What Aqwest does

Aqwest, legally constituted as Bunbury Water Corporation, is a Western Australian Government-owned water utility providing drinking water services to the Greater Bunbury region under an exclusive operating licence issued by the Economic Regulation Authority under the Water Services Act 2012. The company serves approximately 18,000 properties and 35,000 customers across Bunbury, Picton, parts of Dalyellup, and adjacent localities within a defined operating area stretching from Myalup and Harvey in the north to Capel. Originally formed in 1905 as the Bunbury Water Board, the entity was rebranded to Aqwest in 1996/97 with separation from the City of Bunbury, then restructured as a government trading enterprise under the Water Corporations Act 1995 in November 2013.

The technical infrastructure comprises 13 production bores drawing from the Yarragadee Aquifer, seven water treatment plants employing aeration, sand filtration, and chlorine disinfection, four reservoirs, six booster stations, one water tower, and approximately 390km of water mains controlled by around 1,300 valves. The $15 million Ngoora Moolinap Water Treatment Plant, opened in September 2020, added 12 megalitres/day of treatment capacity. Operations are supported by a computerized Asset Management System for condition monitoring and lifecycle replacement, and the company is bound by regulatory obligations including a November 2020 directive from the Minister for Health to fluoridate Bunbury's water supply by June 2024.

Aqwest monetizes through a tiered tariff system combining fixed supply charges, usage-based consumption tariffs that escalate with volume to incentivize conservation, one-time fees for new service connections, relocations, and disconnections, plus bulk water access charges for developers and large users. Distribution is entirely direct through mains infrastructure, supplemented by self-service online bill payment (BPOINT, BPAY, direct debit), partner channels (Australia Post, Centrepay), and telephone/in-person customer service. Beyond core water services, the company operates community-facing programs including a $64,000 annual sponsorship pool (up to $5,000 per grant), Year 2 school incursions, an annual photography competition, Waterwise Garden educational resources, and a portable Rehydration Station hire service for community events.

Name

Aqwest

Legal name

Bunbury Water Corporation

Website

https://aqwest.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Aqwest (Bunbury Water Corporation) is a Western Australian Government-owned water utility providing drinking water to approximately 18,000 properties and 35,000 customers across the Greater Bunbury region under an exclusive operating licence, operating 13 production bores, 7 treatment plants, and 390km of water mains.

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)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Drinking water supply
• Water treatment
• Water distribution network
• Regulated water utility

Headquarters

HQ city

Bunbury

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water Consumption Charges: Water consumption tariff system where customers who use less water pay a lower rate per kilolitre, while high usage or waste results in higher tariff levels. This tiered pricing incentivizes water conservation.
2. Supply Charges: Fixed supply charges applied to properties for access to water services, including annual supply charges and connection fees.
3. Service Connection Fees: Fees for new water service connections, service relocations, disconnections, and other developer services.
4. Bulk Water Access: Charges for bulk water supply access to developers and larger users.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Aqwest is a government-owned water utility that supplies drinking water sourced from the Yarragadee Aquifer to approximately 18,000 properties in the Greater Bunbury region of Western Australia. The company operates an integrated treatment and distribution network comprising 13 production bores, seven treatment plants, four reservoirs, six booster stations, one water tower, and around 390km of water mains. Its commercial offerings include service connections, bulk water access, backflow prevention, billing and payment services, and concession programs, alongside community education, sponsorship, and water efficiency initiatives.

Product overview

Aqwest is a government-owned water corporation providing drinking water services to the Greater Bunbury region of Western Australia. The company operates an integrated water supply system sourced from the Yarragadee Aquifer, delivering water to approximately 18,000-35,000 properties through 13 production bores, seven treatment plants, four reservoirs, six booster stations, one water tower, and approximately 390km of water mains. Aqwest's portfolio combines core water supply and treatment infrastructure with customer-facing services including online bill payment (via Bpoint, BPAY, Australia Post, Centrepay, direct debit), billing management, water usage tracking tools, leak detection, service connections, and concession programs. Community engagement services include school education incursions, photography competitions, community sponsorship funding, and a waterwise garden program with irrigation demonstrations. The company publishes water quality reports, corporate reports, and the On Tap Newsletter. Infrastructure programs cover mains and valve replacement, purlin replacement at reservoirs, and major projects like the Ngoora Moolinap Water Treatment Plant. The organisation also offers a Rehydration Station hire service for community events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drinking Water Supply Service Core water supply and distribution service delivering high-quality drinking water sourced from the Yarragadee Aquifer to approximately 18,000-35,000 properties in Bunbury, Picton, and parts of Dalyellup.
• Water Treatment Services Integrated treatment and distribution system comprising 13 production bores, seven treatment plants, four reservoirs, six booster stations, one water tower, and approximately 390km of water mains. Water is treated through aeration, sand filtration, and chlorination processes compliant with Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
• Service Connections Water service connection, relocation, and disconnection services for residential and commercial properties, including new connections, meter relocations, and disconnections within the operating licence area.
• Backflow Prevention Services Services related to backflow prevention devices for commercial and residential properties to protect the drinking water network from contamination.
• Bulk Water Access Bulk water supply services for large-scale users or developments within the operating licence area, supporting property developers and major water users.
• Rehydration Station Hire Portable 500-litre stainless steel water tank with 8 dispensing points available for hire by not-for-profit organisations and community events within the water licence area to promote tap water consumption.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ngoora Moolinap WTP produces 12 megalitres/day
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local Noongar Elders and CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 September 2020Collaboration with local Wardandi People of the Noongar Nation and Aboriginal elders on naming the Ngoora Moolinap Water Treatment Plant (meaning 'water sitting in a well, swamp place of'). Ongoing collaboration on Aboriginal Artwork Project celebrating Six Noongar Seasons, with artworks installed at Skewes Water Treatment Plant.
• Leicon NotleycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2018Design and construct contractor for the Ngoora Moolinap Water Treatment Plant. Leicon Notley was awarded the design and construct tender in October 2018 following detailed design finalised in May 2019. The $15 million plant was officially opened in September 2020.
• Local Artists (Delphine Schwarze, Georgina Webb, Melissa Riley, Jodie Riley, Dawn Alone, Erica Dimer, Glen Garlett, Carlene Thorne)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEight local artists produced artworks relating to the six Noongar seasons for the Water Through the Noongar Seasons Aboriginal Artwork Project at Skewes Water Treatment Plant.
• Department of Health WAcoreOthersMemorandum of Understanding for drinking water quality oversight. Received directive in November 2020 to add fluoride to Bunbury's water supply by June 2024.
• Greater Bunbury SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual photography competition partnership with Primary and Secondary schools in Greater Bunbury area. Schools receive $350 cash for each winning student.
• City of BunburycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partnership for water services and community initiatives. Deputy Mayor serves as Aqwest Board Deputy Chairperson.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Water Corporation of Western Australia: Western Australia's state-owned integrated water utility serving the majority of the state, including potable water, wastewater and drainage. Same ownership structure (WA Government trading enterprise) and same regulatory framework (Water Services Act 2012 / ERA), making it the most structurally comparable peer despite its much larger scale.
• Sydney Water: State-owned water and wastewater utility serving greater Sydney under the regulatory oversight of IPART. Comparable in operating model (regulated monopoly drinking water supply, tiered tariffs) though far larger scale and additional wastewater operations.
• Melbourne Water: Victorian state-owned wholesale water and waterways manager, owning major reservoirs and treatment infrastructure for greater Melbourne. Comparable business model (bulk water and treatment infrastructure operator) but operates at metropolitan scale and includes waterways management.
• Yarra Valley Water: Victoria's largest retail water utility serving over 2 million customers, regulated by the Essential Services Commission. Comparable in core activity (drinking water supply and customer billing) but operates at much larger scale with wastewater service as well.
• SA Water: South Australian state-owned water utility providing drinking water and wastewater services across the state under ESCOSA regulation. Comparable as a fully-regulated monopoly water utility with similar governance structure and customer service obligations.
• Hunter Water: State-owned water and wastewater utility serving the Hunter region in NSW, regulated by IPART. Comparable operating model (regional monopoly potable water supply, government ownership, regulated tariffs) at a meaningfully larger scale than Aqwest.
• Unitywater: Queensland government-owned water and sewerage utility serving the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay regions. Comparable as a regional monopoly with similar service mix and customer-facing operations (billing, concessions, developer services).
• Icon Water: ACT-owned water and wastewater utility serving Canberra and surrounding areas, regulated by the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission (ICRC). Comparable as a government-owned regional monopoly utility with tiered tariff structures.

Direct peers

• Busselton Water: Small regional potable water utility in the South West of Western Australia, also licensed under the Water Services Act 2012 and operating as a local-government controlled entity. Closest direct peer to Aqwest in terms of scale, geography, customer mix and regulatory regime.

Regional players

• Coliban Water: Regional Victorian water corporation providing drinking water and wastewater services to communities north of Melbourne under ESC Victoria regulation. Comparable as a smaller-scale regional government water utility with similar service profile, though operating in a different state.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aqwestbunbury
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aqwest
• Instagraminstagram.com/aqwestbunbury

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Aqwest