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Stormwater Management
Who is responsible for stormwater management?
In Sydney, stormwater drainage services are shared among a number of agencies and groups. Stormwater generally flows into small street drains owned by local councils and then into much larger pipes or channels called 'trunk drains', some of which are owned by Sydney Water.
Sydney Water's trunk drains provide drainage services for more than 474,000 properties or 25 per cent of metropolitan Sydney, mostly in the inner-west and inner south-west suburbs of Sydney. We also manage flood-prone land and trunk drainage in the Rouse Hill Development Area.
Our stormwater services help to:
- protect people and property from flooding
- improve waterway health and appeal
- provide for growth.
The stormwater network map (JPG - 750KB) shows where our stormwater catchments are located.
If your property is in a Sydney Water stormwater catchment area, your Sydney Water bill includes a stormwater service charge.
Improving stormwater quality and waterway health
Stormwater can carry pollutants such as litter, coarse sediment, grease, oil and metals collected from roads and properties. These pollutants can affect the quality of receiving waters and the surrounding environment.
Stormwater Quality Improvement Devices (SQIDs) help to remove litter and sediment from the stormwater. Sydney Water owns 60 SQIDs, which treat approximately 46% of our operating area. The stormwater network map (JPG - 750KB) shows where our SQIDs are located.
Want to know more about SQIDs? See our case study on the Woollahra Golf Course SQID (PDF - 277KB) and how it's helping protect the Whites Seahorses in Rose Bay.
