Sydney Water - Annual Report 2009

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Sydney Water’s environmental performance against legislated special objectives

Sydney Water’s environmental performance against legislated special objectives

As set out in the Sydney Water Act 1994, Sydney Water’s principal objectives are to protect public health, protect the environment and to be a successful business. In implementing these principal objectives, Sydney Water has two special objectives:

to reduce risks to human health
to prevent the degradation of the environment

In applying these special objectives, Sydney Water must give regard to a number of clauses in the Sydney Water Act 1994 and Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991 so far as they are relevant to the Corporation. The table below provides links to the sections of the Annual Report that demonstrate Sydney Water’s performance against these clauses.

Special objectives clauses	Reference
Reduce the impact of Sydney Water’s discharges into or onto the air, water or land of substances which are likely to cause harm to the environment	Discharges to air Energy (greenhouse gases) – Energy consumption Odour (complaints) – Schedule 3 EPI 20 Odour Discharges to water Sewage treatment system discharges – Sewage treatment system discharges Water recycled – Reuse and recycling Stormwater – Schedule 3 EPI 9 Stormwater Recreational water quality, aquatic ecosystems impacts – Environmental performance monitoring Discharges to land Beneficial use of by-products – By-products Sewage treatment system discharges – Sewage treatment system discharges Waste minimisation – Waste minimisation Water recycled – Reuse and recycling
Promote pollution prevention through reduction, reuse and recovery of energy, water and other materials and substances, used or discharged by Sydney Water, by the use of appropriate technology practices	Reduction, reuse and recovery of energy Energy (electricity consumption and greenhouse gases) – Energy consumption Reduction, reuse and recovery of water Water recycled – Reuse and recycling Water leakage – Water leakage Demand management – Demand management Reduction, reuse and recovery of other materials and substances Beneficial use of by-products – By-products Stormwater – Schedule 3 EPI 9 Stormwater Reducing discharges to sewer at source – Trade waste agreements Waste minimisation – Waste minimisation
Significantly reduce the combined environmental impact of the per capita amount of energy and water used by the Corporation and of other materials and substances discharged by the Corporation	Energy use Energy (electricity consumption and greenhouse gases) – Energy consumption Water use Water drawn – Water drawn Water leakage – Water leakage Demand management – Demand management Materials and substances discharged Waste minimisation – Waste minimisation Sewage treatment systems discharges – Sewage treatment systems discharges Beneficial use of by-products – By-products Stormwater – Schedule 3 EPI 9 Stormwater Recreational water quality, aquatic ecosystems impacts – Environmental performance monitoring
Minimise Sydney Water’s creation of waste by the use of appropriate technology, practices and procedures	Beneficial use of by-products – By-products Stormwater – Schedule 3 EPI 9 Stormwater Waste minimisation – Waste minimisation
Regulate the transport, collection, treatment, storage and disposal of waste	Trade waste agreements – Trade waste agreements
Adopt minimum environmental standards prescribed by complementary Commonwealth and state legislation and advising government to prescribe more stringent standards where appropriate	Trade waste agreements – Trade waste agreements Contaminated land – Schedule 3 EPI 17 Contaminated land Noise (complaints) – Schedule 3 EPI 21 Noise
Conduct public information and awareness programs about environmental programs, and involve the community in decision-making on environmental matters	Demand management – Demand management Trade waste agreements – Trade waste agreements
Ensure the community has relevant information about hazardous substances arising from, or stored by, any industry or public authority	Beneficial use of by-products – By-products Contaminated land – Schedule 3 EPI 17 Contaminated land Waste minimisation – Waste minimisation Trade waste agreements – Trade waste agreements