Year in review

We provide our customers with safe, smart, reliable and affordable water services. To achieve this, we maintain trust by ensuring water quality and asset reliability, and provide continuity of service by minimising temporary service interruptions. We deploy connected and intelligent assets to make smart decisions and operate efficiently so our services remain affordable.

Performance measures and service standards are set by our economic regulator, the Essential Services Commission of South Australia, and guide how we measure our success in delivering for our customers and the community.

In 2024-25, we met all of our 22 customer service standards and achieved 93 per cent customer satisfaction.

Other notable achievements include:

Investing in a resilient water future for South Australia

From 1 July 2024, the average SA Water metropolitan customer’s bill increased by 3.5 per cent plus Consumer Price Index, reflecting rising costs, global inflation and growing investment in our network.

This meant the average metropolitan residential customer with typical water use and average property value paid around $21.20 per quarter more in 2024-25 (based on 3.6 per cent inflation).

In the Bureau of Meteorology’s National Performance Report for 2023-24 (released in February 2025), which analyses and compares the performance of water utilities across the country, our annual residential combined water and sewerage bill (based on 200 kilolitres) sits in the middle range of the 15 comparably sized utilities across Australia.

Promoting our Payment Assistance Program

Our Payment Assistance Program promotion was conducted again from 1 April to 30 June 2025, building on our successful work in 2023-24. We want our customers to know what options are available if and when they need help to pay their water bills. Customers are encouraged to contact us early if they are experiencing bill stress so we can better support them.

Our 'paying my bill' web page was redesigned to offer self-serve options as well the option to speak to our Payment Assistance team.

We reached out to customers through multiple channels, including targeted messaging in bills, functional advertising on social media channels and through our engagement with relevant external stakeholder groups, such as social services organisations. We used data modelling was to target messages to customers who had the potential to be, or were likely already in a hardship situation.

In the fourth quarter of 2024-25, our Brand Health & Perceptions Research showed 74 per cent awareness of our payment support options. This represents the highest level of awareness in over two years. Notably, 80 per cent of customers experiencing bill stress were aware of the flexible payment support available in quarter 4, demonstrating that our messaging is effectively reaching those who need it most.

Connection milestone in Adelaide’s north east

The Tea Tree Gully Sustainable Sewers Program, which commenced in July 2022, reached a significant milestone in 2024-25, connecting more than 1,000 properties to our wastewater network. The program will deliver new sewer connections to over 4,700 properties across 13 suburbs in the Tea Tree Gully council area. These properties were

previously been connected to the City of Tea Tree Gully Community Wastewater Management System.

We continue to work closely with individual property owners and the community to guide our planning and prioritisation process. Through this project, we have achieved an average overall satisfaction rating of 95 per cent from customers with new sewer connections delivered.

Production at the Adelaide Desalination Plant increased to shore up Adelaide’s water supply

Dry conditions and a lack of rainfall during 2024-25 resulted in the lowest volume of water inflows to Adelaide’s reservoirs in 40 years. In January 2025, combined water levels across our storages sat at 40 per cent – the lowest level for more than 25 years.

In response, production was increased at the Adelaide Desalination Plant to secure water supply given the state’s sustained dry conditions. This helped supplement Adelaide’s water sources and supported higher than expected water demand from customers.

The plant temporarily produced more water than its typical volume until March 2025, informed by forecast water supply and demand from our Happy Valley system.

During this time, the plant produced 26,176 gigalitres of water, compared to the previous average annual figure of 5.3 gigalitres.

In addition to producing more water at the Adelaide Desalination Plant, we also utlised water from the River Murray to top up reservoirs.

Tips for being water wise in summer

The 2024-25 summer season was one of the driest on record, with most of the state experiencing lower than average rainfalls during the preceding 12 months. From January to March this year, total residential water use increased by 26 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Our summer messaging campaign provides customers with tips to be water wise at home and in the garden during the warmer months. This year there was a particular focus on helping customers be water wise with their gardens and swimming pools.

We used our own channels to promote the campaign, such as our website, and organic social media, supported by paid advertising. In addition, our Brand Ambassadors talked to people about how to be water wise at events including the Tour Down Under and WOMADelaide.

The campaign was active during the third quarter of 2024-25, and in the following quarter, 73 per cent of customers surveyed in our Brand Health & Perceptions Research agreed that SA Water helps them learn to use water wisely. This represents the highest level of agreement in over 2 years.

Lock 3 refurbishment flows ahead as part of 100-year milestone

In April 2025, more than 8 million litres of water were drained from the River Murray’s historic Lock 3, as we undertook major maintenance works to improve operations at the century-old site, on behalf of the Murray–Darling Basin Authority.

Located at Overland Corner in the Riverland, Lock 3 has been a critical part of river navigation since 1925. The refurbishment project includes replacing the lock chamber’s water control valves, re-sealing 4 large hydraulic gates, and re-concreting sections of the lock floor.

Taplan’s water supply future- proofed with new tanks

More than 690,000 litres of drinking water can now be stored in newly constructed tanks at Taplan, following the completion of a $10 million project in April 2025 to improve water reliability for the Riverland town.

The new tanks provide Taplan with 5 times more water storage capacity than they had previously. This increased capacity provides a buffer during drier conditions and improves the ability to provide water to the community during times of peak demand. The new tanks will ensure a secure supply of drinking water for the 700 homes and businesses in Taplan and the surrounding area.

Drinking water upgrades deliver top drop for trio of northern towns

Residents and businesses in Yunta, Terowie and Mannahill can now enjoy a new, safe and clean supply of drinking water from their taps, following the completion in May 2025 of upgrades to the supply network in South Australia’s mid and upper north.

Historically, each town’s water supply was designated as non-drinking, requiring customers to boil their tap supply before safely drinking, preparing food or brushing their teeth.

The upgrades, delivered through a combination of new elevated water storage tanks, water main network upgrades and additional water disinfection stations, mean each town’s drinking water supply now meets the health and safety requirements in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

We also tailored the works at each of the 3 locations to provide broader benefits to the community, such as improving driveway access into nearby vehicle rest stops along the Barrier Highway and retaining the decommissioned water tower in Yunta as an important community landmark in the town.

Upgraded wastewater system brings sustainable solution to Yalata

Based on community feedback, we delivered a $2.4 million upgrade of the wastewater network in the Yalata Aboriginal Community on South Australia’s far west coast to improve sustainability, public health and safety.

The new pressurised wastewater soakage disposal system pumps sewage from septic tanks into an underground pressurised soakage trench and replaces the previously used wastewater lagoon.

The in-ground disposal system provides a safer and more environmentally sound solution by eliminating open water hazards, minimising odours and reducing the risk of overflows and leaks.

Satellite trial to help us stay ahead of water main leaks

Our production and treatment activities ensure the water we provide is fit for our customers to use and to be recycled or returned to the environment. We harvest, store, treat, distribute and reuse water to provide fit-for- purpose water services to our customers to stimulate economic growth and meet customer needs.

Work underway to lay biggest pipes in a decade

In 2024-25 we began delivering the largest expansion of our metropolitan water and wastewater networks

in decades, to support the State Government’s Housing Roadmap and enable an estimated 40,000 new homes to be built across South Australia during the next 4 years.

This essential work is underway across Adelaide’s northern suburbs including Angle Vale, Elizabeth North, Davoren Park, Craigmore, Blakeview, Munno Para, Smithfield, Virginia, Roseworthy and the Gawler Belt.

We’re installing large trunk water mains to improve flow and pressure, support growth and strengthen surrounding networks. At Sandy Creek, new above- ground storage tanks are being constructed to boost the network’s capacity. We’re also expanding wastewater infrastructure along key corridors to service new developments. Together, these upgrades are unlocking land for housing in residential development areas such as Riverlea, Angle Vale and Roseworthy and helping to meet the needs of growing communities.

Since September 2024, our crews have laid nearly 14,000 metres of pipe, with up to 16 teams working across multiple sites. A record 189 Development Agreement Formal Instruments (DAFIs) were issued to developers in 2024-25, enabling services for 6,792 new allotments (up from 4,800 the year before).

A plan to safeguard Eyre Peninsula’s water security

Safeguarding the Eyre Peninsula’s water security continued to be a key focus in 2024-25, highlighted by the release of our Eyre Peninsula Water Security Response Plan. Central to this plan is the construction of a new desalination plant, which is essential for securing a reliable and sustainable water supply for the region’s future.

The plan was released in November 2024 and provides a framework to protect the region’s drinking water supply. It outlines 4 water security response levels and the actions to be taken by the community based on drinking water availability, which ranges from normal water availability to an extreme water shortage. At the time of releasing the plan, we announced that Eyre Peninsula had moved to 'Level 2 – save water'.

Rebates on the purchase of new water efficient appliances were made available and promoted to the community to further support and encourage water-saving behaviours.

The Water Security Response Plan takes a responsible and considered approach to prepare for all scenarios to maintain water supply for 35,000 homes and businesses on the Eyre Peninsula until the desalination plant is operational, or in the event of any reductions to our water availability.

Early construction works progress for Eyre Peninsula’s new desalination plant

Construction of a new desalination plant on the Eyre Peninsula continued to progress in 2024-25, marking a major step toward securing the region’s long-term water future. Reliable access to clean drinking water is critical for the communities, and industries of the Eyre Peninsula – especially as the region faces increasing pressure from population growth, climate variability and the limitations of current groundwater sources.

A significant portion of early works was undertaken at the Billy Lights Point site, paving the way for large-scale construction to commence.

Early works included the removal of around 13 tonnes of rubbish, the removal of vegetation on the plant site to prepare for construction, the installation of temporary construction site huts and the creation of a new entrance road to the plant site off St Andrews Drive.

We have begun planning the construction of the large transfer pipeline that will connect the new plant to the region’s existing water network.

New desalination plant delivers water security for Kangaroo Island

In December 2024, Kangaroo Island’s new desalination plant was commissioned, representing a significant milestone in securing the island’s long-term drinking water supply and strengthening its bushfire resilience.

The 2-megalitre-per-day capacity facility produces safe and clean drinking water for approximately 700 local homes and businesses that have connected to mains water for the first time.

The drinking water supply is pumped through a new 50-kilometre underground trunk main to supply American River, Baudin Beach, Island Beach and Sapphiretown.

To increase the region’s resilience in future bushfire events, 420 new fireplugs have also been installed to provide easy access to water for emergency services.

Water infrastructure construction underway in Ceduna

We have begun construction of a new 4.5 million-litre water storage tank and a 12-kilometre underground pipeline in Ceduna to improve drinking water security and quality for more than 1,800 homes and businesses.

The $37 million project will connect to Ceduna’s existing water supply network. The project is supporting the local economy by engaging regional contractors and suppliers throughout the build.

We support and promote the health and wellbeing of all South Australians. This is achieved by building sustainable and liveable communities. We share new ways of using water effectively and efficiently to create comfortable green spaces that support wellbeing. Through our reconciliations actions, we support stronger Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by helping to create economic opportunities.

A new Reconciliation Action Plan

In October 2024, we launched our 2024–27 Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), outlining our ongoing commitment to reconciliation and the practical actions we will take to embed it throughout our organisation.

Our sixth RAP aims to make reconciliation a standard part of how we operate, and encourages collaboration across our workforce to help achieve our goals. Importantly, our RAP aligns with our corporate strategy and Reconciliation Australia’s framework of relationships, respect and opportunities.

At the RAP launch event, some of our Indigenous team members shared their experiences including about how our initiatives like mentoring are making a real difference in their careers.

Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in creating a live artwork by Aboriginal artists, which is now proudly displayed in SA Water House.

Community education, events and engagement

As part of our Art on Infrastructure Program, we worked with local artists to launch new artworks including on a water storage tank at Woodside, in the Adelaide Hills and at our Barossa Reservoir.

Continuing to make the outdoors accessible for all

Our successful Accessible Outdoor Program also continued this year, with our Reservoirs team maintaining partnerships with ForestrySA, National Parks SA and the Bedford Group.

The program enables Bedford’s clients to build connections with nature by being outdoors in our reservoir reserves.

Uniquely, some of these clients also participated in kayaking in partnership with Paddle SA.

A separate bushcare volunteering program – also run with the Bedford Group – was established at our Happy Valley Reservoir Reserve.