Water treatment
64 Water treatment
Water treatment (the relevant activity) consists of carrying out any of the following activities in a way that allows waste, whether treated or untreated, to be released into the environment—
desalinating 0.5ML or more of water in a day;
treating 10ML or more of raw water in a day;
carrying out advanced treatment of 5ML or more of water in a day.
The relevant activity does not include—
treating water in a way that allows liquid or solid waste to be released only to the following—
a local government’s sewerage infrastructure;
a facility mentioned in section 55, 60, 61 or 62; or
treating water if the only treatment is disinfection or fluoridation; or
treating water in association with carrying out an activity to which section 55, 60, 61, 62 or 63 applies.
In the following table, the aggregate environmental score, if any, for the relevant activity is the score stated opposite the threshold within which the relevant activity is carried out.
| Threshold | Aggregate environmental score | 3 |
| 1desalinating, in a day, the following quantity of water, allowing the release of waste only to seawater— | ||
| (a)0.5ML to 5ML | no score | |
| (b)more than 5ML | 7 | |
| 2desalinating, in a day, the following quantity of water, allowing the release of waste to waters other than seawater— | ||
| (a)0.5ML to 5ML | 8 | C |
| (b)more than 5ML | 13 | C |
| 3treating 10ML or more raw water in a day | 26 | C |
| 4carrying out, in a day, advanced treatment of 5ML or more of water, allowing the release of waste— | ||
| (a)only to seawater; or | 34 | C |
| (b)to waters other than seawater | 45 | C |
In this section—
advanced treatment, of water, means the treatment of water that has been treated in a sewage treatment plant by removing dissolved salts so that the water is potable or suitable for agricultural or industrial use.
mixed water means water that has undergone advanced water treatment and has been mixed with raw water.
raw water means—
water derived—
directly from surface water; or
from groundwater; or
mixed water.
seawater means tidal waters, other than tidal waters between the banks of a river or stream.
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