A new phase of on-site support including grants of up to $150,000 are available through AOS to boost town drinking water quality across regional NSW.
Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are now open and local water utilities are encouraged to apply.
Part of the Town Water Risk Reduction Program, AOS supports water treatment plants to optimise performance, ensuring existing infrastructure is in a stronger position to respond to a range of water quality issues.
Participants receive intensive on-the-ground technical support, including training for operators and a comprehensive plan detailing opportunities for immediate and ongoing operational improvement.
To find out more and submit an EOI before 10 July, visit SmartyGrants and read the AOS grant guidelines PDF, 226.31 KB.
About AOS
AOS provides valuable assistance to local water utilities. At no cost to councils, it aims to address challenges faced by operators in adapting their training to specific water treatment infrastructure and water quality changes.
AOS offers expert personnel, on-site assessment, advice, online monitoring solutions, and training to optimise water treatment plant operations, helping operators improve their skills in plant optimisation and effectively manage water quality.
AOS aims to improve public health and safety in regional NSW by reducing drinking water quality risks. It will achieve this by delivering key outcomes, including:
- reduced risk of water quality incidents
- enhanced local water utility capability to identify and respond to issues
- improved local water utility understanding of operational processes.
Outcomes from AOS are being used to inform future government support and collaboration with the sector to further reduce risks. AOS is being delivered using a phased approach.
- Part 1a: A targeted assessment of existing online monitoring system capability by a specialist service provider in collaboration with the LWU (August 2025 – June 2027)
- Part 1b: Intensive onsite support including assessment of overall plant operational risk and issues by expert Department personnel, collated into an Operational Improvement Oppurtunites plan (August 2025 – June 2027)
- Part 2: Grant implementation and support to address issues identified in Part 1a and/or Part 1b (July 2026 – June 2028)
AOS participants so far
Following an expression of interest process in June 2023 and a rigorous assessment of applications, the below local water utility-owned water treatment plants were selected and have participated in the initial phases of Advanced Operational Support (AOS).