Year in review

We provide our customers with safe, smart, reliable and affordable water services. To achieve this, we maintain trust by ensuring water quality and asset reliability, and provide continuity of service by preventing or minimising temporary service interruptions.

We deploy connected and intelligent assets to make smart decisions and operate efficiently so our services remain affordable.

Water price increase less than Consumer Price Index

Water and wastewater prices for 2023-24 were capped at 4.8 per cent, well below the Australian inflation rate of 7.0 per cent.

This meant the average metropolitan residential customer paid $24 less on their combined water and sewerage bill in 2023-24 than if the price had held to the consumer price index.

In the Bureau of Meteorology’s National Performance Report for 2022-23 (released in February 2024), which analyses and compares the performance of water utilities across the country, the ranking of our annual residential combined water and sewerage bill (based on 200 kilolitres) sits fourth cheapest of the 15 comparably-sized utilities across Australia.

Research and development builds capability

Research and development helps us meet the changing needs of our business,builds the knowledge and capability of our people, and ensures we are prepared for challenges and opportunities in the future.

In 2023-24, we delivered key research and development projects to:

• continue knowledge building and assess the feasibility of assisted restoration options to promote seagrass recruitment and long-term recovery, as part of the
• 10-year research program to guide interventions for regeneration of seagrass in Adelaide's coastal waters
• develop an acid resistant concrete for use in aggressive wastewater network environments using a waste product from our water treatment plants
• explore operational improvements to mitigate greenhouse gas generation from wastewater treatment plant sludge drying lagoons.

Sustaining and expanding our networks

Our continued focus to improve and maintain our water and wastewater networks saw us invest $87.5 million in our water network and infrastructure, and $31.6 million in our wastewater network and infrastructure.

In 2023-24 we installed 55.6 kilometres of new water mains through our water main management program, with 6.2 kilometres laid in metropolitan Adelaide and 49.4 kilometres in country areas of the state.

As part of our 4-year, $155 million water main management program, new water mains were installed throughout the state, at the following locations:

Main leaks and breaks

In 2023-24, 3,862 water main leaks and breaks were reported across our 27,000 kilometre network, compared with 3,722 in 2022-23. While this is a slight increase, it is still in line with historical trends and predicted models.

Meeting our customer service standards

Performance measures and service standards set by our economic regulator, the Essential Services Commission of South Australia, guide how we measure our success in delivering what our customers and the community expect.

In 2023-24, we achieved 93 per cent customer satisfaction against a target of 93 per cent.

Of the 138,390 fault-related phone calls we received during the year, 118,584 (86 per cent) were answered by our Customer Care Centre in Adelaide within our target timeframe of 50 seconds, ahead of our 85 per cent target.

Other notable achievements include:

We met 21 of our 22 customer service standards. Our response to sewer overflow clean-ups in metropolitan Adelaide was at 96 per cent, just short of the 98 per cent target. This was primarily due to customers requesting partial or whole clean-ups at a different time of day to better suit them, or where work was hampered due to access or safety issues.

Summer messaging a hit with customers

Approaching the 2023-24 summer season, the Bureau of Meteorology predicted a hotter, drier summer for South Australia which was expected to impact our customers and community.

We responded with a summer messaging campaign that focused on informing customers of the environmental benefits and financial savings of using water more efficiently, along with waterwise tips to help them make changes.

For the first time, we tailored content to provide practical tips that were relevant to different groups of customers.

Customer research showed our customers were aware of the campaign and agreed that we educated them to be water conscious. This was supported by the campaign results which demonstrated a wide reach, with more than one million social media impressions and a click-through rate that exceeded government benchmark standards.

Sewer smell solutions in Whyalla

A $4 million odour control unit was installed in Whyalla to improve the management of sewer network odour within hotspot areas of the regional city.

The unit, an intricate system of filters, pipes and valves, connects to the sewer network through existing pipework and uses a biofilter and activated carbon filters to absorb odorous compounds and reduce sewer smells.

In June, we completed the rehabilitation of more than 2,700 metres of sewer mains across Whyalla as part of our ongoing investment in reliable wastewater services. The $2 million project involved relining pipes with a PVC liner being fed inside the pipes to create a new surface and restore its structural integrity.

Several of the city’s roads, such as Booth Street, Cudmore Terrace, Nicolson Avenue and Playford Avenue have benefited from this project.

Pipalyatjara sewer services upgrade

The $770,000 upgrade to wastewater infrastructure at Pipalyatjara in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands has supported increased demand for more local housing and improved environmental performance of the community’s wastewater pump station.

The upgrade ensures the pump station can take on extra sewage and minimise the risk of overflows.

Sewer network upgrades in the Adeliade Hills

We upgraded more than 100 metres of sewer main in Bridgewater as part of our investment in reliable wastewater services for the Adelaide Hills. We also installed a new pipe and built a gabion wall to improve erosion protection. The existing 100-millimetre-diameter pipe travels underneath Cox Creek to our Hahndorf Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Stirling sewerage storage tank up and running

In July 2023, we completed work on our new one megalitre concrete wastewater storage tank in Stirling.

The tank, which is partly underground, stands at 21 metres long and 13 metres wide and was built to provide extra capacity within the local sewerage network and reduce the risk of sewage overflows during heavy rainfall events.

Tea Tree Gully Sustainable Sewers project

We have now converted more than 700 properties from the old community wastewater management system and laid 15,000 metres of sewer pipes as part of the Tea Tree Gully Sustainable Sewers project.

A new wastewater pump station in Banksia Park, the first in the program, was also completed in November 2023 and it has the capacity to receive and transfer wastewater from 750 homes.

We installed sustainable landscaping, watered by Tea Tree Gully Council's recycled water network, to minimise the visual impact of the new station.

Work on the project has been well received by our customers, resulting in an overall post-conversion customer satisfaction rating of more than 95 per cent.

Myponga spillway gate upgrade

Major work took place at Myponga Reservoir as part of our $3.7 million upgrade of the dam spillway gates, to ensure the long-term safety of the structure and to secure the Fleurieu Peninsula’s water supply.

Myponga’s 3 spillway gates were removed and refurbished to ensure they keep operating reliably. The gates facilitate controlled release of water from the reservoir based on its capacity and rain inflows from the catchment.

Our Adelaide Service Delivery partnership

Our Adelaide service delivery partnerships with Service Stream and SUEZ continued

in 2023-24.

Metro field operations service provider, Service Stream:

• completed 106,727 work orders and achieved 7 out of 7 customer service standards
• set by the Essential Services Commission of South Australia (including best endeavours)
• maintained customer satisfaction through optimised delivery solutions, suc as non-dig-up sewer repairs and preventative sewer maintenance techniques
• delivered services for our customers with an average customer satisfaction score of 95 per cent
• continued to operate and maintain the Community Wastewater Management System in Tea Tree Gully
• supported our capital delivery teams in delivering more than 6,000 metres of new and replacement water mains in metropolitan areas supported the rapid mobilisation of the 2023 Adelaide 500 supercar event by ensuring our water and wastewater networks were ready for increased customer demand
• supported regional teams, particularly in the Barossa, with dedicated crew members allocated to the region
• planned, assessed and provided comprehensive condition assessment of septic tank effluent drainage scheme networks in Aboriginal communities in South Australia
• cleaned, assessed and provided recommendations for wastewater assets in remote communities including Gerard, Raukkan, Point Pearce, Davenport, Nepabunna, Yalata and Koonibba, Pukatja, Fregon, Kaltjiti, Amata, Indulkana, Mimili and Pipalyatjara
• won the SA Training Awards 2023 Industry Collaboration Award with TAFE SA for developing and delivering Service Stream’s bespoke Certificate III in Water Industry Operations (Networks).

Our production and treatment alliance partner SUEZ delivered projects including a depot upgrade at our Roseworthy site, new switchboards at O’Halloran Hill and Seaview Downs pump stations, a wastewater filtration plant at Anstey Hill, and an upgrade of the Bolivar inlet works to ensure it is ready for wastewater systems growth.

In operating our wastewater treatment plants, SUEZ produced 29,715 megalitres of recycled water, supplied 83,565 tonnes of biosolids for farmers in South Australia, and achieved a 12 per cent reduction in their waste footprint compared to 2022-23.

Other initiatives included collaborating with local land care groups, biodiversity groups and community members to continue driving revegetation projects at our Glenelg and Aldinga wastewater treatment plants.

SUEZ’s innovation was recognised by an Australian Water Awards National Safety Award at Ozwater’24 in May, which they won for their portable chlorine disinfection skid.

Our production and treatment activities ensure the water we provide is fit for our customers to use and to be recycled or returned to the environment. We harvest, store, treat, distribute and reuse water to provide fit-for purpose water services to our customers to stimulate economic growth and meet customer needs, and look for opportunities to positively influence policy and decisions.

Delivering climate independent water on Kangaroo Island

As the Kangaroo Island Desalination Plant nears completion, we laid 3 large underwater pipelines off the coast of Penneshaw. The 200-metre-long submerged pipelines include 2 intake pipes which will draw in seawater for treatment into safe, clean drinking water at the new, 2 million-litre-per-day capacity desalination plant near Hog Bay Road.

The third outfall pipe will return saline concentrate from the desalination process to the ocean, in accordance with strict environmental guidelines. The plant and pipe network which will deliver water to customers has been commissioned and is set to deliver water to new customers from mid 2024. This includes delivering water to people living in American River, Island Beach, Baudin Beach and Sapphiretown.

Penneshaw’s new desalination plant will work in tandem with the existing nearby desalination facility and Middle River Water Treatment Plant to increase the security of Kangaroo Island’s drinking water supply for future generations.

Water for remote communities

In a drying climate and with increasing customer demand, sustainable and climate independent water sources are a growing focus for our people. As our available water sources are set to reduce over the coming decades, we need to consider new water sources to deliver secure and resilient sources of drinking water.

In August 2023, the first water was delivered from the desalination plant in Oodnadatta. This gave residents and visitors of the outback town safe, clean drinking water from their taps for the first time.

The small-scale reverse osmosis plant can produce up to 210,000 litres of drinking water each day.

Marla’s desalination plant was completed in January 2024 and is delivering safe, clean drinking water to residents and businesses directly from their taps.

The plant produces up to 87,000 litres of water every day and was constructed inside a shipping container to protect it from the harsh weather in the area. Located in the state’s Far North, Marla’s water supply has historically been designated as non-drinking, with residents sourcing their own drinking water from private rainwater tanks, water carting or bottled products.

We continued to progress infrastructure upgrades so that we can deliver safe, clean drinking water to the regional towns of Yunta, Manna Hill and Terowie in the state's north-east. We expect these upgrades to be completed by mid-2024.

Water security for the Eyre Peninsula

We are addressing water security on the Eyre Peninsula by working with the community and stakeholders to build a desalination plant at Billy Lights Point.

The desalination plant is critical to augment supply, currently drawn from an understress Uley South Basin, the regions primary source of drinking water and deliver a long-term, climate-independent drinking water source for the 35,000 people in this community.

We are proceeding with plans to build a more than $300 million desalination plant to secure water supply after extensive engagement with community and stakeholders and the detailed consideration of social, environmental and technical factors.

In 2023-24 we made significant progress on the project by way of design and development approvals. We were able to progress beyond concept design by using an early contractor engagement process. The plans developed will support the submission of a development plan to the State Planning Authority and the progress of other federal and state approvals. The design process has required a number of terrestrial and marine studies to be completed, including geotechnical activities to collect soil and rock samples from the ocean floor to determine the site’s geology and potential construction method.

In May, we began talking with Eyre Peninsula communities about using water wisely in and around their homes and encouraged people to be part of ensuring a secure water future for the region.

We also began a review of our Water Security Response Plan to prepare for all scenarios, including what actions may need to be taken in response to a licensed water reduction or if there are significant delays to the proposed desalination plant.

Housing roadmap

We are working with the state government and industry to plan and deliver viable water and wastewater solutions for housing growth across the state in response to South Australia’s new housing infrastructure roadmap released in June 2024.

The project requires us to deliver the single largest expansion of our metropolitan water and wastewater network in decades. It includes directly enabling the delivery of 25 kilometres of new trunk water main, 43 kilometres of trunk wastewater main, 4 new pumping stations and 2 new water storage tanks.

The state government’s commitment to the housing roadmap will deliver 40,000 new homes, including an extra 17,000 new homes in the state's growth areas. The greatest number of new homes will be unlocked in the priority areas of: Angle Vale (2,200), Riverlea (3,980) and Roseworthy (1,562).

Construction on water and wastewater infrastructure is scheduled to commence in late 2024, when we will also begin building our resourcing, developing governance, and community engagement with key stakeholders and communities.

We support and promote the health and wellbeing of an active, thriving South Australia. This is achieved by building sustainable and liveable communities. We share new ways of using water effectively and efficiently to create comfortable green spaces that support wellbeing. Through actions to achieve reconciliation, we support stronger Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by helping to create economic opportunities.

Recreational access at our reservoir reserves

In 2023-24, our 10 reservoir reserves welcomed more than 412,000 visitors. Through our Reservoirs Partnership Program, which supports grassroots events and projects held at reservoir reserves, we supported 4 organisations: Nature Play SA, RecFish SA, Walking SA and Paddle SA.

In a pioneering effort to conserve and study the endangered Murray cod, we partnered with RecFish SA, along with their partners Pembroke School and AusOcean, to launch a ‘CodPod’. This is an artificial breeding habitat in Happy Valley Reservoir to help monitor breeding activity of Murray cod.

The project aims to foster natural breeding habitats for this iconic species, crucial for both recreational fishing and environmental health.

Community education, events and engagement

New artworks can be found on water infrastructure from Minlacowie on Yorke Peninsula to Loxton in the Riverland and Lochiel Park in Adelaide’s north-east.

Seven new murals were painted on our infrastructure around South Australia in 2023-24, brightening pump stations and tanks for communities and visitors.

In this reporting period we also:

• delivered 144 sessions of The Well education program, which included incursions, tours, workshops, and a program created specifically for students in the APY Lands
• delivered community presentations and site tours for 793 South Australians to increase their knowledge of the work we do to deliver safe, clean drinking water across the state
• booked 229 events for our Quench Benches and fountains, including 16 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community events across the Riverland, Port Lincoln and Yorke Peninsula
• sent brand ambassadors to attend community events including the VAILO Adelaide 500, the National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant and WOMADelaide, where BYOB bottles were provided for a $5 donation to the event charity partners.

More than 35,000 people learnt about and engaged in a range of projects underway across the state through our Water Talks website including the:

• Tea Tree Gully Sustainable Sewers project
• Eyre Peninsula Desalination Project
• Tailem Bend to Keith pipeline valve upgrades
• Myponga Dam safety upgrade.

Using a school and community approach to promote water literacy in remote communities, we partnered with Atria Group to develop and deliver a unique education program to 6 schools.

In this program, we worked with school communities to discover, record, and share the local water stories. This included sessions at Amata School, Pipalyatjara School, Murputja School, Pukatja/Ernabella School, Indulkana School, and Yunyarinyi/Kenmore Park School.

The program is based on a two-way learning philosophy that embraces both traditional Anangu knowledge and the modern science and technology behind water sources and treatment, bringing them together to encourage new generations of water advocates.