Do You Have a Water Quality Risk Management Plan? What Victorian Pool Operators Need to Know

If you manage a commercial pool, spa, or aquatic facility in Victoria — whether it's in a strata complex, a school, a gym, or a council facility — there is one compliance document you legally cannot operate without: a Water Quality Risk Management Plan (WQRMP).

Under the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 (Victoria), ALL public aquatic facilities — both Category 1 and Category 2 — are required to have a current, documented WQRMP. This is not optional.

WHAT IS A WQRMP?

A Water Quality Risk Management Plan is a formal document that describes how your facility will manage water quality risks to protect public health. It must cover: staff roles and responsibilities, training requirements, a full description of the facility and its water treatment systems, operational and verification monitoring schedules, corrective action procedures, and record-keeping requirements.

CATEGORY 1 VS CATEGORY 2 — WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Category 1 facilities (public aquatic centres, school pools, hospital pools) must register with their local council AND have a WQRMP. Category 2 facilities (apartment complex pools, hotel pools, gym pools) do not need council registration — but they STILL require a fully compliant WQRMP. This is the most commonly misunderstood obligation in Victoria's aquatic industry.

WHY MOST FACILITIES ARE AT RISK

Many operators assume that because their pool looks fine and they dose it regularly, they are compliant. They are not. Without a current WQRMP that addresses all the mandatory elements in the DHHS Water Quality Guidelines 2020, you are operating a non-compliant facility — regardless of how clean the water looks.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF NON-COMPLIANCE

Operating without a compliant WQRMP exposes facility operators, strata committees, and building managers to serious regulatory risk under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008. In the event of a water-borne illness outbreak, the absence of a current WQRMP will be the first thing an environmental health officer looks for.

HOW ACE AQUATICS CAN HELP

We are Melbourne's specialist in WQRMP authoring and aquatic compliance. We prepare fully compliant, facility-specific Water Quality Risk Management Plans for strata complexes, schools, gyms, and councils across Victoria. Our plans are written to the exact requirements of the DHHS Water Quality Guidelines 2020 and the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019.

Get in touch today for a fixed-fee WQRMP proposal: call 0422 470 214 or visit aceaquatics.com.au/contact