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Port Augusta, Australia's Leader In Water Sustainability

Nowhere else in South Australia, and probably the entire country, is so utterly dependent on one water source located so far outside its own region as Port Augusta. All other regions of South Australia have other backup supplies of water except for the areas immediately adjacent to the River Murary itself. This places Port Augusta in a situation of acute vulnerability.

The Upper Spencer Gulf is almost wholly dependent on the Murray River for drinking water

Source: SA Water

Port Augusta already has one of Australia's most sophisticated water recycling systems in place. Now the city aims to go a step further: locking in an environmentally-sustainable, climate change proof source of drinking water to assure the town's future. It's a goal Mayor Joy Baluch has pursued for years, and it's a policy borne of necessity.

In August 2006, prolonged dry weather conditions across 90% of South Australia caused a dramatic increase in algae growth in the Murray River, creating foul-tasting drinking water problems across the Upper Spencer Gulf. SA Water tackled the problem with additional treatment of water supplies, but permanent low river conditions are likely to make this problem get worse, not better, with time.

Port Augusta was Australia's first municipality to gain direct access to state water monopoly pipelines in order to engage in recycling, or "sewer mining." Drawing off waste water previously dumped into the Upper Spencer Gulf, Port Augusta now produces 450 kilolitires a day of irrigation water for the city's sports fields, parks and gardens from a underground recycling facility located next to the council-owned sports oval.