Sydney Water

What Sydney Water does

Sydney Water is a state-owned corporation established under the Sydney Water Act 1994 and wholly owned by the Government of New South Wales, operating as Australia's largest water utility. It provides drinking water, wastewater, recycled water, stormwater drainage, and trade wastewater services to over 5 million people across Greater Sydney, the Illawarra, and the Blue Mountains under an exclusive Operating Licence (2024–2028), with prices regulated by IPART (Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal). Customer acquisition is automatic upon property connection within its service territory, and demand is driven by population growth and urban development rather than competitive sales.

The business is built around capital-intensive physical infrastructure: 16 declared dams, water filtration plants, wastewater treatment facilities (including the Malabar plant under a $2–3 billion overhaul and the Riverstone Water Resource Recovery Facility upgrade using DuPont MemCor membrane bioreactors), advanced water recycling centres (Upper South Creek), and Australia's largest dedicated NATA-accredited water and wastewater monitoring laboratory at West Ryde. Digital touchpoints include the My Account customer portal and the Sydney Water Tap in developer/plumber platform, with smart meters mandated for all new connections from 1 October 2025.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid pricing model: fixed quarterly service charges (water, wastewater, stormwater), usage-based drinking water and wastewater tariffs, trade wastewater fees indexed to pollutant concentration, developer/building fees, and commercial laboratory and monitoring services. Recent IPART-approved pricing included a 13.8% bill increase effective 1 October 2025. The company is executing a $32 billion 15-year sewerage infrastructure improvement program and pursuing water efficiency outcomes (225 GL cumulative demand reduction via WaterFix, 15 billion litres annual wastewater reduction targeted by 2030).

Name

Sydney Water

Legal name

Sydney Water Corporation

Website

https://sydneywater.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Sydney Water is a NSW state-owned regulated monopoly providing drinking water, wastewater, recycled water, stormwater, and trade wastewater services to over 5 million people across Greater Sydney, Illawarra, and Blue Mountains, with prices set by IPART.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory) (EUANAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Treatment & Wet-Weather Capacity (EUANADAF), Stormwater Management & MS4 Compliance Services (BPALAMAL), Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), Water Retail Programs & Demand Management (conservation programs, rebates, water budgets, drought surcharges) (EUANAIAJ)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Wastewater management
• Recycled water
• Stormwater drainage
• Trade wastewater services

Headquarters

HQ city

Parramatta

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Water Service Charges: Fixed quarterly charges for connection to water supply, adjusted based on meter size and dam storage levels. Residential customers pay approximately $26.65 per quarter (2026-27). Drought rates apply when dam levels drop below 60%.
2. Water Usage Charges: Usage-based charges for drinking water consumption. Residential rate of $3.41 per kilolitre (2026-27). Drought rate of $3.84 per kilolitre applies during low dam levels.
3. Wastewater Service Charges: Fixed quarterly charges for wastewater connection, with minimum charge for non-residential properties. Residential charge of $189.88 per quarter (2026-27).
4. Wastewater Usage Charges: Usage-based charges for wastewater discharge, measured via discharge meter or estimated discharge factor. Non-residential rate of $1.50 per kilolitre (2026-27).
5. Stormwater Service Charges: Fixed quarterly charges for stormwater drainage services in declared stormwater drainage areas. Residential houses pay $30.26 per quarter, units pay $9.67 per quarter (2026-27).
6. Trade Wastewater Charges: Charges for commercial and industrial properties discharging trade wastewater into the wastewater system, based on pollutant concentration and volume.
7. Commercial Laboratory Services: Fee-based water quality testing and monitoring services for commercial customers, including field sampling, laboratory analysis, hydrometric services, and sample design.
8. Developer and Building Fees: Fees for building plan approvals, development applications, connection approvals, diagrams, and certificates for property transactions and development projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Sydney Water provides drinking water supply, wastewater collection and treatment, recycled water, and stormwater drainage services to over 5 million people across Greater Sydney, the Illawarra, and the Blue Mountains. It also operates fee-based commercial laboratory and monitoring services through its NATA-accredited West Ryde facility, and manages developer/building application services (connections, approvals, Section 73 certificates) through the Sydney Water Tap in digital platform. Pricing is set by IPART and billed quarterly through fixed service charges plus usage-based water and wastewater charges.

Product overview

Sydney Water is a state-owned corporation providing water, wastewater, recycled water, stormwater, and trade wastewater services to over 5 million people across Sydney, Illawarra, and the Blue Mountains. The company operates a multi-channel service portfolio comprising digital self-service platforms (My Account customer portal, Sydney Water Tap in application portal), water efficiency programs (WaterFix Residential, Strata, Commercial, Schools, and Concealed Leaks offerings), commercial laboratory and monitoring services, and major infrastructure projects including the Malabar plant upgrade and Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre. Operations are governed by Operating Licence 2024-2028 under the Sydney Water Act 1994.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WaterFix: Water conservation program helping customers reduce water bills by fixing leaks and installing water-efficient devices
• Waterwrap
• Business Update
• Toilet Blockers Anonymous (TBA)

Products and services

• Drinking Water Supply Service Regulated drinking water supply service to residential and business properties across Greater Sydney, Illawarra and Blue Mountains, billed via fixed quarterly service charge plus usage-based charge per kilolitre.
• Wastewater Service
• Stormwater Drainage Service
• Recycled Water Service
• Trade Wastewater Services
• My Account
• Sydney Water Tap in
• WaterFix Residential
• WaterFix Strata
• WaterFix Concealed Leaks
• WaterFix Commercial
• WaterFix Schools
• Sydney Water Monitoring Services
• Backflow Prevention Annual Testing

Quantifiable outcome

• WaterFix Residential program has reduced drinking water demand by around 225 gigalitres since inception over 25 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North West Hub AlliancecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 9 June 2026Alliance comprising Sydney Water, John Holland, KBR, and Stantec leading the Riverstone Water Resource Recovery Facility upgrade in Sydney's North West region. The upgrade will use DuPont MemCor membrane bioreactor technology with 2,592 MemPulse B50 MBR modules supporting 24.8 megaliters per day capacity.
• DuPont Water SolutionscoreTechnology or Integration · 9 June 2026DuPont's MemCor membrane bioreactor system selected for Riverstone Water Resource Recovery Facility upgrade. Australia's manufacturing team will supply MemPulse B50 MBR modules as part of the treatment infrastructure expansion.
• Sydney ZoominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2025Sydney Water partnered with Sydney Zoo to help reduce water waste at the facility.
• Jess Fox (Olympic Champion)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Olympic canoeing champion Jess Fox partnered with Sydney Water for the 'Greater Sydney, water is our life' campaign, exploring the story behind one of life's most essential resources.
• The WigglesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Sydney Water collaborated with The Wiggles for the 'Water Saving Superheroes' campaign, teaching children about the importance of saving water.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Thames Water: Thames Water is the UK's largest water and wastewater utility serving London and the Thames Valley. Comparable in scale (millions of customers), aging infrastructure challenges, environmental compliance pressure, and capital-intensive modernization cycle — though differing in ownership structure (private).
• American Water Works: American Water is the largest publicly traded US water and wastewater utility serving over 14 million people. Comparable as a regulated water utility with similar service portfolio (drinking water, wastewater, recycled water), capital intensity, and regulatory rate-base economics.
• WaterNSW: WaterNSW is the NSW bulk water supplier and river operator managing the state's dams, rivers, and catchments. Closely related to Sydney Water as the upstream bulk supplier of raw water into Sydney Water's treatment and distribution network.
• Veolia Australia and New Zealand: Veolia operates water and wastewater treatment services across Australia including operations and maintenance contracts for municipal utilities. Comparable in advanced treatment technology deployment (including MBR systems) and commercial water services, though as a private operator rather than asset owner.

Direct peers

• Melbourne Water: Melbourne Water is Victoria's wholesale water utility managing water supply, treatment, and waterways for the greater Melbourne region. It is Australia's closest direct counterpart to Sydney Water in scale, regulatory structure (state-owned, IPART-equivalent oversight), and service mandate across drinking water and wastewater.
• SA Water: SA Water is South Australia's state-owned water utility providing water and wastewater services statewide. Comparable in government ownership structure, integrated service portfolio (drinking water, wastewater, recycled water), and infrastructure modernization challenges.
• South East Water (Australia): South East Water provides water, wastewater, and recycled water services across Melbourne's south-east. Comparable to Sydney Water in retail utility operations, residential and business customer management, and trade wastewater charging framework.
• Hunter Water: Hunter Water is a NSW state-owned water utility serving the Newcastle, Hunter, and Central Coast regions. Directly comparable in governance structure (NSW state-owned corporation), regulatory oversight (IPART pricing), and integrated water/wastewater service model.
• Yarra Valley Water: Yarra Valley Water is Victoria's largest retail water utility serving over 2 million customers in Melbourne's growth corridors. It is directly comparable to Sydney Water in retail water service delivery, pricing structure, and customer segment mix (residential, business, trade wastewater).
• Urban Utilities (Queensland): Urban Utilities is one of Australia's largest water and wastewater service providers, serving the Brisbane metropolitan area and surrounding regions. Comparable as a large-scale Australian retail water utility with similar residential and business customer segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sydneywaternews
• Facebookfacebook.com/SydneyWater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sydney-water

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Sydney Water