Responsibilities

The Sydney Catchment Authority, Sydney Water and NSW Health work together to ensure high quality water in Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra.

The Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA) is responsible for catching the raw water from the natural water cycle and storing it in reservoirs behind Sydney’s dams. Catchment management and storage management are part of the multi-barrier approach to water quality.

Water filtration plants are an important part of the multi-barrier approach. Sydney Water manages an extensive water treatment and delivery system that includes water filtration plants, service reservoirs, pumping stations and pipelines extending more than 20 000 kilometres. (Map pdf – 2 MB)

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) set the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

The Sydney Catchment Authority and Sydney Water work closely with NSW Health to comply with these guidelines so that the health of the community is protected.

If you do not get your drinking water from Sydney Water, who is responsible for the quality of your drinking water?