Our environmental performance
Our environmental performance
Sustainable practice and good environmental management helps us:
- effectively manage sewage (wastewater) overflows
- minimise discharges from wastewater treatment plants
- effectively manage biosolids and hazardous wastes
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions
We monitor and review our environmental performance, and continue to develop new ways of reducing the impact of our work.
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.
Our commitment to the environment
Through our strategy and planning, we are responding to climate change with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to a changed climate, and contributing to climate change research. We identify ways our water supplies and infrastructure could be at risk because of climate change, helping us to protect and sustain services for our community.
With the aim to identify and assess the potential environmental impacts of our projects and activities, we complete environmental and heritage assessments to identify potential impacts on the environment during project design and construction.
Asbestos in cement pipes
About 42 per cent of our water network has cement pipes that contain bonded, non-friable asbestos. These pipes are widely used for water supply throughout Australia and across the world.
The World Health Organisation and the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Australian Drinking Water Guidelines confirm presence of asbestos cement pipes within water networks does not pose a public health risk.
Compliance with Environmental Protection obligations
(including water resources)
This measure tracks formal notifications from regulators confirming breaches under 11 pieces of legislation. These include:
- Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
- Water Act 2007
- Landscape South Australia Act 2019
- Environment Protection Act 1993
- Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988
- Heritage Places Act 1993
- Native Vegetation Act 1991
- Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Act 2007
- Development Act 1993
- National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972
- Marine Parks Act 2007
In the 2023-24 period SA Water achieved a result of 100% compliance against environmental legislation relevant to the business.
Environment Incidents
An environmental incident is an accident, spill, emergency or a near miss that causes or threatens to cause environmental harm.
An environmental incident may be classified as Type 1, Type 2 or Type 3.
Type 1 Environmental Incidents are incidents that cause or threaten to cause serious or material environmental harm.
Type 2 Environmental Incidents are incidents that cause or could cause environmental harm but are not of high impact or on a wide scale.
Type 3 environmental incidents have potential to cause environmental nuisance but are minor in nature and require no or minimal remedial action to be taken. Type 3 incidents are not required to be reported to EPA.
Type 1 and 2 incidents are reportable to EPA.
The majority of environmental incidents are caused by:
- accidental spillages from the sewerage system that impact on water courses; or
- the uncontrolled discharge of chlorinated water that impact on water courses.
There are a range of criteria that differentiate Type 1 and Type 2 incidents that are agreed by EPA and Department of Health and Wellbeing based on the volume of discharge and the location of the impacted environment.
Total Type 1 and 2 Environmental Incidents over the past 5 years
2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | |
Type 1 Environmental Incidents | 17 | 7 | 17 | 21 | 24 |
Total Type 2 Environmental Incidents | 186 | 203 | 169 | 147 | 175 |
Environmental Incidents that result in emissions to the environment
The failure or blockage of mains and pump stations may result in treated water or untreated effluent entering watercourses causing environmental harm. Environmental incidents of this nature are recorded and reported to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) where required. Details of these incidents can be seen in the table below.
Environmental Wastewater Incident Type | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
Wastewater network overflows and spills entering water courses or stormwater systems (including wastewater pumping stations) (Types 1 and 2) | 142 | 137 | 137 | 124 | 112 |
Overflows from wastewater pumping stations in Adelaide (including SA Power Network failures) | 4 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 6 |
Overflows from wastewater pumping stations in country (including SA Power Network failures) | 8 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 12 |
Environmental Water Incident Type | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
Mains water discharges (unplanned) (Types 1 and 2) | 49 | 51 | 33 | 22 | 43 |
