Water policies, guidelines and programs
The EPA issues reports, guidelines and other documents about water management. These publications guide us in our work, and help other agencies, business, and the community protect our water.
The NSW Government has developed a Risk-based Framework for Considering Waterway Health Outcomes in Strategic Land-use Planning Decisions (PDF 1.4MB). This gives a structured approach to:
- considering how land-change may affect waterways
- identifying appropriate management responses.
Who should use the framework
- Strategic land-use planners
- Water utilities
Why the is framework needed
The framework brings together existing policy and guidelines in the National Water Quality Management Strategy.
By using the framework, practitioners can identify least-cost management responses across all sources of waterway impacts to meet specified outcomes for water quality and river health.
The Approved Methods for the Sampling and Analysis of Water Pollutants in New South Wales (PDF 1175KB) lists the sampling and analysis methods to be used to test for the presence or concentration of matter in water and the volume, depth and flow of water or wastewater, when complying with statutory requirements.
Alternative and modified test methods
If you want to use alternative or significantly modified test methods for water you must ask the EPA in writing for approval. The Approved Methods explains when you’ll need approval.
The EPA and other regulators use the guideline Considering Environmental Values of Water when Issuing Prevention Notices (PDF 634KB) when issuing prevention notices under section 96 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act).
Irrigating with effluent can make a significant contribution to reducing water demand, improving soil condition and reducing the amount of pollutants discharged into our waterways. But it must be done in a way that protects the environment and human health.
Guidelines and reports
- Environmental Guidelines: Use of Effluent by Irrigation (PDF 2MB)
- a guide to using effluent in an ecologically sustainable and socially responsible way
- educational and advisory, not a mandatory or regulatory tool
- does not introduce new environmental requirements
- Indicators of Sustainability for Effluent Reuse in the Intensive Livestock Industries: Piggeries and Cattle Feedlots is
- available from Australian Pork Limited (APL)
- created by APL, Meat and Livestock Australia and the EPA
- identifies indicator parameters and monitoring procedures for individual piggeries and cattle feedlots based on site-specific environmental risk
- useful to other industry sectors.
National Guidelines for Water Recycling
- released through the National Water Quality Management Strategy and adopted by NSW
- focuses on assessing and managing risk to human health
- most relevant where people are exposed to recycled water such as in urban re-use schemes
Where there are regulatory systems in place that relate to recycling, such as the NSW Water Industry Competition Act 2006and Local Government Act 1993, the regulatory agency should be consulted to clarify requirements.
- Effluent reuse management: Strategic environmental compliance and performance review
- reports on an EPA review of effluent re-use management practices
- review focused on requirements for effluent re-use in environment protection licences
Biosolids are a by-product from treating sewage. Solids produced during the various stages of sewage treatment, often called wastewater solids or sewage sludge, are collected and further processed. Once they are suitable for use they are called biosolids.
The NSW Government encourages the beneficial use of biosolids where
- it is safe and practicable
- it provides the best environmental outcome
Where beneficial use is not possible, biosolids must be disposed of safely and lawfully.
NSW Environmental guidelines: Use and disposal of biosolids products (PDF 556KB)
sets out requirements for the beneficial use and disposal of biosolids products to land in NSW. It is for
- planners, designers and operators of sewerage systems
- people who process or use biosolids products, by establishing requirements for the beneficial use and disposal of biosolids products to land in NSW
These guidelines were released in October 1997. Since then there have been changes to the overarching legislation for environmental protection in NSW and to the regulation of biosolids use and disposal. For the current regulatory requirements, see waste regulation, licensing and compliance.
The Hawkesbury-Nepean River provides many values to the community including drinking water and recreation, while supporting a diverse range of ecosystems. However, the community’s environmental values for the river are currently not being met due to elevated nutrient levels particularly during prolonged periods of reduced flows. Principal sources of nutrients are sewage treatment plant discharges, and agricultural and urban runoff. While upgrades to sewage treatment plants owned by Sydney Water Corporation and Hawkesbury City Council have significantly reduced nutrient loads to the river, algal blooms and aquatic weed outbreaks are still experienced in parts of it (DECCW, 2010).
The need for a new regulatory framework
Under a business-as-usual approach, urban development in western Sydney is projected to increase inflows to sewage treatment plants and consequently treated effluent discharges to the river. Due to recent treatment plant upgrades (e.g. Winmalee, West Camden), total phosphorus loads discharged from treatment plants to the river are projected to be lower by 2030 than current loads. However, total nitrogen loads discharged from the 18 treatment plants in the river’s catchment are projected to increase by approximately 50% by 2028. This has the potential to increase the risk and frequency of algal blooms and aquatic weed outbreaks. The nutrient load caps in environment protection licences for these 18 plants were not suitable for managing this risk and therefore a new regulatory framework was needed.
The new Hawkesbury-Nepean Nutrient Management Framework was developed jointly by the EPA, Sydney Water, Hawkesbury City Council and DCCEEW. The framework commenced on 1 July 2025.
New regulatory framework
The objectives of the new regulatory framework are to limit nutrient load inputs to the river from sewage treatment plants at a level that contributes to meeting the community’s environmental values for the river while providing plant operators with flexible and cost-effective options for meeting those reduced nutrient load limits.
Read the full report which outlines the background to the framework and how it operates: Hawkesbury-Nepean Nutrient Management Framework (PDF 12.4MB)