Product Overview

Summary: This Water Supply and Sanitation Safe Operating Procedure sets out clear, practical steps for providing safe drinking water and hygienic sanitation facilities across Australian workplaces. It helps organisations control waterborne disease risks, protect worker health, and meet WHS and public health obligations in both routine operations and emergency situations.

Reliable water supply and effective sanitation are fundamental controls for preventing illness, maintaining hygiene standards and demonstrating duty of care under Australian WHS law. This Water Supply and Sanitation SOP provides a structured, step‑by‑step approach to managing drinking water quality, handwashing facilities, toilets, showers, wastewater systems and related infrastructure on any worksite, from offices and schools through to construction sites, remote camps and community facilities.

The procedure translates legislative and public health requirements into clear operational actions: how water sources are selected and protected, how storage and distribution systems are maintained, how sanitation facilities are cleaned and serviced, and how incidents such as contamination, loss of supply, sewer overflows or cross‑connections are handled. It supports businesses to minimise waterborne illness, manage odour and hygiene complaints, plan for outages and extreme weather, and provide auditable evidence of compliance for regulators, clients and internal audits. Implementing this SOP helps organisations move beyond ad‑hoc maintenance to a consistent, risk‑based system for water and sanitation management that keeps people safe and operations running.

Key Benefits

• Ensure safe, reliable drinking water and sanitation facilities that meet Australian WHS and public health requirements.
• Reduce the risk of waterborne illness, cross‑contamination and hygiene‑related complaints from workers, visitors and contractors.
• Standardise inspection, cleaning, sampling and maintenance routines for water and wastewater systems across all sites.
• Demonstrate due diligence and compliance during regulator visits, client audits and incident investigations.
• Strengthen emergency preparedness for water supply interruptions, contamination events and wastewater system failures.

Who is this for?

• WHS Managers
• Facility Managers
• Site Supervisors
• Operations Managers
• Maintenance Supervisors
• Camp and Village Managers (remote and FIFO sites)
• Aged Care Facility Managers
• Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs)
• School Business Managers
• Local Government Infrastructure Managers

Hazards Addressed

• Exposure to contaminated drinking water (microbial, chemical or physical contamination)
• Waterborne diseases such as gastroenteritis, Legionnaires’ disease and other infections
• Poor sanitation leading to faecal contamination, pest attraction and spread of infectious diseases
• Slip, trip and fall risks from leaking pipes, overflowing fixtures and wet, unsanitary floors
• Exposure to bioaerosols and odours from wastewater systems, septic tanks and pump stations
• Chemical exposure from water treatment chemicals, disinfectants and cleaning agents
• Confined space hazards associated with tanks, pits and underground services
• Burns or scalds from hot water systems that are not properly controlled
• Ergonomic and manual handling risks during cleaning, servicing and waste removal activities

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose, Scope and Objectives
• 2.0 Definitions and Key Terms
• 3.0 Roles, Responsibilities and Competency Requirements
• 4.0 Regulatory and Standards Compliance Requirements
• 5.0 Water Supply Sources, Protection and Quality Requirements
• 6.0 Design and Provision of Workplace Drinking Water Facilities
• 7.0 Design and Provision of Toilets, Handwashing and Shower Facilities
• 8.0 Cleaning, Disinfection and Hygiene Standards for Sanitary Facilities
• 9.0 Operation and Maintenance of Storage Tanks, Pipework and Fittings
• 10.0 Wastewater, Septic and Sewer System Management
• 11.0 Water Quality Monitoring, Sampling and Testing Procedures
• 12.0 Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Control Measures
• 13.0 Management of Chemicals for Water Treatment and Cleaning
• 14.0 Inspection, Preventive Maintenance and Service Schedules
• 15.0 Incident, Contamination and Outage Response Procedures
• 16.0 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Safe Work Practices
• 17.0 Contractor Management and Site Access Requirements
• 18.0 Training, Induction and Communication Requirements
• 19.0 Recordkeeping, Reporting and Audit Requirements
• 20.0 Continuous Improvement and Review of the SOP

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and corresponding state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 and equivalent state and territory regulations
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace
• Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) – National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
• AS/NZS 3500 Plumbing and drainage series
• AS/NZS 4020: Testing of products for use in contact with drinking water
• AS/NZS 3666: Air-handling and water systems of buildings – Microbial control (Legionella risk where applicable)
• Public health and water supply legislation and guidelines applicable in the relevant state or territory