Proactive environmental leadership
As a leader in environmental management, we are taking action to adapt to climate change and finding ways to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. By partnering with our community, we make decisions that reduce waste and create opportunities to reuse resources and by-products of our production processes to benefit the environment.
Together, our Land, Catchment and Recreation team, Reservoirs team, and volunteers installed 50 wildlife nest boxes across the Myponga, Hope Valley, Middle River, and Happy Valley Reservoir Reserves. These artificial hollows provide safe shelter for native species if natural tree hollows are scarce.
Various types of boxes were installed for possums, parrots, kookaburras, owls, and ducks. Wildlife monitoring cameras have recorded species such as crimson rosellas using the boxes also.
Baroota Creek and Crystal Brook Creek in the Flinders Ranges were revitalised in September through carefully timed water releases from nearby reservoirs. Coordinated to align with winter rains, the released water flowed further downstream than usual, bringing life to areas that rarely experience natural water movement.
More than one billion litres of water was released from nearby reservoirs to improve the resilience of ancient river red gums – many over 500 years old – in response to community concerns abut the heath of these iconic trees. The release of these waters also refreshed the habitats for frogs, fish, birds and water bugs.
As part of the Environmental and Cultural Flows project, partnerships were formed with the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board, Flinders University, the Department for Environment and Water, the Nukunu Wapma Thura Aboriginal Corporation and local communities. The engagement process involved close collaboration with the Nukunu people, respecting and supporting their connection to culture and care for country.
In a step towards reducing our environmental footprint, our fleet team introduced 4 new Hyundai Ioniq electric vehicles (EV) replacing the first- generation Hyundai Kona EVs in our pool fleet. We also introduced our first BYD SHARK ute which is the first plug- in utility vehicle available in Australia. Supported by a comprehensive charging network across all major sites, these vehicles improve operational efficiency and significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions, supporting our broader sustainability goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2030.
In a move toward achieving our net zero emission target, our Production and Treatment Alliance partner SUEZ successfully deployed remotely operated drones equipped with sensors to measure greenhouse gas emissions at the Christies Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant.
This project marked a significant advancement in our commitment to environmental sustainability by reducing our carbon footprint across all our wastewater sites. These sites are known sources of greenhouse gas emissions, including methane and nitrous oxide. Until now, measurements primarily relied on ground-based readings and theoretical estimates. Drone-based monitoring, particularly in challenging ‘vertical wall’ zones, combined with ground-level data has helped us capture more accurate emissions data across entire sites and track gas plume dispersion from identified hotspots. Following data analysis, targeted steps have been planned to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance sustainability outcomes.
Approximately 65,000 tonnes of biosolids were repurposed at our Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant as a soil conditioner, enriching around 10,000 hectares of broadacre cropping land across areas including the Yorke Peninsula and Mid North South Australia. By supplying biosolids to the agricultural sector, we supported more sustainable farming practices and helped to reduce input costs for farmers. This initiative is a resource recovery activity, utilising nutrients to enhance soil health, improve crop yield, and contribute to a circular economy to deliver long-term benefits for both the environment and the farming community. Under our Regional Biosolids Reuse Program, approximately 1,600 tonnes of biosolids were repurposed at our regional facilities for land application and feedstock for composting.
We also took part in an industry- led project focused on developing alternative future management options for biosolids. As part of this work, we are exploring the potential of biosolids-derived biochar by engaging with suppliers of thermal treatment technologies – such as pyrolysis and gasification units – to assess their capabilities and technological maturity.
An increase in wastewater network blockages caused by ‘unflushables’, such as wet wipes and sanitary waste, prompted us to share targeted functional advertising in December 2024 and March 2025. The advertising focused on suburbs with high blockage rates and aimed to drive behaviour change by highlighting what shouldn’t be flushed or rinsed.
Messages were delivered through digital platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as via posters on the back of toilet doors in shopping centres within the targeted areas.