- Deep Water in the Dams
- Desalination
- Groundwater
- Shoalhaven Transfer Scheme
- Frequently asked questions
Supply and drought security
Over the last 120 years, Sydney has experienced three severe droughts – in the 1890s, the 1940s and currently.
Fortunately, the capacity of Sydney's water supply system is greater than many cities around the world, with a series of 11 major dams.
Nevertheless, with a million new residents expected to be living in Sydney in the next 25 years, it is important that we have a secure supply of water from a range of sources, particularly given that climate change impacts could lead to longer and more intense droughts in future.
In the past, the NSW Government has had to rely almost solely on rainfall for Sydney's water supply, which left us vulnerable to water shortages.
The range of measures being implemented under the Metropolitan Water Plan, including non rainfall dependent options, means that Sydney’s 4.3 million people, and its businesses, have secure water supplies even during extreme drought.
Key achievements to date
To diversify supplies for a growing population and water supplies and to insure against droughts:
- the Sydney Catchment Authority has modified its infrastructure and installed new pumps to access water in deeper parts of Warragamba and Nepean Dams, increasing long term water availability by 40 billion litres a year
- Sydney Water has signed a contract for the construction and operation of a 250 million litre a day desalination plant at Kurnell, to be 100 per cent powered by accredited renewable energy
- the Sydney Catchment Authority is progressing its extensive investigations of groundwater bores in the Kangaloon, Leonay and Wallacia areas that will supply up to 45 billion litres a year for two or three years during a severe drought
- transferring more water from the Shoalhaven catchment.
There is a lot more planned. Find out what's next or download the 2007 Progress Report.
Frequently asked questions
- Why not build another dam for Sydney?
- Why not impose tougher restrictions?
- Why don’t we just transfer more water from the Shoalhaven system?
- How much water has the deep water project given us?
- What’s happening with desalination?
- Why are we building a desalination plant when it has rained?
- Does the desalination plant mean we can lift water restrictions now?
- Will the desalination plant have impacts on the environment and the community?
- What’s happening with accessing groundwater?
- How much water would the groundwater bore fields provide?
- Would the groundwater project damage the environment?
- What’s next?
To find out more visit the Sydney Catchment Authority and Sydney Water websites, or view Chapter 3 and Chapter 7 of the Plan.
This page was last updated on 22 Jul 2008.