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About Sydney Water and
the history of water in Sydney
Sydney Water supplies drinking water, wastewater services, recycled water and some stormwater services to over 4.3 million people in Sydney, the Illawarra and the Blue Mountains.
Find out more about Sydney Water, how we manage water and wastewater and the history of water use in Sydney.
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Who is Sydney Water and what do we do?
Sydney Water is a large corporation, wholly owned by the New South Wales Government. Sydney Water has over 3,200 staff and an area of operations covering 12,700 square kilometres. Find out more about Sydney Water. |
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Why do people manage the water cycle?
Sydney needs reliable sources of drinking water and an efficient system for removing and treating wastewater . To do this, Sydney Water manages the water cycle in a way that is sustainable , takes care of the environment and looks after public health and safety. Find out more about how Sydney Water manages water. |
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Who else manages water in greater Sydney?
Other organisations help manage water in greater Sydney as well as Sydney Water. Find out about these organisations and what they do to manage water. |
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The history of water use in Sydney
Before European settlement, aboriginals got their drinking water from natural sources like rivers, creeks and wetlands. Since that time, Sydney has grown from a colonial settlement relying on the Tank Stream for water supply and wastewater removal, to a large city of over 4.3 million people relying on a range of sophisticated water supply and wastewater removal systems. Find out more about the history of water supply and wastewater removal in Sydney. |
Learn about water: Definitions
