Greater Sydney Water Strategy

Sustainable and resilient water supply

The Greater Sydney Water Strategy (GSWS) is the NSW Government's long-term plan for the management of our water resources in the Sydney, Illawarra and Blue Mountains regions.

GSWS and our water future

In 2022, we partnered with the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment and WaterNSW to develop the Greater Sydney Water Strategy. The GSWS provides a clear direction for:

• delivering sustainable and resilient water services for the next 20 to 40 years
• servicing a growing Greater Sydney, including the Illawarra and Blue Mountains
• safeguarding our city during prolonged drought and extreme weather events.

It lays out priorities and actions for the delivery of water, wastewater, recycled water and stormwater services into the future in a way that is integrated with land use planning. They provide a clear direction to support economic growth and community wellbeing through to 2040 and beyond.

Rainfall and our water supply

Did you know that Greater Sydney relies on rainfall for about 85% of its water supply?

During the drought that lasted from 2017 to 2020, our dam storage levels dropped by nearly 60%. It proved that we need to think about water differently to prepare for future droughts. Our water network must be adapted to increase our overall supply. We need to consider a mix of water supply options.

To meet the needs of our vibrant city, it's essential to secure a resilient and reliable water supply that's less dependent on rainfall

See the Greater Sydney Drought Response Plan overview.

Long-term GSWS commitments

Core commitments

• Save 49 GL per year water by 2040
  through investment in water conservation and efficiency programs.
• Supply an additional 20 GL per year 
  through increased use of the Sydney Desalination Plant.

Plus explore all rainfall-independent supply options

• Purified recycled water (PRW)
• Desalination
• Using more stormwater and recycled water to cool and green the city
• Upgrades, new connections and leak management
• Integrating sustainable water use into planning
• Investing in wastewater management and improving waterway health.

The first 3 years

The GSWS set its initial priorities in its Implementation Plan 2022–2025. The plan set out how the GSWS would be delivered in its first 3 years, which aligned with the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) determination of our prices for 2025–30.

The plan set out priorities and actions for the delivery of water, wastewater, recycled water and stormwater services into the future in a way that is integrated with land use planning.

Our 5 priorities

• Priority 1
  We understand how much water we need and when.
• Priority 2
  Our water systems are sustainable for the long term and resilient to extreme events.
• Priority 3
  Our city is green and liveable.
• Priority 4
  Our waterways and landscapes are healthy.
• Priority 5
  Water management and services meet community needs.

There were over 20 actions we were required to carry out under our priorities.

Actions we're taking

Establishing a resilient and reliable water supply

We rely on rainfall for about 85% of our water supply. The remaining 15% comes from the Sydney Desalination Plant.

As increased floods and droughts challenge traditional water management, we're exploring a range of options to maintain a safe, resilient and secure water supply, even in times of extreme weather.

Investing in our resilient and reliable water supply program will enable us to meet our water demands and maintain an acceptable level of water security risk while avoiding the need for significant whole-of-system investment. We're currently focused on the investigations, planning and consultation on key projects that will require further approvals to proceed:

• expansion of the Sydney Desalination Plant network so we can use more of the additional drinking water it produces
• new interconnectors to address single points of failure in our water system
• our securing our water supply – Quakers Hill to Prospect purified recycled water project.

Community programs

A GSWS action under Priority 5 is to educate and engage the community around the urban water cycle and water management. We're already doing it through community programs, including the Wonders of Water Discovery Van. We engage with the community at local events. Whether at festivals, markets or gatherings, our Discovery Team is on hand to share insights about water conservation and management.