Safety comes first when working on or near our water and sewerage network. We coordinate all works to ensure safety of contractors and minimise impacts of service disruptions for our community. 

 

NAPs and Covid-19 lockdown

(updated 03 August 2021)

What are we doing?

We recognise the water supply is more important during COVID-19 with the extra focus on handwashing and hygiene.  It’s a tough time for everyone in the community and, with more people at home, it’s important we keep the water and sewerage networks functioning efficiently. 

As part of our response to COVID-19, Urban Utilities continues to support economic development across our service territory. Essential works including new connections, alterations and disconnections, can continue as currently planned. If you have a network access permit (NAP), these works can still continue at the time designated. Please note, at this time, your actions will be under increased scrutiny from the community and we encourage you to follow all public health directives while on site (including social distancing and mask-wearing), and we recommend you visit the Queensland Health website and review their guidelines during the lockdown period.

To minimise the impacts on our customers, there are two important changes:

  1. multiple shuts on consecutive days will not be permitted during the lockdown period, and
  2. you need to provide customers with an extra notification.

 We also require that you continue to provide bottled water on-site for affected residents when requested.

If you are about to seek a NAP, it’s business as usual for us, so send them through. At this stage, there is no plan to revert network access to night works, as was the case last year during the lockdown.

What does this mean for my shut plan?

  • All conditions of the council night works permit must be adhered to, especially regarding noise.  
  • Multiple shuts on consecutive days will not be permitted during the lockdown period. 
  • You will need to provide bottled water on-site for affected residents when requested. 
  • Trial shuts will be required to be undertaken one week prior to the main primary shut.
  • Only primary shuts will be permitted. In the instance that the primary valves fail, the shut plan will need to be reviewed for amendment or valves repaired before proceeding.
  • You will still need to provide at least three business days’ notice to help residents prepare for temporary service outages.
  • You will need to provide customers with the Water Outage Notification, and the extra notification, Temporary Water Outage during Covid-19 Notification.
  • When you contact us to book your live works audit, you will need to provide a copy of the completed (and delivered) Water Outage Notification and Temporary Water Outage during Covid-19 Notification, and advise the number of residents who have been notified. The shut will not be permitted to proceed without confirmation that we have received a copy of the correct notifications and distribution numbers. 

Helping customers to prepare for the interruption 

During the lockdown period, there are now two documents for you to distribute to customers. These documents help residents prepare for the temporary service outage. The two documents are:

 

What is a Network Access Permit?

To undertake work on or near our network for a new water and wastewater connection, you will need to apply for a Network Access Permit (NAP). 

To apply for a Network Access Permit, both the consultant and contractor are required to complete parts of the Network Access Permit Application form before lodging with Urban Utilities.

1. The contractor completes sections 1-9 of the new form and forwards to the consultant.
2. The consultant completes sections 10-16, and reviews the details submitted by the contractor to finalise and lodge.

How to lodge

The consultant must upload the completed Network Access Permit Application to the Developer Application Portal and notify by email to development.permits@urbanutilities.com.au. The approved Network Access Permit will be issued via email within ten business days of a properly made application. Twenty business days may be required if works impact the sewerage network and a Flow Control Plan is required. Please take this into consideration when planning live works.

Once you receive your permit, thoroughly review the approval conditions and guidance materials. Construction may now be undertaken in accordance with the timings and guidelines of your Network Access Permit.

Forms and guidelines
Network Access Permit Guidelines
Network Access Permit Application form (formally known as Pre-Construction Package Form - Live Works - Job Plan)
Network Access Permit - Under Pressure Cut-In Connection (Live Tap) Application form

More information
For questions and enquiries, email us at development.permits@urbanutilities.com.au

The Network Access Permit request process has changed. Please see the notification on this page for more information.

Each permit features general provisions, as well as conditions specific to your development and will advise if a shut plan or flow control plan is required.
 
Shut Plans are typically required for installation of a new hydrant, water main or service 100mm or larger in diameter. Every shut plan has a condition to undertake a trial shut.
 
Flow Control Plans are typically required if the existing sewer main or service is a rising main, pump or 160mm or larger in diameter.
 
For more information, download the Network Access Permit Guidelines.
 

We create shut plans based on as-constructed drawings available in our GIS system.

In some cases, this information may not be as current as your records, including engineering designs or first-hand site information.

If you are working on an old or brand new section of our network, we recommend you attach a mud map or mark-up of the design to your Network Access Permit application to help us create an accurate shut plan.

A condition on every shut plan is to undertake a trial valve shut. The benefits of a trial shut are that they:

  • ensure the shut plan is accurate and determine the exact number of impacted properties
  • provide the opportunity to resolve potential issues prior to time of construction, so you have no surprises on the day of connection. 

If you discover an issue with our network or a shut plan during the trial shut, we will investigate and trial a revised shut plan at no cost until an accurate plan is identified.

 

It’s your responsibility to:

  • Book one of our accredited valve turners, as no other companies are permitted to turn valves on our network. 
  • Provide three business days’ minimum notice to impacted properties. 
  • Engage critical customers, identified by Queensland Urban Utilities, to determine arrangements and requirements during a trial or water shut. This includes large commercial properties such as hospitals, schools and manufacturers. This is a crucial step in the scheduling of your works. 

Your accredited valve turner can assist you with:

  • review of shut plans 
  • isolation services
  • trial shuts and valve audits
  • report trial findings
  • delivery of ‘water off’ notices.