Active Playing Surfaces
Updated Guidelines
If you own or manage an Active Playing Surface there are some important guideline updates to be aware of and comply with by 30 November 2007.
The Queensland Water Commission has published extensive guidelines to help APS Managers in their efforts to irrigate sports fields and playing surfaces, using water wise practices while still maintaining safety.
Updated Queensland Water Commission Active Playing Surface Guidelines
The Queensland Water Commission (QWC) released an update on the Active Playing Surface (APS) Guidelines on 23 September 2007. These guidelines lay down the QWC requirements for APS entities using reticulated (town) water for irrigation and are to be in effect after 30 November 2007 up to 30 April 2008.
If you hold a current Water Efficiency Management Plan (WEMP), and have addressed the Key Restriction Elements (below), you may continue watering in accordance with the conditions of the WEMP approval until 30 November 2007.
If you do not hold a current WEMP, and have addressed the Key Restriction Elements (below), you may continue watering your APS until 30 November 2007 in accordance with the updated water schedule detailed in the updated QWC APS Guidelines (once a week between Tuesday 8.00pm and Wednesday 4.00am only).
In either case, to transition to the updated QWC regime, which is effective after 30 November 2007, you will be required to follow the steps laid out on the QWC website. These steps require APS Managers to either negotiate with Ipswich City Council (ICC) for changes to their current WEMP, or to create a new watering management plan prior to 30 November 2007.
If you are a Child Care Centre, you are not required to register as long as you use the reticulated (town) water in accordance with the updated QWC APS Guidelines.
Key Restriction Elements
Key Restriction Elements for any APS that intends to use water from the reticulated (town) supply system for irrigation, include but are not limited to:
- a) by 31 May 2007, register the active playing surface with the relevant provider under that service provider's registration system; and
- b) install a water meter by 31 May 2007.
If you intend to use water from the reticulated (town) water supply on an APS, the premises is required to be registered and adhere to the restriction requirements. If you have a current WEMP approval but have not registered your APS, and you intend to use water from the reticulated (town) water supply on this APS, you are required to be registered even though you have a WEMP in place at this time.
If water from the reticulated (town) water supply is used on an APS without a submitted registration form, the premises may be exposed to enforcement action unless prior agreement has been made with ICC.
Ipswich Water has an active compliancy program to ensure each category of water use under the QWC Water Restrictions are adhered to. Any unapproved use of water from the reticulated (town) supply system may attract enforcement action.
Transition to Updated QWC APS Guidelines
To assist in achieving compliance with the Key Restriction Elements, and allow irrigation using reticulated (town) water within the transition period, APS Managers are requested to:
APS Managers are reminded that under the Water Act 2000, they are required to comply with the QWC Water Restrictions and any request of Ipswich Water as their Water Service Provider and delegated regulator.
APS Management Into the Future
Many APS Managers have chosen to discontinue watering at some stage during the drought. If this is the case for your APS, most of the allowed hours of watering per week will not be effective unless maintenance activities are applied to assist in the APS rehabilitation.
Both watering and aerating/maintaining an APS are necessary to provide a safe playing surface. Water will not effectively soften hardened ground on its own. The surface will not become pliable without aeration and watering is not effective on un-aerated ground.
APS Watering Priorities
The priority for water used on an APS is to grow and maintain turf to a standard which makes it fit for the conduct of impact sports. The year round management of water should be based on achieving this outcome.
For example, if the main impact sport is football (winter season), the irrigation through the summer months should be aimed at maintaining the field for the next football season, regardless of whether the field is used for cricket in summer or not. The wicket block becomes the APS during the cricket season and the outfield is managed for the winter impact sport.
This not to say that levels of watering required in the impact sport season need to be continued in the off season. Simply that the surface needs to be maintained to a level that prevents degradation and allows for an effective 'ramp up‘ to the standard required for the impact sport.
Ipswich Water intends to work with APS managers to develop appropriate watering management systems to maintain effective use of water and assist in ensuring your APS is safe for the Ipswich community.
Ipswich Water does not support the use of water from the reticulated (town) supply system on any APS without the active accompanying program of regular maintenance actions.
Assistance
Supplementary information detailing various avenues of funding and assistance is available and we encourage you to investigate and apply for this where applicable. Download our brochure, Your Guide to Funding and Assistance. Ipswich Water will assist APS Managers with any Business Water Efficiency Program (BWEP).
If you have any further queries, please contact us.
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