactive conversations will inform attendees about the origins, ways of spreading, and methods of tracking antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Through interactive discussions, we will explore policy frameworks, research priorities, and opportunities for cross-sector partnerships to tackle this challenge collectively.
Thursday 26 September 10:30am
RAIN CHECK: SETTING THE NATIONWIDE BENCHMARK FOR STORMWATER TREATMENT DEVICES AND PRACTICES
Purpose:
This workshop will identify and confirm the need and scope for development of a national guidance document for the approval of stormwater treatment devices and practices. Such a document is intended to provide guidance to regulators in evaluating and certifying the use of innovative treatment devices and practices to meet their statutory requirements.
Agenda:
1. Identify gaps and issues inherent within the approval of design, construction, inspection, maintenance and compliance inspections of stormwater treatment devices in Aotearoa New Zealand.
2. Review strengths and weaknesses in various available best management practices and approaches in New Zealand, Australia, UK and USA – or other.
3. Identify pros and cons of international approaches for use in each NZ region based on areas of concern e.g., type of contaminants
4. Identify opportunities for these approaches and devices to enhance bicultural design outcome
5. Use this feedback from industry experts to make recommendations on good practice of contemporary aspects of stormwater management e.g. ‘deemed to comply’ stormwater filtration devices (raingardens etc)
6. Move to create a comprehensive Aotearoa New Zealand specific stormwater treatment device and practice evaluation procedure to aid designers and regulatory bodies to consistently achieve the best outcomes for our freshwater, nationwide.
Thursday 26 September 1:30pm
WATER LITERACY: TEACHING POSITIVE WATER USE CULTURE AND INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF WATER INDUSTRY LEADERS – FROM WECAN
Purpose:
A workshop for individuals, or organisations with an interest in our tamariki’s water education. This fun and engaging workshop will allow you to connect with your inner child and reflect on your role in teaching positive water use culture and inspiring the next generation of water industry leaders.
Whether you are new to water education and interested in learning more, or are a seasoned educator or organisation with experiences to share, this workshop will allow you to;
- Explore the resources and programmes available around the motu
- Connect with experienced water educators
- Reflect on your role in the next generations water education
Agenda:
- Welcome/housekeeping
- Water education showcase from the Waikato
- Activities
- Water education resources show case: Explore and be inspired by attempting some of the activities available to our Tamariki. Find out what programmes operate in your area, or where there are gaps to be filled.
- Call to action: An opportunity to work with peers to identify how you could support water education
- Close and wrap up from your workshop hosts, the Water efficiency conservation action network
Thursday 26 September 3:30pm
PUMPING UP THE VOLUME – UPDATING THE WASTEWATER MODELLING GUIDELINES – FROM THE MODELLING GROUP
Purpose:
An interactive session to help shape the review, scope and content of Water New Zealand’s wastewater modelling guidelines. This is your opportunity to be part of the collaborative approach to ensure the updated guideline is informed, owned and understood by the industry.
Agenda:
- New approaches, information (and discrepancies) with the guidelines.
- Strengths and weaknesses in various approaches
- Break into tables / groups focussed on questions:
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- What approaches/ tools have they found useful?
- What else do you need to do your work?
- Potential future work to harmonise existing approaches
