Water NSW

What Water NSW does

WaterNSW is a New South Wales State-Owned Corporation, established under the Water NSW Act 2014 and operational since 1 January 2015 through the merger of State Water Corporation and the Sydney Catchment Authority. It operates as a regulated monopoly bulk water supplier under an IPART Operating Licence (2024-2028), managing 41 major dams and hundreds of waterways that deliver approximately two-thirds of all water used across NSW to more than 8 million people. In FY25 it delivered 5,039 gigalitres to regional and rural NSW and 676 gigalitres to Greater Sydney. Its core operations span water storage and dam safety, bulk water supply and river operations, environmental flow delivery under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, water quality monitoring (including PFAS screening across 20 major dams and algae alerts), and catchment protection across declared Special and Controlled Areas.

The technology platform supporting these operations includes the WaterInsights digital data portal, the Early Warning Network for environmental release notifications, the iWAS online water accounting system, Water Applications Online (WAO) for licensing, and — most recently — an AI-enabled Remote Video Monitoring system developed with HCLTech that won the Australian Water Association's Water Industry Safety Excellence Award in May 2026. Distribution is exclusively through direct pipeline and river-system supply to downstream counterparties: Sydney Water Corporation (the largest customer for Greater Sydney), regional councils and local water utilities, irrigation corporations (Jemalong, Murrumbidgee Irrigation, Murray Irrigation), mining operators, and government environmental water holders.

WaterNSW earns revenue through regulated bulk water supply charges (IPART-set prices for the 2025-30 pricing period are under review), transaction-based water licensing and approval fees, and a renewable energy and storage program leveraging existing dam sites. Customer relationships are managed through 11 regional Customer Advisory Groups covering Barwon-Darling, Border Rivers, Coastal-Hunter, Greater Sydney, Gwydir, Lachlan, Macquarie-Cudgegong, Murray-Lower Darling, Murrumbidgee, Namoi, and Peel. The organization is wholly owned by the State of New South Wales and does not have private equity or venture capital backing.

Name

Water NSW

Legal name

WaterNSW

Website

https://waternsw.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

WaterNSW is a New South Wales State-Owned Corporation that operates as the regulated monopoly bulk water supplier, managing 41 major dams and delivering approximately two-thirds of NSW's water to more than 8 million people across Greater Sydney, regional councils, irrigators, mining, and environmental holders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bulk Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Totalizing Fluid Meters & Counting Devices (3824), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Raw Water Conveyance & Transmission (Aqueducts, Mains, Pumping Stations) (EUANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), Water Storage & Conveyance Structures (Tanks, Reservoirs, Canals, Ponds) (AFAAACAH), Water Source Development & Conveyance (Intakes, Canals, Pipelines) (AFACAFAH)

Keywords

• Bulk water supply
• Dam management services
• Water resource management
• Water licensing services
• Environmental water delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Parramatta

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Bulk Water Supply: WaterNSW generates revenue through regulated bulk water supply charges to customers including Sydney Water Corporation, regional councils, local water utilities, irrigation corporations, and licensed network operators. Revenue is regulated by IPART which sets maximum prices for rural bulk water services and non-urban metering services. Pricing period 2025-30 is under current IPART pricing proposal.
2. Water Licensing and Approvals Fees: Fees collected for water access licences, water supply works approvals, water use approvals, flood work approvals, floodplain harvesting approvals, dewatering approvals, and applications processing. Fees are set according to published fee schedules.
3. General Security Water Charges: Water bills for General Security (irrigation) customers have increased nearly 50% across many NSW valleys over four years, with bills ranging from $38,780 to $52,503 depending on valley. Regional increases exceed $12,000 per valley by 2030 in Lachlan, North Coast, and South Coast.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WaterNSW operates, maintains, and supplies water from 41 major dams and hundreds of NSW waterways as the regulated monopoly bulk water supplier for the State. Its fundamental offering is the capture, storage, treatment-quality management, and bulk delivery of raw water to downstream customers including Sydney Water, regional councils, irrigation corporations, and environmental water holders, supported by statutory licensing, approvals, and metering services.

Product overview

WaterNSW operates as a state-owned bulk water utility managing 41 major dams across NSW, delivering two-thirds of all water used in the state. The company provides a platform of integrated water management services centered on core offerings of water storage and dam management, water delivery (including bulk supply and environmental flows), water quality management, and catchment protection. Supporting these core functions are digital service modules including WaterInsights (data portal), Customer Portal (account management), Water Applications Online (licensing), Water Accounting System (iWAS for trading and ordering), and Early Warning Network (notification system). Additional services encompass water licensing and approvals, non-urban metering compliance, renewable energy projects at dam sites, and Aboriginal water entitlements programs under the Murray-Darling Basin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bulk Water Supply Regulated bulk raw water supply delivered to Sydney Water Corporation, regional councils, local water utilities, irrigation corporations and licensed network operators, supplying approximately two-thirds of all water used in NSW (5,039 GL regional and 676 GL Greater Sydney in FY25) to more than 8 million people.
• Water Storage and Dam Management Operation and management of WaterNSW's 41 major dams and reservoirs across NSW, including real-time storage monitoring, dam safety assessment, and flood and drought response operations for Greater Sydney and Regional NSW.
• Environmental Water Delivery Delivery of planned environmental water flows from dams to wetlands and river systems for environmental water holders such as the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder and NSW DCCEEW, in fulfilment of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
• Water Quality Management and Monitoring Comprehensive water quality monitoring, management and reporting across NSW catchments, including algae monitoring, NATA-accredited PFAS testing across 20 major dams, ISO 9001 certified sampling, and compliance with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
• Catchment Protection Services Protection and management of declared catchment areas including Special and Controlled Areas, covering mining oversight, building and development regulation, land use management and pollution control enforcement, with catchment audits on a three-yearly cycle for the Sydney drinking water catchment.
• Water Licensing and Approvals Statutory licensing and approvals service covering water access licences, water supply works approvals, water use approvals, flood work approvals, floodplain harvesting permits and dewatering approvals, with fees set according to published fee schedules.
• Non-Urban Metering Services Metering program for non-urban water users including recording, reporting and works classification for compliance with NSW non-urban metering requirements, with pricing regulated by IPART.
• Murray-Darling Basin Aboriginal Water Entitlements Program Strategic partnership program supporting First Nations communities in water management and Aboriginal water entitlements under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, engaging with Aboriginal peak bodies and Traditional Owners on water holdings and cultural flows.
• AI-enabled Remote Video Monitoring AI-enabled monitoring platform, developed in collaboration with HCLTech, delivering real-time insights across critical water infrastructure to improve safety, reduce manual intervention, support operational decision-making and protect native species; recognised with the Australian Water Association Water Industry Safety Excellence Award in May 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,039 gigalitres of water delivered in regional and rural NSW in FY25
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HCLTechcoreTechnology or Integration · 28 May 2026HCLTech collaborated with WaterNSW to develop the AI-enabled Remote Video Monitoring initiative that won the Australian Water Association's Water Industry Safety Excellence Award. The initiative delivers real-time insights across critical water infrastructure, improving safety, reducing manual intervention, and supporting smarter operational decision-making.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Melbourne Water: Victorian state-owned bulk water authority that operates dams, treats and delivers water in bulk to retail utilities across Greater Melbourne. Highly comparable in business model (regulated bulk supply, statutory monopoly, dam and catchment management) and product mix.
• Seqwater: Queensland bulk water supply authority responsible for supplying safe drinking water to South East Queensland. Operates dams, treatment plants and bulk transfer infrastructure under a state-owned governance model closely analogous to WaterNSW.
• Sunwater: Queensland state-owned water infrastructure business delivering bulk water to irrigators, industrial customers and towns through a network of dams and pipelines. Directly comparable in irrigation-focused bulk supply and customer base.
• Goulburn-Murray Water: Victoria's largest rural water and irrigation operator, providing bulk water delivery, storage and drainage to irrigation districts. Directly comparable as a state-backed irrigation and bulk water delivery operator with similar regulated revenue model.
• Murrumbidgee Irrigation Limited: Customer and operational counterpart delivering irrigation water across the Murrumbidgee Valley in NSW. Comparable as a regulated bulk irrigation water provider that depends on WaterNSW's storage and conveyance infrastructure.
• Murray Irrigation Limited: NSW irrigation infrastructure operator supplying water to southern NSW irrigators via a regulated bulk supply from WaterNSW. Closely comparable in regulated irrigation water delivery model and rural customer base.

Broad incumbents

• SA Water: South Australian state-owned water utility covering the full water cycle (bulk supply, treatment, reticulation, wastewater). Broader scope than WaterNSW but comparable as a state-owned regulated water monopoly with similar governance and pricing oversight.

Regional players

• Hunter Water: NSW state-owned water utility providing drinking water and wastewater services to the Hunter region. While retail rather than bulk, it operates within NSW under similar state-owned governance and IPART-style economic regulation.
• TasWater: Tasmania's state-owned water and sewerage utility serving customers across the state. Comparable state-owned regulated water utility model but operates a smaller geography and integrated water/sewerage portfolio.
• Icon Water (ACTEW Water): ACT-owned water and sewerage utility serving Canberra and the surrounding region. Comparable as a state/territory government-owned regulated water utility, though on a smaller scale and with a retail rather than bulk supply focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WaterNSW
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZCh2IeLxBoj6sS96adwGzQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/WaterNSW
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/6622935
• Instagraminstagram.com/waternsw

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Water NSW