❓ A parliamentary question addresses a sewage spill at Woodman Point, inquiring about the investigation, preventative measures, and incident response improvements. The response details conditions for future testing and explains the decision against a shut-off valve.
AnsweredQoN 470Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
In relation to the sewage spill at the Woodman Point outfall on the February 22 2002 -
(1) Has the DEP completed its investigation of the spill?
(2) If yes, will the Minister table the report?
(3) Has the DEP required the Water Corporation to undertake any measures to ensure that a recurrence of a similar sewage spill does not occur?
(4) If so, what are they?
(5) Has the DEP required the Water Corporation to undertake improvements to its sewage spill incident response?
(6) If so, what are those measures?
(7) Will the Water Corporation be permitted to test the pipeline in this manner in the future?
(8) Why has the DEP not ensured that there is a shut-off valve at the ocean end of this pipeline?
(1) Has the DEP completed its investigation of the spill?
(2) If yes, will the Minister table the report?
(3) Has the DEP required the Water Corporation to undertake any measures to ensure that a recurrence of a similar sewage spill does not occur?
(4) If so, what are they?
(5) Has the DEP required the Water Corporation to undertake improvements to its sewage spill incident response?
(6) If so, what are those measures?
(7) Will the Water Corporation be permitted to test the pipeline in this manner in the future?
(8) Why has the DEP not ensured that there is a shut-off valve at the ocean end of this pipeline?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
9 April 2002
Responded by
Minister for Housing and Works representing the Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Response time
28 days
(2) Answered by (1). (3) Yes, it has. (4) The Minister for the Environment and Heritage has been advised that the DEP has set conditions on future testing and tie in works for the Woodman Point emergency overflow pipeline to minimise the risk of future spills into Cockburn Sound. These conditions include: The Water Corporation is to ensure that the overflow pipeline is internally inspected using a video camera prior to the test and the Cockburn Sound outfall pipeline monitored by divers during the test. The testing will be immediately abandoned if the inspection and monitoring detects any leaks or failures of the emergency outfall pipeline. (5) At this time, the DEP has not finalised the incident investigation that will include scrutiny of the Water Corporation's incident response procedures. (6) Answered by (5). (7) The Water Corporation has been approved to commence another hydraulic test of the pipeline with conditions that prescribe upgraded inspection, monitoring and notification measures. (8) The DEP has not required a shut off valve at the end of the outfall pipeline, as this would not minimise the risk of an effluent leak along the pipeline. The original failure of the pipeline on 22 February 2002 was due to damage to the pipeline. Inspection and monitoring of the pipeline is considered the most appropriate measure to prevent this type of incident.
(3) Yes, it has. (4) The Minister for the Environment and Heritage has been advised that the DEP has set conditions on future testing and tie in works for the Woodman Point emergency overflow pipeline to minimise the risk of future spills into Cockburn Sound. These conditions include: The Water Corporation is to ensure that the overflow pipeline is internally inspected using a video camera prior to the test and the Cockburn Sound outfall pipeline monitored by divers during the test. The testing will be immediately abandoned if the inspection and monitoring detects any leaks or failures of the emergency outfall pipeline. (5) At this time, the DEP has not finalised the incident investigation that will include scrutiny of the Water Corporation's incident response procedures. (6) Answered by (5). (7) The Water Corporation has been approved to commence another hydraulic test of the pipeline with conditions that prescribe upgraded inspection, monitoring and notification measures. (8) The DEP has not required a shut off valve at the end of the outfall pipeline, as this would not minimise the risk of an effluent leak along the pipeline. The original failure of the pipeline on 22 February 2002 was due to damage to the pipeline. Inspection and monitoring of the pipeline is considered the most appropriate measure to prevent this type of incident.
(4) The Minister for the Environment and Heritage has been advised that the DEP has set conditions on future testing and tie in works for the Woodman Point emergency overflow pipeline to minimise the risk of future spills into Cockburn Sound. These conditions include: The Water Corporation is to ensure that the overflow pipeline is internally inspected using a video camera prior to the test and the Cockburn Sound outfall pipeline monitored by divers during the test. The testing will be immediately abandoned if the inspection and monitoring detects any leaks or failures of the emergency outfall pipeline. (5) At this time, the DEP has not finalised the incident investigation that will include scrutiny of the Water Corporation's incident response procedures. (6) Answered by (5). (7) The Water Corporation has been approved to commence another hydraulic test of the pipeline with conditions that prescribe upgraded inspection, monitoring and notification measures. (8) The DEP has not required a shut off valve at the end of the outfall pipeline, as this would not minimise the risk of an effluent leak along the pipeline. The original failure of the pipeline on 22 February 2002 was due to damage to the pipeline. Inspection and monitoring of the pipeline is considered the most appropriate measure to prevent this type of incident.
(6) Answered by (5). (7) The Water Corporation has been approved to commence another hydraulic test of the pipeline with conditions that prescribe upgraded inspection, monitoring and notification measures. (8) The DEP has not required a shut off valve at the end of the outfall pipeline, as this would not minimise the risk of an effluent leak along the pipeline. The original failure of the pipeline on 22 February 2002 was due to damage to the pipeline. Inspection and monitoring of the pipeline is considered the most appropriate measure to prevent this type of incident.
(7) The Water Corporation has been approved to commence another hydraulic test of the pipeline with conditions that prescribe upgraded inspection, monitoring and notification measures. (8) The DEP has not required a shut off valve at the end of the outfall pipeline, as this would not minimise the risk of an effluent leak along the pipeline. The original failure of the pipeline on 22 February 2002 was due to damage to the pipeline. Inspection and monitoring of the pipeline is considered the most appropriate measure to prevent this type of incident.
(8) The DEP has not required a shut off valve at the end of the outfall pipeline, as this would not minimise the risk of an effluent leak along the pipeline. The original failure of the pipeline on 22 February 2002 was due to damage to the pipeline. Inspection and monitoring of the pipeline is considered the most appropriate measure to prevent this type of incident.
(3) Yes, it has. (4) The Minister for the Environment and Heritage has been advised that the DEP has set conditions on future testing and tie in works for the Woodman Point emergency overflow pipeline to minimise the risk of future spills into Cockburn Sound. These conditions include: The Water Corporation is to ensure that the overflow pipeline is internally inspected using a video camera prior to the test and the Cockburn Sound outfall pipeline monitored by divers during the test. The testing will be immediately abandoned if the inspection and monitoring detects any leaks or failures of the emergency outfall pipeline. (5) At this time, the DEP has not finalised the incident investigation that will include scrutiny of the Water Corporation's incident response procedures. (6) Answered by (5). (7) The Water Corporation has been approved to commence another hydraulic test of the pipeline with conditions that prescribe upgraded inspection, monitoring and notification measures. (8) The DEP has not required a shut off valve at the end of the outfall pipeline, as this would not minimise the risk of an effluent leak along the pipeline. The original failure of the pipeline on 22 February 2002 was due to damage to the pipeline. Inspection and monitoring of the pipeline is considered the most appropriate measure to prevent this type of incident.
(4) The Minister for the Environment and Heritage has been advised that the DEP has set conditions on future testing and tie in works for the Woodman Point emergency overflow pipeline to minimise the risk of future spills into Cockburn Sound. These conditions include: The Water Corporation is to ensure that the overflow pipeline is internally inspected using a video camera prior to the test and the Cockburn Sound outfall pipeline monitored by divers during the test. The testing will be immediately abandoned if the inspection and monitoring detects any leaks or failures of the emergency outfall pipeline. (5) At this time, the DEP has not finalised the incident investigation that will include scrutiny of the Water Corporation's incident response procedures. (6) Answered by (5). (7) The Water Corporation has been approved to commence another hydraulic test of the pipeline with conditions that prescribe upgraded inspection, monitoring and notification measures. (8) The DEP has not required a shut off valve at the end of the outfall pipeline, as this would not minimise the risk of an effluent leak along the pipeline. The original failure of the pipeline on 22 February 2002 was due to damage to the pipeline. Inspection and monitoring of the pipeline is considered the most appropriate measure to prevent this type of incident.
(6) Answered by (5). (7) The Water Corporation has been approved to commence another hydraulic test of the pipeline with conditions that prescribe upgraded inspection, monitoring and notification measures. (8) The DEP has not required a shut off valve at the end of the outfall pipeline, as this would not minimise the risk of an effluent leak along the pipeline. The original failure of the pipeline on 22 February 2002 was due to damage to the pipeline. Inspection and monitoring of the pipeline is considered the most appropriate measure to prevent this type of incident.
(7) The Water Corporation has been approved to commence another hydraulic test of the pipeline with conditions that prescribe upgraded inspection, monitoring and notification measures. (8) The DEP has not required a shut off valve at the end of the outfall pipeline, as this would not minimise the risk of an effluent leak along the pipeline. The original failure of the pipeline on 22 February 2002 was due to damage to the pipeline. Inspection and monitoring of the pipeline is considered the most appropriate measure to prevent this type of incident.
(8) The DEP has not required a shut off valve at the end of the outfall pipeline, as this would not minimise the risk of an effluent leak along the pipeline. The original failure of the pipeline on 22 February 2002 was due to damage to the pipeline. Inspection and monitoring of the pipeline is considered the most appropriate measure to prevent this type of incident.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.