Water for future generations
Securing South Australia's water for the future
We’re planning now to make sure South Australians have safe and reliable water for many years to come.
We will work with customers, communities, First Nations peoples, key partners, and government to plan how we manage water for the next 50 years. Our goal is to make sure everyone in South Australia continues to have safe and reliable water into the future.
There will be a water strategy for each of the following regions:
- Limestone Coast
- Kangaroo Island
- Eyre Peninsula
- Yorke Peninsula and Mid North
- Far North
- Murray and Mallee
Talking and working with local customers, businesses community groups and government is a big part of this work. Their ideas and feedback will help shape each water strategy and build strong partnerships for the future.
Future water challenges
To address changes in climate, population and water use, we need to be prepared and flexible. Planning ahead will help us deal with these future water challenges:
Climate
Our changing and uncertain climate
Growing regions
Our growing regions and changing needs
Resilience
System resilience in the face of extreme events
Secure and affordable supply
Balancing affordable solutions with ongoing water security needs
Our water strategies
We are working on water strategies to make sure every region has enough water now and into the future. This includes short-term, medium-term and long-term planning.
Response plan
0-4 years (Short term)
A clear process to guide and make quick decisions and take action when water availability is low.
Investment triggers
4-12 years (Medium term)
We identify decision points for investment in new water supply options. We then plan step by step, from getting ready to putting it in place.
Adaptive plan
50+ years (Long term)
An adaptive plan that can change as needed over the next 50 years.
We use different planning pathways to help balance water supply and demand into the future.
Planning together
We’re working together to take a holistic and integrated approach to water planning. We are considering opportunities for:
- drinking water
- wastewater
- recycled water
We’re linking our adaptive approach to water planning with changes in population, industry and land use across these regions.
To do this well, we need to keep working with others like the state government and local councils, who help guide decisions and planning in different areas.
Frequently asked questions
Water strategies will be developed for all South Australian planning regions over the next few years.
Our current focus is the Limestone Coast, and the order of the regions will be decided based on things like:
- how secure the water supply is
- how resilient the water systems are
- how quickly the area is growing
Each water strategy will:
- take a holistic and integrated approach to planning
- identify and address future changes like climate and population growth
- include flexible options (called adaptive pathways) to help respond to changes in water supply and demand
- have clear investment triggers to guide decisions, investments and actions
- include a water security response plan for each region
A water security response plan complements the water strategy for each region.
It lists actions that may be required if there's a water shortage.
An example of a water security response plan is the Eyre Peninsula Water Security Response Plan.
The SA State Planning Commission’s regional plans ask utility providers, government agencies, and councils to work together. Our strategies outline how we can support future growth scenarios and water supply.
The SA State Planning Commission's plans highlight the need for:
- long-term planning
- better coordination
- flexible and well-coordinated ways to plan and manage important infrastructure
Population projections published in regional plans are used to help us understand potential future demand for water in each region.