SA Water

History

SA Water was established by the proclamation of the South Australian Water Corporation Act 1994 on 1 July 1995. Prior to this its predecessor was known as Engineering and Water Supply Department (E&WS). E&WS evolved from the Waterworks and Drainage Commission, which was established in 1856, 20 years after European settlement.

Key infrastructure projects SA Water has undertaken include:

Assets and infrastructure

SA Water manages, maintains and operates (with the assistance of its partners) assets worth $13 billion. These include:

SA Water also owns desalination plants at Lonsdale and Penneshaw.

Location and staff

SA Water employs more than 1,500 people and has its head office in Victoria Square in Adelaide (SA Water House). Staff are also located across South Australia including offices in Mount Gambier, Berri, Mount Barker, Port Lincoln and Crystal Brook as well as Victoria and New South Wales. SA Water's customer service centre operates out of the head office in Victoria Square. SA Water House is also the headquarters of the Australian Water Quality Centre (AWQC).

Customers and community

SA Water provides water and wastewater services to a population of approximately 1.5 million people across South Australia. In 2011/12 the total volume of water delivered was 208,144 ML and the average residential consumption per household was 164.3 KL.

SA Water runs a school education program called SA Water Brainwave that is offered free to South Australian schools. SA Water also offers free community tours of wastewater and water treatment plants. In 2013, SA Water opened the Kauwi Interpretive Centre at the Adelaide Desalination Plant which is also open for visitors.