SunWater

What SunWater does

Sunwater Limited is a Queensland Government Owned Corporation (GOC) that designs, develops, manages, and operates bulk water infrastructure across Queensland, Australia. The company operates a physical asset network comprising 19 dams, 65 weirs and barrages, 595 kilometres of water channels, and 1,951 kilometres of pipelines, delivering approximately 40% of the water used commercially in Queensland to more than 5,000 customers across agriculture, urban, and industrial segments.

The core technology stack centers on large-scale hydraulic infrastructure and operational technology systems. Sunwater's proprietary capabilities include a bespoke in-house Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) training program for infrastructure inspections over water, active blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) monitoring systems across storages, and the Sunwater Customer App providing real-time dam level data and emergency notifications. Major capital projects include the recently completed Rookwood Weir (Managibei Gamu) at $568.9 million — Australia's largest weir since World War 2 — the Paradise Dam Improvement Project, and the Burdekin Falls Dam Raising initiative.

Sunwater generates revenue through a regulated asset base pricing model across 31 bulk water and irrigation supply schemes and 14 pipelines, with annual billing for water supply contracts. Additional revenue streams include transaction-based fees from the Water Trading Board and temporary water allocation transfers, plus managed services revenue from water quality monitoring under End of Waste Approvals for treated coal seam gas water reuse. The go-to-market motion is sales-led through regional presence, Irrigation Advisory Committees, and direct engagement with agriculture, urban, industrial, and government customers. Customer-facing digital channels include the Sunwater Online Portal for account management and the Sunwater Customer App for real-time storage monitoring and emergency alerts.

Name

SunWater

Legal name

Sunwater Limited

Website

https://sunwater.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Sunwater Limited is a Queensland Government Owned Corporation that designs, develops, manages, and operates bulk water infrastructure across Queensland, delivering approximately 40% of the state's commercial water through 19 dams and 1,951 km of pipelines to more than 5,000 agriculture, urban, and industrial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bulk Water Infrastructure Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Source Development & Conveyance (Intakes, Canals, Pipelines) (AFACAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Storage & Conveyance Structures (Reservoirs, Tanks, Culverts, Tunnels) (IMAFAGAE), Water & Wastewater Pipeline Construction (Mains, Force Mains, Interceptors) (IMAFAGAC), Water Reuse & Reclamation Infrastructure Construction (Recycled Water Systems) (IMAFAGAH), Water Storage & Conveyance Structures (Tanks, Reservoirs, Canals, Ponds) (AFAAACAH)

Keywords

• Bulk water supply
• Water infrastructure services
• Irrigation supply schemes
• Dam and weir operations
• Water allocation management

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bulk Water Supply Services: Sunwater delivers water to more than 5000 customers across 31 bulk water and irrigation supply schemes and 14 pipelines. Revenue is generated through water supply contracts, usage fees, and charges to agriculture, urban, and industrial customers.
2. Water Trading and Temporary Transfers: Facilitates temporary water allocation transfers between customers, providing transaction-based revenue from water trading board and temporary transfer services.
3. End of Waste Water Reuse: Attained End of Waste Approvals authorizing reuse and release of treated coal seam gas water to customers and receiving environment, generating revenue from water quality monitoring services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sunwater designs, develops, manages, and operates bulk water infrastructure in Queensland, supplying water to more than 5,000 customers across 31 bulk water and irrigation supply schemes and 14 pipelines. Its portfolio includes 19 dams, 65 weirs and barrages, 595 km of water channels, and 1,951 km of pipelines that store, capture, and deliver approximately 40% of the water used commercially in Queensland to agriculture, urban, and industrial customers.

Product overview

SunWater is a Queensland Government Owned Corporation providing bulk water infrastructure services rather than a software product company. The portfolio consists of physical water infrastructure (19 dams, 65 weirs and barrages, 1,951 km of pipelines, 595 km of irrigation channels) delivering approximately 40% of commercially used water in Queensland. The customer-facing digital offerings include the Sunwater Online Portal for account management and the Sunwater App for real-time dam monitoring and emergency alerts. Core services encompass bulk water infrastructure design, development, management and operation; environmental impact studies; water supply to agriculture, urban and industrial customers across 31 bulk water and irrigation supply schemes; water quality monitoring; and water trading services. Major infrastructure projects include Rookwood Weir, Paradise Dam Improvement, Burdekin Falls Dam Raising, Cooranga Weir, and Callide Dam Gates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunwater Online Portal Online customer portal used by Sunwater customers to manage accounts, view water allocations, process payments, and access water trading services.
• Sunwater Customer App Mobile application delivering real-time dam level updates, emergency notifications, blue-green algae alerts, and storage level monitoring for Sunwater dams and weirs across Queensland.
• Bulk Water Infrastructure Services End-to-end design, development, management, and operation of dams, weirs, barrages, pipelines, and irrigation channels delivered to agriculture, urban, and industrial customers across Queensland.
• Water Supply Schemes Management and operation of 31 regulated bulk water and irrigation supply schemes and 14 pipelines delivering approximately 40% of commercially used water in Queensland to more than 5,000 customers.
• Water Trading Services Water allocation trading services including the Water Trading Board, temporary transfers, invitation to tender, and short term supply processes for customers on Sunwater-managed schemes.
• Water Quality Monitoring and Reporting Regular water quality monitoring across storages and downstream environments with quarterly reports covering parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and sulphide, including End of Waste Approval sites such as Glebe Weir and Chinchilla Weir.
• Blue-Green Algae Monitoring and Alert System Monitoring and public reporting of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) levels across Sunwater storages, including hazard status signage and alerts via website, app, and Facebook from low (green) to red hazard levels.
• Rookwood Weir (Managibei Gamu) Major bulk water infrastructure asset west of Rockhampton, completed in November 2023 as Australia's largest weir since World War 2, yielding 86,000 megalitres annually to boost economic growth, agricultural production, and industry in Central Queensland.
• Paradise Dam Improvement Project Major dam safety and improvement project near Bundaberg including Essential Works for lower supply level safety, new wall construction downstream of the existing wall, road upgrades, and irrigation valve installation.
• Burdekin Falls Dam Improvement Project Multi-phase project to improve and raise Queensland's largest dam (Burdekin Falls), including geotechnical investigations, quarry material sourcing, cultural heritage assessments, and dam wall raising.
• Cooranga Weir Project Proposed new weir on the Boyne River downstream of Boondooma Dam to store 2,500 megalitres and improve water security in the Burnett Region, with design by Stantec and EPBC Act referral.
• Callide Dam Gates Project Completed dam upgrade project addressing gate vibrations through gate structure strengthening, gate control system upgrades, and gate seal replacements.
• Environmental Impact Assessment Services Environmental impact studies for water infrastructure projects, including water quality monitoring and assessment for treated coal seam gas water reuse under End of Waste Approvals.
• Bespoke RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) Training Course In-house training program that builds internal RPA operational capability for water infrastructure inspections, survey tasks, and safe operations across Sunwater assets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivers approximately 40 per cent of the water used commercially in Queensland to more than 5000 customers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Darumbal People Aboriginal Corporation RNTBCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 August 2022Indigenous Land Use Agreement signed between Queensland Government and Darumbal People Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC for the Rookwood Weir site. The agreement delivers benefits to the Darumbal People for generations to come, representing Sunwater's commitment to First Nations engagement.
• Harrison Infrastructure GroupmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal Bundaberg company awarded contract for works around Paradise Dam site to prepare roads and access points ahead of construction.
• KDW CivilminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal team that successfully completed filter patch installation work at Fred Haigh Dam without any impact on water supply or customer allocations.
• Civil, Mining and Construction Pty Ltd (CMC)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner$17 million contract awarded to CMC for Foleyvale Crossing upgrade, 65km upstream from Rookwood Weir site, creating 22 jobs.
• StantecmajorTechnology or IntegrationAppointed to deliver the design for Cooranga Weir, which will store 2,500 megalitres on the Boyne River downstream of Boondooma Dam.
• Roseberry QldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based organization receiving cubby houses built by apprentices from the Rookwood Weir project for young people and families in need.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Seqwater: Queensland Government Owned Corporation responsible for bulk water supply in South East Queensland. Operates dams, weirs, and treatment infrastructure with similar regulated GOC structure and customer mix to Sunwater, making it the closest intra-state peer.
• WaterNSW: NSW state-owned bulk water supplier operating dams, weirs, and pipelines across New South Wales. Directly comparable business model — state-owned bulk water utility supplying agriculture, urban, and industrial customers under regulated tariffs.
• Melbourne Water: Victorian state-owned bulk water and waterways authority managing dams, reservoirs, and water supply infrastructure in greater Melbourne. Closely comparable in scope (storage, treatment, conveyance) and regulatory model to Sunwater.
• Sydney Water: NSW state-owned water and wastewater utility providing drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services. Comparable in regulated utility structure and water supply infrastructure ownership.
• SA Water: South Australian state-owned water utility supplying drinking water and wastewater services. Comparable as a vertically integrated state-owned water utility with similar customer base and infrastructure mandate.
• Water Corporation: Western Australian state-owned water utility providing integrated water, wastewater, and drainage services. Comparable scale and state-owned regulated utility structure.
• Goulburn-Murray Water: Victorian statutory authority operating irrigation and bulk water services across northern Victoria. Highly comparable on the irrigation and rural water supply side, with similar customers and governance.
• Tasmanian Irrigation: Tasmanian state-owned irrigation operator building and managing irrigation schemes. Comparable in operating irrigation infrastructure schemes and serving agricultural customers in a defined geographic region.
• Murray Irrigation: Privatised (but government-supported) irrigation operator in the Murray-Darling Basin managing extensive channel networks and water delivery to agriculture. Comparable irrigation water delivery business model.

Regional players

• Gladstone Area Water Board: Queensland statutory water authority supplying bulk water to Gladstone's industrial customers. Comparable on intra-state bulk water supply to industrial customers but with a narrower geographic and customer focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SunWater
• Xx.com/SunWaterLimited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sunwater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 SunWater