In response to the challenges of increasing energy demand and our need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, SA Water is committed to energy efficiency.

The primary measure of energy in the metric system is a joule. A gigajoule (GJ) is equal to one billion joules (an average Australian household uses about 55 GJ per year), a terajoule (TJ) is equal to 1,000 gigajoules and a petrajoule (PJ) is equal to one million gigajoules.  SA Water uses in excess of 0.5 petajoules of energy per year.


In 2007 we initiated an Energy Efficiency Program to improve the identification and evaluation of energy efficiency opportunities and implement cost effective energy efficient opportunities and in 2008 we completed a representative assessment of the water transmission system which consists of four major pipelines supplying water to communities in South Australia.  

In 2009 we completed a representative assessment of the wastewater treatment, recycling and disposal activities which consists of 23 wastewater treatment plants throughout South Australia. The SA Water Energy Efficiency Public Report 2009 contains information about:

• The status of implementation of the 2008 assessment
• The 2009 assessment
• The assessment outcomes
• SA Water’s response