Water

• Water sources
• Daily Water Supply
• Rainfall Perth

Water Quality

• What is in my drinking water?
• Water quality publications

Water Recycling

• Water recycling for industry
• Water recycling for the environment
• Water recycling for residential use
• Sewer mining

Planning for water services

• Groundwater replenishment trial
• Wungong Catchment Trial
• Wellington dam
• Water for Perth from the Kimberley

Wastewater

• Wastewater Treatment Plants
• Recycling
• Biosolids
• Ocean Disposal of Treated Wastewater
• Industrial Waste
• Infill Sewerage Program

Our projects

There are no simple solutions or quick fixes when it comes to planning for the security of Western Australia's water supplies.

With the growing public focus on climate variability and impact on our water supplies, the Water Corporation has put a lot of effort in planning for our long term water supply security.

Climate change has seen a dramatic reduction in the stream-flows into Perth's dams by up to 50% as a result of a 12% decline in rainfall over the last decade. The prolonged drying trend has also impacted groundwater levels on the Gnangara Mound. 

In response to this situation, an accelerated source development program was put in place to restore the balance in the supply system. A severe lack of winter rainfall during 2001/2002 required additional investment in new sources, taking the total investment to $665 million in a decade. Supply capacity was doubled during this period.

This rapid expansion of water supply sources was only possible because of the long term plans that have always guided the Water Corporation and its predecessors. Without this, severe water restrictions for Perth and towns serviced by the Integrated Water Supply Scheme would have been unavoidable.

The challenge now is to provide water for all:

• in an even drier climate;
• with twice as many people; and
• with minimal environmental impact.

There are many ways to maintain a reliable balance between supply and demand. The Water Corporation recently released a 50 year plan to address this challenge. Adopting a portfolio approach, this plan looks at how we can become more climate resilient through reducing our water use, increasing the amount of water that is recycled and developing a diverse range of new sources to supplement existing supplies.

The principle of helping to make communities more climate resilient will be applied to all future water source planning across the State. The latest of which is a planning study to investigate the water needs for the growing population of the Lower Great Southern to make this area more climate resilient.

This transition to climate resilience is a shared journey, with the Water Corporation working in partnership with households, business, industry, mining, agriculture, schools, State and local governments and academic and research institutions.

To find out how you can help us ensure water for all, forever, please visit the Water Forever website

Additions to our water supply network since 1996		Additional Water Available	Cost
1996	Increased groundwater production and new borefields in Pinjar	17.9 million kilolitres	$15 million
1997	New Trunk Main delivering water from Yokine to Wanneroo South Dandalup Pumpback	6.9 million kilolitres	$37 million
1999	New borefields at Neerabup New state of the art pumping station at Belmont	26 million kilolitres	$45 million
2000	Additional groundwater sources at Neerabup, South Whitfords and Lexia	30.5 million kilolitres	$68 million
2001	Southern Trunk Main, Harris Pumpback, New dam in Harvey delivering new supplies from the South West to Perth	34 million kilolitres	$275 million
2002	Three new bores in Perth's northern suburbs	15 million kilolitres	$37 million
2002	New groundwater project in Mirrabooka	6 million kilolitres	$10 million
2003	Samson Brook Pipehead Dam	8-14 million kilolitres	$31 million
2003	Wellesley Creek Pumpback	8 million kilolitres	$16 million
2006	Perth Seawater Desalination Plant	130 megalitres per day	$387 million