Updates and version control

It is acknowledged that there are significant gaps for much of the data relating to urban nutrients in Western Australia. It is important that the design of the UNDO tool incorporates the flexibility to easily update and build in new or updated information. It is also important that there is a clear and transparent version control process that accompanies the transfer of new information and data to updates of the UNDO tool.

The process to make new data available to the UNDO tool is shown in Figure 7-1. Information submitted to the UNDO team could relate to any part of the UNDO tool, and may include (but not be limited to) the following examples:

• Updated input rates for land-uses based on better survey results or more recent literature
• The implementation of new structural treatments
• Updated treatment curves for existing structural treatments based on laboratory or site data or modelling
• The inclusion of different soil types or updating the parameters of the soil types
• New or advanced onsite sewerage disposal systems
• Updated parameters for nutrient uptake from soils
• Updated process algorithms for water and/or nutrient movement and uptake through the soils and/or groundwater
• Other innovative nutrient reduction systems or processes

Information can be submitted by any user of the UNDO tool or proponent with an interest in the tool. This may include universities, private consultants, industry bodies or state / local government.

When information is submitted, the UNDO tool team from the Department of Water will require a published report or peer reviewed journal paper, with links to raw data so the claims can be referenced and queried by the report’s author(s). For example, if a new structural treatment is promoted for the UNDO tool by a company that manufactures this treatment, it will not be sufficient to supply a brochure with removal rate summary for this treatment; a published scientific study (in the form of a journal paper or a published report) will be required for assessment by the UNDO tool team.

If the new information is deemed potentially suitable by the UNDO tool team, it will be distributed to the UNDO tool technical advisory group (TAG) for comment, which will include how the information will be used in the UNDO tool, and how the tool will change (based on the results of standardised test catchments). The TAG consists of members of the private industry (the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s Water Committee of Western Australia), local government, state government and universities. The TAG will have an opportunity to respond to the changes, and more information may be sought, or the new information may be over-ruled by the TAG and the deemed unsuitable for the tool (if the majority of the TAG agrees). If the information (and the proposed use of the information in the tool) is deemed suitable by the TAG, the UNDO tool team will update the relevant documentation, and inform the email list of the change to the next version of UNDO tool. Users will have the opportunity to save their developments and the required information before the new version of the tool is launched.

Figure 7-1: Version update process for the UNDO tool