For a fee, we can visit your company to help in developing not only a written HACCP Plan, but also assist staff in understanding the principles of HACCP, the keep it simple approach, the benefits in justifying system improvements and the positive water quality and quantity focus.

Additional Information

HACCP for Water Quality

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a management system traditionally used in the food industry to identify and reduce potential contamination, and to verify that control systems are working as intended.

In 1999, South East Water became the first water authority in Australia to achieve HACCP certification. In 2000/01, our wholesaler, Melbourne Water, also achieved HACCP certification. This means that the water quality we deliver to customers is fully protected by a consistent risk management approach from the water in our catchment through to the customer’s water meter.

Incident Reports

The company’s incident management procedure is a key input into South East Water’s HACCP Program. As part of the incident debrief for a water quality incident, staff are required to establish the cause and improvements to processes from the incident and transfer learnings back into the HACCP Plan. This could involve establishing additional monitoring points, improving communications protocols, developing or reviewing existing procedures, etc.

The introduction of the HACCP approach has significantly reduced the number of water quality incidents to the current situation where there is less than one incident every two years.

Industry Education & Leadership Initiatives

South East Water have been key participants in the AWWARF (American Water Works Association Research Fund) Project 2856 – a project to develop a HACCP template for use by the 'us' - Utility Services Water industry. South East Water has provided in-kind support as project reviewer and has provided its HACCP Plan as the template for 'us' - Utility Services.

Melbourne Water and South East Water jointly undertake biannual reviews of both HACCP plans to ensure water quality is protected from catchment to tap. We are actively working to assist other water utilities in improving and developing their HACCP plans.

South East Water has also provided HACCP assistance via site visits and working through risk management plan development issues with Central Highlands Water and South Gippsland Water.