New South Wales Government
Water and Energy

• Urban water
• Metropolitan water
  • Greater Sydney
  • Lower Hunter
• Country town water
• Saving water
• Recycling water
• Plumbing
• Review and reform

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2. Urban water
3. Metropolitan water
4. Greater Sydney

Urban Water

Water in greater Sydney

Metropolitan Water Plan

Wise water use is a fact of life for all New South Wales residents and businesses, including those in Sydney. Water recycling and desalination are also key elements of the NSW Government's Metropolitan Water Plan which secures the water supply of greater Sydney. The Department of Water and Energy oversees and coordinates the Metropolitan Water Plan.

Through the plan and its adaptive approach, greater Sydney is prepared for drought, a changing climate and a growing population – one that is expected to grow to six million by 2036.

The four main parts that make up the NSW Government's plan to secure our water for life are: Dams, recycling, desalination and water efficiency. Following are some facts and figures about our water supply, and how we use it:

Dams:

• Sydney has a network of 11 major dams – one of the largest per person storages in the world
• Substantial rain in June 2007 relieved the immediate pressure on Sydney's water supplies. While the rise is welcome, storage levels have risen previously such as in early 2006, only to fall again to record lows in early 2007. The increase in dam levels does not remove the need to introduce new water sources, increase recycling and encourage water efficiency.

Recycling:

• Water recycling will provide 12 per cent of Sydney's water needs by 2015
• Sydney, the Illawarra and the Blue Mountains currently recycle 25 billion litres of wastewater a year for industry, irrigation and gardens – and this will increase to 70 billion litres a year by 2015.

Desalination:

• Desalination will supply up to 15 per cent of Sydney's drinking water needs from the summer of 2009-10
• The desalination plant will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy
• This new source of water is important for the future because it is not dependent on rainfall.

Water efficiency:

• Water efficiency will save 24 per cent of Sydney's water needs by 2015
• Households use about 70 per cent of the water supplied, while businesses use about 22 per cent
• Overall, Sydney's households and businesses are using about the same amount of water now as they did in the early 1970s, despite an increase in population of over 1.3 million people.

For more information go to Water for Life.

For information on current dam levels, the history of our dams, dam diagrams and environmental flows see the Sydney Catchment Authority's Dams and Water webpage.

For the latest NSW rainfall, forecasts and climate information see the Bureau of Meteorology's NSW Weather and Warnings page.

Creating a dynamic water industry

Meeting the challenge of securing Sydney's water supply in the long-term and in drought requires the innovation, resources and cooperation of both the Government and the private sector.

New South Wales is leading Australia in introducing competition to the metropolitan water industry. Increasing competition in the metropolitan water market and water recycling are key actions in the NSW Government's Metropolitan Water Plan and State Plan. For more information go to Water Industry Competition.

Sydney Water Corporation

Sydney Water Corporation, a statutory state-owned entity, provides drinking water, recycled water, wastewater services and some stormwater services to more than four million people in Sydney, Illawarra and the Blue Mountains.
Sydney Water provides rebates for householders to save water and is implementing a range of other major projects under the Metropolitan Water Plan. For more information go to Sydney Water.

Sydney Catchment Authority

Drinking water in greater Sydney is sourced from a network of dams managed by the Sydney Catchment Authority. For more information go to the Sydney Catchment Authority.