Stormwater standards
We can progress a range of policies to support improvements in stormwater infrastructure and the environmental performance of stormwater networks nationally. We will be seeking input from the sector to find the best way to develop and sequence these.
National Engineering Design Standards
Recent changes to the Water Services Act 2021 enable us to develop National Engineering Design Standards (NEDS) and National Codes of Practice. These tools can be used to set requirements for the design, construction and operational performance of water services networks across drinking water, wastewater and stormwater.
NEDS will contain mandatory performance-based requirements, while the codes of practice set out a pre-approved option for how to comply with aspects of the NEDS. Water service providers may also approve alternative solutions that are compliant with the NEDS and any relevant water services bylaw.
Once developed, these tools will apply to water service providers as well as people who intend to transfer water services infrastructure to a water service provider, or connect it to a public network.
Infrastructure Design Solutions
Alongside the addition of NEDS, we can develop Infrastructure Design Solutions for stormwater networks. While infrastructure design solutions do not contain mandatory requirements, they contain technical performance standards, treatment processes, and design and operating requirements for stormwater networks.
Where stormwater infrastructure complies with an infrastructure design solution, it is deemed to comply with the relevant environmental performance standard.
We can develop stormwater environmental performance standards for a range of matters, including:
- the environmental performance of the network, including the quality and quantity of stormwater
- inundation of people and property due to the performance of stormwater networks
- discharges to air, water or land.
To date, we haven’t developed any stormwater environmental performance standards but may pick this up in future. We will consult with the sector about the content, format and timing of stormwater standards, prior to enactment.