Southern Rural Water

What Southern Rural Water does

Southern Rural Water (legal entity Gippsland and Southern Rural Water Corporation) is a Victorian state-owned statutory corporation established under the Water Act 1989 (Vic), responsible for managing water resources across approximately 88,000 km², or 37% of the state. The organisation operates seven major water storages (Blue Rock Lake, Lake Glenmaggie, Lake Narracan, Melton Reservoir, Merrimu Reservoir, Pykes Creek Reservoir, Rosslynne Reservoir) and three primary irrigation districts (Macalister, Werribee, Bacchus Marsh), supplying irrigation water to agricultural customers, bulk water to urban water utilities, and process water to Latrobe Valley power generators. It also licenses and regulates groundwater extraction, surface-water diversions, and recreational use across its service area.

Its operational technology stack centres on the Total Channel Control (TCC) automation system and the Demand Management System (DMS), which together enable customers to order water online and receive confirmed delivery times via real-time automated flow control. An automated meter reading network of more than 2,158 connected devices feeds near-real-time usage data for compliance monitoring and customer billing. Customer-facing digital channels include the MySRW customer portal (scheduled for decommissioning in July 2026 and migration to a consolidated Prices and Forms page) and the Southern Rural Water Exchange, an online auction and trading platform for permanent water shares and seasonal allocations.

Southern Rural Water operates on a regulated cost-recovery basis, with pricing independently approved by the Essential Services Commission on a five-year cycle (current cycle transitioning to Price Submission 2028, covering 2028-2033). Revenue streams comprise regulated water service charges, transaction fees from water trading and auctions (notably auctions of permanent water shares generated by modernisation programmes), and regulatory/licensing fees for groundwater and surface-water entitlements. The corporation is governed by a Victorian Government-appointed Board and does not have external private shareholders. Its go-to-market model is direct engagement via regional offices in Maffra, Warrnambool, Werribee, and Bacchus Marsh, supported by community drop-in sessions, SMS/email allocation notifications, and digital self-service. Multi-billion-dollar capital programmes (Werribee modernisation, MID 2030) are co-funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments, with water savings generated by pipeline conversions auctioned back to the market.

Name

Southern Rural Water

Legal name

Gippsland and Southern Rural Water Corporation

Website

https://srw.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Southern Rural Water is a Victorian state-owned statutory corporation that manages water resources across 88,000 km², supplying irrigation water to farmers, bulk water to urban utilities, and process water to power generators across southern Victoria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Irrigation Operation, Maintenance & Repair (Pumps, Valves, Controllers) (AFACAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Rights, Permitting & Compliance Services (Allocations, Reporting) (AFACAFAM), Water-Smart Irrigation & Water Stewardship (Drip/Micro, Scheduling, Water Harvesting) (AFAGAMAD)

Keywords

• Irrigation water supply
• Water storage management
• Groundwater management
• Water trading platform
• Irrigation district services

Headquarters

HQ city

Maffra

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water service charges: SRW operates on a cost-recovery basis, meaning prices are set to recover the cost of managing water resources and delivering services. Every dollar customers pay goes into running, maintaining and upgrading infrastructure and services. Prices are independently approved by the Essential Services Commission.
2. Water trading and auction fees: Revenue generated from selling water shares through online auctions. Proceeds contribute to funding modernisation works. Examples include auctions of permanent water shares from modernisation water savings.
3. Regulatory and licensing fees: Revenue from groundwater and surface water licensing, bore construction licenses, and compliance monitoring services under the Water Act 1989 (Vic).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Southern Rural Water is a Victorian state-owned statutory corporation that supplies water to agricultural, industrial, and urban customers across southern Victoria. It operates and manages irrigation districts, water storage, and groundwater resources across an area of approximately 88,000 km², providing irrigation water delivery, bulk water storage, groundwater licensing, and operates a water trading exchange that enables customers to trade water entitlements.

Product overview

Southern Rural Water operates as a government water corporation providing a unified suite of water management services across southern Victoria, covering irrigation districts, water storages, groundwater management, and recreation. Its core customer-facing products include the MySRW online portal (account management, forms, pricing), the Southern Rural Water Exchange water trading/auction platform, the Total Channel Control (TCC) automated irrigation delivery system, and the Demand Management System (DMS) for water ordering. Supporting services include water allocation management via Allocation Bank Accounts, periodic water auctions for permanent shares (particularly from Macalister Irrigation District modernisation savings), and recreation facilities at its seven storages. The company also runs multi-phase irrigation district modernisation programs (Macalister, Werribee, Bacchus Marsh) that pipe open channels and automate outlets, generating water savings that are auctioned to the market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MySRW: Customer self-service portal for managing water accounts, ordering water, and accessing billing information.

Products and services

• Irrigation Water Delivery
• Bulk Water Storage Services
• Groundwater Management Services
• Southern Rural Water Exchange
• Water Auctions and Sales
• Water Ordering Service
• Recreation Facility Access

Quantifiable outcome

• Werribee modernisation will generate approximately 5,000 megalitres of water savings across all five stages
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Melbourne WaterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaboration on Werribee recycled water supply. Worked with Greater Western Water to provide temporary alternative water supply (up to 1.3GL) for Werribee recycled water customers during Melbourne Water infrastructure outage.
• Greater Western WaterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaboration on Werribee recycled water supply. Partnered with SRW and Melbourne Water to transfer water from Yarra-Thomson pool to Werribee recycled customers using GWW's water network.
• West Gippsland Catchment Management AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 September 2024Partnership on modernising the Macalister Irrigation District. Working together on environmental initiatives and sustainable water outcomes for the region.
• Agriculture VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 September 2024Collaboration on modernising the Macalister Irrigation District and delivering sustainable water solutions for Gippsland farmers. Agriculture Victoria provides additional support services and resources for agricultural water management.
• Jaydo (construction partner)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 18 October 2023Construction partner engaged for Newry Pipeline project decommissioning of old irrigation assets including removal of concrete channels, siphons, regulators and other infrastructure.
• Essential Services CommissioncoreOthersIndependent regulator that approves SRW's price submissions and ensures pricing is fair for customers. SRW operates on cost-recovery basis with pricing oversight by the Commission.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Goulburn-Murray Water: Victorian state-owned rural water corporation managing irrigation districts across northern Victoria — the largest irrigation water corporation in Australia. Directly comparable to SRW as a government-owned operator of irrigation districts, water storages and bulk entitlement arrangements for agricultural customers.
• SunWater: Queensland government-owned water infrastructure manager operating dams, weirs and distribution networks supplying irrigation, industrial and urban customers. Closely comparable to SRW in business model (state-owned, cost-recovery utility) and asset type (storages plus irrigation channel/pipeline networks).
• Murray Irrigation: NSW-based irrigation operator managing one of Australia's largest private irrigation networks (Murrumbidgee and Murray valleys). Comparable to SRW in operating gravity-fed channel and pipeline networks supplying irrigators across multiple districts.
• Murrumbidgee Irrigation: NSW irrigation operator delivering water through a large gravity channel network to rice, cotton and other irrigators. Comparable to SRW in scale of channel/pipeline operations, customer mix, and reliance on cost-recovery pricing models.
• Lower Murray Water: Victorian rural water corporation supplying irrigation, domestic and stock water in the Sunraysia and Murray-Mallee regions. Highly comparable to SRW in scale, mandate, and customer base of irrigators and groundwater users.

Broad incumbents

• Greater Western Water: Melbourne metropolitan water retailer serving Melbourne's western suburbs. Already partners with SRW on Werribee recycled water transfers, and is comparable as a Victorian water corporation operating under the same regulatory framework.
• Melbourne Water: Victorian urban water wholesaler managing storage, treatment and bulk transfer for greater Melbourne. SRW already partners with Melbourne Water on recycled water transfers, and Melbourne Water is comparable as a Victorian statutory water corporation with regulated pricing.
• Yarra Valley Water: Melbourne urban water retailer managing drinking water, recycled water and sewerage services for a large urban customer base. Comparable as a Victorian statutory water corporation operating under Essential Services Commission oversight.

Regional players

• Tasmanian Irrigation: Tasmania state-owned irrigation scheme builder and operator developing and managing irrigation districts for agricultural customers. Comparable to SRW's irrigation district build-and-operate role, but serving a different Australian state.

Others

• West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority: Statutory catchment management authority partnering with SRW on Macalister Irrigation District modernisation and environmental water initiatives. Comparable as a Victorian statutory body operating in the same region with overlapping water management responsibilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SouthernRuralWater
• Xx.com/srwater

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Southern Rural Water