Environmental commitments

We are a signatory to the Australian water industry’s commitment to support the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations General Assembly, and a participant of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.

Here are 4 examples of how we’re putting that commitment into action:

1. improving the quality and reliability of drinking water in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytijatjara (APY lands) in north-western South Australia.

2. providing free drinking water fountains across the state and encouraging reusable drink bottles through our BYOB program.

3. supporting community partnerships that share our vision of water management, education and conservation. This ranges from projects to build green spaces in our community, clearing marine debris from beaches, rivers and creeks, restoring the stonework of the Beltana Weir to protect a local community’s dam, building water-wise wicking beds to grow fresh food and vegetables, or promoting sustainable gardening practices at community festivals.

4. Creating a zero cost energy future through solar-powered water treatment plants.

The South Australian community values environmental protection, and we rely on a healthy environment for sourcing the best, most cost-efficient water for you.

We want our impact on the environment to be positive. That’s why we’re always looking for ways to do more.

When planning works, we undertake environmental and heritage assessments. These are used to identify potential impacts on the environment during design and construction. For many of our projects, we build environmental management into the planning stage with early project input and dedicated environmental management plans.

We are committed to responding effectively to climate change through our climate change strategy. It touches on all aspects of our business with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to climate change, and contributing to climate change research. Supplying water from recycled and desalinated sources are just some of the ways we are future-proofing your water.

We have been measuring our overall greenhouse gas emissions for nearly 20 years, and report this data to the Federal government every year. This helps us manage our greenhouse gas emissions to stay on track to meet our reduction targets by 2030.

Our work to apply groundbreaking research to reduce emissions at Bolivar is globally-recognised as a benchmark for wastewater treatment plants.

We have reduced our nitrous oxide emissions by 30 per cent, which also led to further plant improvements and energy savings. This research partnership has reduced our emissions footprint, and we are now impacting international climate change policy.

Compliance with Environmental Protection obligations (including water resources)

This measure tracks formal notifications from regulators confirming breaches under 9 pieces of legislation. These include:

• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
• Water Act 2007
• Natural Resources Management (NRM) Act 2004
• Environment Protection Act 1993
• Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972
• Heritage Places Act 1993
• Native Vegetation Act 1991
• Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Act 2007
• Development Act 1993.

In the 2019-20 period SA Water achieved a result of 98.1 per cent compliance against environmental legislation relevant to the business. During this period SA Water received two notices from the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) for the following:

• in October 2019, DEW issued SA Water with a Direction Notice to repair/replace a faulty water meter at Beachport bore 4, as it is a condition of the water licence to take water through a meter. The meter was replaced and is operational. No further action undertaken by DEW.
• in June 2020, DEW issued SA Water with a formal warning for failing to submit a meter reading within the timeframe specified in the conditions of the water licence. No penalty was incurred.

Engaging directly with our customers and community is essential to how we operate. It enables us to keep you informed and gives us an understanding of what’s important to you, so we can continuously improve our services to meet your needs and expectations.

To understand how we safely manage our wastewater treatment plants, or to join the conversation and share your ideas, visit our Wastewater Treatment Plant WaterTalks page.