Water Main Disinfection and Flushing SWMS

Suits civil and plumbing contractors who commission newly laid or repaired water mains and service lines. It covers chlorine products and dosing, pressure testing, hydrant and flushing points, traffic and pedestrians, discharge of dechlorinated water and restoring the supply.

Installing, testing and commissioning a water main is construction work (WHS Regulation s 289(2)(a) and (e)), and flushing points are usually in or beside a road in use, so that item (s 291(n)) is ticked; untick it only where the road is closed to all traffic. Tick the other items the job involves: a trench deeper than 1.5 metres, disturbance of asbestos on a repaired main, a confined space such as a valve chamber, and energised electrical installations or services. Chlorine gas cylinders and gas dosing equipment are not covered.

New to SWMS? Read What Is A Safe Work Method Statement?

What Is Covered In Our Water Main Disinfection and Flushing SWMS?

After the standard pre-start checks, the job steps run from “Plan the job and approve the procedure” to “Restore the supply, record the results and pack up”. The hazards and controls include:

• Traffic striking workers at hydrants and flushing points
• Pedestrians entering the flushing area
• Chemical burns from hypochlorite products
• Chlorine gas from mixing or spills
• Pressure release from caps, hoses and fittings
• Water hammer and burst pipework
• Flooding and scour from flushing flow
• Chlorinated water reaching drains and waterways
• Valve pits and confined spaces
• Underground service strikes and trench collapse
• Asbestos cement pipe on repaired mains
• Heavy drums and containers tipping in the vehicle

High Risk Construction Work

These high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are already ticked because they are part of this work. Tick any others that apply to your job:

• Is carried out on, in or adjacent to a road, railway, shipping lane or other traffic corridor that is in use by traffic other than pedestrians

Licences, Training and Competency

• General construction induction card (white card)
• Competent person in charge of each pressure test and disinfection (dose, hold time, discharge arrangements)
• Workers handling chlorine and dechlorination products trained in the SDS, PPE, spill response and first aid (WHS Regulation s 39), supervised (s 379)
• Plumbing licence for work on pipe supplying water to premises from the provider’s infrastructure, including installing, maintaining and testing (Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 Schedule 1 and s 56); trainees under direct supervision (s 58(1)(b))
• Traffic management plan and guidance scheme prepared by a holder of the Transport and Main Roads Traffic Management Design qualification
• Traffic controllers hold current Transport and Main Roads accreditation (Transport Operations (Road Use Management – Accreditation and Other Provisions) Regulation 2015 ss 54 and 55)
• Workers who may do asbestos-related work on a repaired main trained in identifying and handling asbestos and ACM (WHS Regulation s 445)
• Trained operator for the locator, chlorine test kit or meter and gas monitor
• Appointed first aider’s current first aid certificate (WHS Regulation s 42)

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld): general environmental duty, s 319
• Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 (Qld)
• Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008 (Qld)
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals Code of Practice 2021
• Preparation of Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Chemicals Code of Practice 2021
• Excavation Work Code of Practice 2021
• Confined Spaces Code of Practice 2021
• Traffic Management for Construction or Maintenance Work Code of Practice 2008
• How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• How to Safely Remove Asbestos Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld)
• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): underground electric lines, ss 14 and 15
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2020 – Working near overhead and underground electric lines
• Transport and Main Roads, Queensland Guide to Temporary Traffic Management Part 3: Static Worksites (guide)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (18 A4 landscape pages). Type your business, client and job details once and they fill in on every page, with a space for your logo
• 10 job steps for this work, each with its hazards, controls, initial and residual risk scores and the person responsible
• PPE listed for this job: splash goggles and face shield for mixing and dosing; chemical-resistant gloves and apron or coveralls; safety boots (rubber at the discharge point)
• Emergency arrangements for: chlorine product spill or gas release, chemical in the eyes or on skin and pressure release, burst fitting or hose strike
• Plus the parts every Work Safety QLD SWMS shares, from the s 291 checklist to the worker sign-on sheet (see the layout in our free SWMS template)

Adjust it for your site, plant and crew, and talk it through with your workers before work starts. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading this SWMS.

Checked against the Queensland laws and codes of practice listed above. Last reviewed November 2026.