30-year plan to supply drinking water for 100,000 people

Mar 05, 2021

Riverina Water’s major strategy to ensure the supply of the region’s drinking water for the next 30 years has been released for public feedback.

The draft Integrated Water Cycle Management (IWCM) 30-year Strategy establishes how Riverina Water can provide safe and secure water that meets the community’s growing needs while being cost-effective.

Riverina Water currently supplies water for Wagga Wagga City, Lockhart Shire and parts of Greater Hume and Federation councils.

That population of 73,000 customers is set to surge to 100,000 and beyond by 2050.

Find out more

“This strategy is a significant piece of work that has taken many hours of consultation investigation and research to develop,” Riverina Water Chairperson Councillor Greg Verdon said.

“The Integrated Water Cycle Management Strategy sets out how we manage our drinking water supply network until 2050 – including all of our assets and financial plans; as well as contingency plans for droughts or emergencies.

“This region is undergoing unprecedented growth, with Wagga Wagga in particular benefiting from new residential development, expansion in Defence facilities and the NSW Government-led Special Activation Precinct at Bomen.

"Safe and secure water supply is crucial and we are committed to having the plans in place to both facilitate and manage that growth.”

Optimising our network

Riverina Water’s supply area covers more than 15,000 square kilometres, featuring four major systems and eight independent systems. The region has safe and secure access to drinking water from both groundwater bores and the Murrumbidgee River.

However, the ongoing growth in many of the major systems would lead to demand during peak periods exceeding Riverina Water’s current capacity without adequate planning and foresight.

“We have done extensive modelling to understand the changing needs of our community and industry,” Clr Verdon said.

“The IWCM Strategy provides a 30-year game plan to supply and optimise our water sources, treatment and pumping capacities.

“Optimising our network is not only smarter, it is more cost effective for you, the residents and businesses we supply water to.”

Keeping water costs low into the future

Riverina Water is in a strong financial position and in 2019, had the second highest capital works investment in the State with $15.4M.

By optimising the network in the new strategy and by reducing energy costs through a solar energy project to power the Wagga Wagga Water Treatment Plant, Clr Verdon said water charges will not need to increase significantly over the next 30 years.

“Our mission is to provide our community with safe, reliable water at the lowest sustainable cost,” Clr Verdon said.

“The preferred option in the IWCM Strategy is a 1.5% increase in a typical residential bill – which would be about $3.39 in 2021-22 on an average bill of $660 per annum.

“In that scenario we would be saving $1.3M in energy costs through our upcoming solar project and planning for an annual growth rate across our supply area of 1%.

“Developer charges would decrease and continue to slowly decline on average until 2050.

“This is no small feat and is thanks to consistent long-term planning and delivery of works and projects.”

Learn more and share your thoughts

You can find out more or read the draft IWCM Strategy in full and make a submission.

The draft strategy is on public exhibition until 2 April 2021.

Submissions can be made online, posted to PO Box 456 Wagga Wagga NSW 2650, dropped into our office at 91 Hammond Avenue, or faxed to 6921 2241.