Water quality

Sydney Water’s aim is to provide you with high quality, safe drinking water. Drinking water is treated to meet the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

Sydney Water and the Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA) work together to continuously improve water supply management in Sydney.

Substantial improvements have been made with advances in science, infrastructure upgrades, a greater focus on catchment management and improvements in water supply management processes.

Sydney’s drinking water supply is managed from the catchments to customers’ taps. This includes identifying and managing risks in the catchment, creating multiple physical barriers to stop contamination, and monitoring water quality in near to real time. Sydney’s water filtration plants operate under stringent filtration targets and the pipes that transport treated water to customers’ taps are fully enclosed.

Water quality testing and monitoring takes place at every stage of the supply system. Samples are taken in the catchments, after water is treated, in distribution pipes and at customers' taps.

Water is tested for Cryptosporidium and Giardia and other water quality characteristics, according to a water quality monitoring plan agreed to by NSW Health.

Sydney Water works in close consultation with NSW Health to protect public health.