National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program

The National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program is funded by the Commonwealth through the ACIC. TasWater appreciates the Program is a valuable tool for law enforcement in responding to issues of drug use in the community.

TasWater has been in discussions with ACIC to clarify the scope and participation required under the Program. TasWater is supportive of the Program and will continue participation in local testing of wastewater.

At no time did TasWater indicate that it would not participate.

TasWater has been assisting in research carried out by the University of Queensland in relation to identifying evidence of drugs in sewage since 2014 and has maintained a program of supplying samples on a monthly basis .

Further, at the time of the last national census TasWater took a large number of samples compared to other water and sewerage authority across the country as part of developing a national snap shot of drug use.

Recently with the expansion of testing around the country TasWater has been negotiating with the University of Queensland and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission on setting in place an expanded and ongoing testing program which is close to finalisation.
TasWater