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Water
Alternative water sources

Guidance on alternative water sources

Water utilities are responsible for consulting their communities and determining the best mix of water sources for their location.

Two people in high vis clothing pointing at a pipes on a construction site

The role of water utilities in planning the water source mix

Water utilities supply water to our towns and cities. They need to plan for additional and/or alternative water sources to ensure a secure and resilient water supply. No single water source or group of water sources is right for all towns and cities across NSW.

As urban water supply and the utilities responsible for it vary in size, location, demand, opportunities and risks, there is no single ‘how to guide’ for diversifying sources. Utilities should consider local water solutions in their strategic planning process and ensure these are informed by research and the principles of integrated water cycle management. Integrated water cycle management considers options at all points in the water cycle including:

  • water supply
  • drainage, flooding and stormwater management
  • wastewater management.

Factors to consider when assessing alternative water sources

  1. Availability, Reliability, and Accessibility: How accessible each water source is, as well as its availability and reliability.
  2. Regional Water Strategy: How the opportunities and challenges detailed in the Regional Water Strategy relate to the utility's specific geographical area.
  3. Infrastructure and Operational Costs: Costs associated with infrastructure development, construction, and ongoing operations.
  4. Energy Requirements and Environmental Impact: The energy needs and costs, along with the environmental impacts associated with these energy requirements.
  5. Impact Assessments: Assessments of short-term, long-term, and cumulative impacts.
  6. Monitoring and Risk Mitigation: Monitoring and risk impact mitigation strategies for the water source, surrounding environment, water-dependent ecosystems, connected water sources, and social values.
  7. Cost of Investigations: The cost of investigations necessary to gain sufficient confidence in the new source or scheme. This will depend on the project's complexity, risk level, and scale. Simpler projects with lower risks are easier to implement, and the experience gained from these can inform future projects. Pilot, trial, and demonstration projects or plants can be beneficial in informing the development of new schemes.
  8. Extraction/Harvest Capacity: Extraction or harvest capacity, which will depend on the scheme's size, local rainfall/inflow, and environmental flow requirements.
  9. Water Quality Requirements: Water quality considerations and requirements.
  10. Regulatory Compliance:  Compliance with exemptions and approval requirements under the Water Management Act 2000 and other relevant legislation.
  11. Water Management Principles: Water management principles outlined in section 5 of the Water Management Act 2000.

Water utilities must lead community engagement

It’s important that water utilities consult their communities about their supply and the use of alternative water sources. This should involve early consultation with Aboriginal communities, including consideration of native title rights and interests.

Securing public support is key to ensuring all water source options are ‘on the table’ and are viable components of future supply plans.

Water utilities are best placed to engage their customers about water supply because they have a close relationship with their communities and are primarily responsible for the delivery of safe, secure and reliable urban water supplies.

Engagement and education allow stakeholders to learn about and provide informed comment on key issues. Innovative and cost-effective alternative water sources are more likely to emerge as preferred options for securing sustainable water supply when all stakeholders are part of developing integrated water solutions.

Engagement barriers

We recently consulted water utilities and other key stakeholders to identify the barriers, and supports utilities need, to start or continue conversations with their communities about alternative sources of water. The main barriers identified by utilities were:

  • low public water literacy
  • lack of resources – financial, time, skills and resources that are specific to regional NSW
  • lack of leadership
  • lack of clear messaging and consistent language about alternative water sources.

For more information, read our What We Heard report PDF, 341.3 KB.

Helping water utilities talk to their communities

We have developed a series of factsheets about adding alternative water sources to the water supply to help water utilities consult with their communities.

Community engagement guidance

Learn the key principles, steps and tools which will help you talk to customers about alternative water sources.

Case studies

Discover how some water utilities have successfully engaged their communities about alternative water sources.