Every day, we supply over 1.5 billion litres of drinking water to over five million people in both their homes and businesses. About 80% of it comes from Warragamba Dam. The rest comes from a mix of other dams, the Hawkesbury Nepean River and Sydney Desalination Plant at Kurnell.
Your water is safe to drink Your water is filtered at one of the nine drinking water filtration plants or Sydney Desalination Plant to meet the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
Greater Sydney's total dam storage We work in partnership with WaterNSW who supply much of the raw water from rivers and dams.
To see how much water is in the dams, visit WaterNSW.
Sydney Desalination Plant is in operation
Sydney Desalination Plant supplies water to up to 1.5 million people. It is privately-owned and operated. It becomes part of our water network during drought. Find out more about desalination.
What makes up our water network?
Our water network is flexible and many of our water delivery systems are interconnected. We supply water from 11 major dams through 13 water delivery systems with:
22,342 kilometres of pipes
249 reservoirs
150 pumping stations
9 water filtration plants (four of these are privately-owned and operated)
Sydney Desalination Plant (privately-owned and operated).
The Woronora Water Delivery System supplies water to about 100,000 people in the Sutherland Shire and northern parts of the Wollongong local government area. This system is interconnected with Potts Hill Water Delivery System, so it may receive water from Sydney Desalination Plant during drought.
Water sources
Main source: Woronora River
When required: The ocean via Sydney Desalination Plant
Main water storage
Woronora Dam
Water filtration
Woronora Water Filtration Plant
When required: Sydney Desalination Plant
The Prospect North Water Delivery System supplies water to about 670,000 people in the Hills Shire, Blacktown, Parramatta, Cumberland, Hornsby and Ku-Ring-Gai local government areas. This system can supply water to the Ryde Water Delivery System when needed.
Water sources
Main sources: Coxs, Kowmung, Nattai, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Warragamba rivers
When required: Cataract, Cordeaux, Avon and Nepean rivers and the Shoalhaven River System
Main water storage
Warragamba Dam
Water filtration
Prospect Water Filtration Plant
Potts Hill Water Delivery System supplies water to about 1.5 million people across Cumberland, Canada Bay, Inner West, Sydney, Woollahra, Waverly, Randwick, Bayside, Burwood, Strathfield, Canterbury-Bankstown, Georges River and Sutherland Shire local government areas. The Potts Hill Water Delivery System is interconnected with the Woronora Water Delivery System and may also receive water from Sydney Desalination Plant during drought.
Water sources
Main sources: Coxs, Kowmung, Nattai, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Warragamba rivers
When required: Cataract, Cordeaux, Avon and Nepean rivers, Shoalhaven River System and the ocean
Main water storage
Warragamba Dam
Water filtration
Prospect Water Filtration Plant
When required: Sydney Desalination Plant
The Warragamba Water Delivery System supplies water to about 8,700 people in the Penrith, Liverpool and Wollondilly local government areas.
Water sources
Main sources: Coxs, Kowmung, Nattai, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Warragamba rivers
When required: Shoalhaven River System
Main water storage
Warragamba Dam
Water filtration
Warragamba Water Filtration Plant
The Orchard Hills Water Delivery System supplies water to about 240,000 people in the Penrith, Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury local government areas. This system is interconnected with the Cascade Water Delivery System.
Water sources
Main sources: Coxs, Kowmung, Nattai, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Warragamba rivers
When required: Adams Creek, Greaves Creek, Cascade Creek and the Shoalhaven River System
Main water storage
Warragamba Dam
Water filtration
Warragamba Water Filtration Plant
The North Richmond Water Delivery System supplies about 48,000 people in the Hawkesbury local government area.
Water sources
Hawksebury-Nepean River
Main water storage
No dams. We extract water direct from the Hawksebury-Nepean River at North Richmond
Water filtration
North Richmond Water Filtration Plant
The Ryde Water Delivery System supplies over 665,000 people across the Parramatta, Ku-Ring-Gai, Ryde, Hunters Hill, Lane Cove, Willoughby, North Sydney, Mosman, and Northern Beaches local government areas. It is interconnected with the Prospect North Water Delivery System.
Water sources
Main sources: Coxs, Kowmung, Nattai, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Warragamba rivers
When required: Cataract, Cordeaux, Avon and Nepean rivers and the Shoalhaven River System
Main water storage
Warragamba Dam
Water filtration
Prospect Water Filtration Plant
The Prospect East Water Delivery System supplies a fast-growing population of over 210,000 people across Parramatta, Cumberland, Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield and Liverpool local government areas.
Water sources
Main sources: Coxs, Kowmung, Nattai, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Warragamba rivers
When required: Cataract, Cordeaux, Avon and Nepean rivers and the Shoalhaven River System
Main water storage
Warragamba Dam
Water filtration
Prospect Water Filtration Plant
The Prospect South Water Delivery System supplies about 375,000 people across Campbelltown, Liverpool, Blacktown and Wollondilly local government areas. It is interconnected with the Prospect North Water Delivery System.
Water sources
Main sources: Coxs, Kowmung, Nattai, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Warragamba rivers
When required: Cataract, Cordeaux, Avon and Nepean rivers and the Shoalhaven River System
Main water storage
Warragamba Dam
Water filtration
Prospect Water Filtration Plant
The Macarthur Water Delivery System supplies about 290,000 people across Wollondilly, Campbelltown, Camden and Liverpool local government areas.
Water sources
Main sources: Cataract and Cordeaux rivers
When required: Nepean and Avon rivers and the Shoalhaven River System
Main water storage
Cataract and Cordeaux dams
Water filtration
Macarthur Water Filtration Plant
The Nepean Water Delivery System supplies about 22,000 people in the Wollondilly local government area.
Water sources
Main sources: Nepean River
When required: Shoalhaven River System
Main water storage
Nepean Dam
Water filtration
Nepean Water Filtration Plant
The Illawarra Water Delivery System supplies water to about 300,000 people in Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama local government areas.
Water sources
Main source: Avon River
When required: Nepean River and the Shoalhaven River System
Main water storage
Avon Dam
Water filtration
Illawarra Water Filtration Plant
The Cascade Water Delivery System supplies about 49,500 customers within the Blue Mountains local government area. This system is interconnected with the Orchard Hills Water Delivery System.
Water sources
Main sources: Adams Creek, Greaves Creek and Cascade Creek
When required: Fish, Duckmaloi, Coxs, Kowmung, Nattai, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly and Warragamba rivers and the Shoalhaven River System
Main water storage
Blue Mountains dams: Upper, Middle and Lower Cascade dams, Greaves Creek Dam and Medlow Dam
