Water – Private Drinking Water

Developing a private drinking water supply management plan

To comply with the relevant legislation, schools with private drinking water supplies must develop a private drinking water supply management plan. Developing this plan is the first step towards managing a private drinking water supply.

The private drinking water supply management plan nominates the school person who will be responsible for the system and outlines the regular inspection and maintenance activities that are necessary to ensure the water supply for a school is safe for human consumption.

Steps to completing a private drinking water supply management plan

The following steps must be taken to complete a private drinking water supply management plan (PDWSMP):

• Step 1: Record school details and details of the nominated person responsible for the school water supply system
• Step 2: Provide a detailed description and map of the water supply system
• Step 3: Identify hazards and ways to mitigate risks to the water supply
• Step 4: Document operation monitoring and maintenance procedures for the water supply system
• Step 5: Develop a contingency plan to manage the water supply in the event of contamination or for when a supply is inaccessible.

Schools are required to create their initial private drinking water supply management plan using the VSBA template. This can be loaded into AIMS' School Documents section or retained in the school’s file records until AIMS is available.

The VSBA template is available from the Resources tab, or by contacting the Annual Contracts team.

The private drinking water supply management plan must be reviewed annually by completing the corresponding work orders in AIMS.

Refer to the AIMS and private drinking water quick reference guide (available on the Resources tab) for further information on work orders and record keeping in AIMS.

Guidance and assistance

Schools that require additional guidance on how to prepare a private drinking water supply management plan should contact the Annual Contracts team at vsba.annual.contracts@education.vic.gov.au or 03 7022 5800.