Desalination

Part of our resilient water supply

Sydney Desalination Plant is part of the NSW Government's plan to ensure a secure and affordable water supply system for Greater Sydney. It's one of the ways we can step up to meet water demand when we're faced with prolonged drought, as it doesn't rely on rainfall. Most states have at least one large desalination plant.

Sydney Desalination Plant is currently operating

We've kept the desalination plant operating to reduce pressure on our water filtration plants and network, and to enable us to respond to Greater Sydney's water demand. This ensures we continue to deliver high-quality drinking water. While the plant is operating, we can adjust the capacity based on our system's needs.

Running the plant for the 12 months up to March 2024 cost the average household $21.67 a year. This is reflected in the 2024–25 water service charges.

We supply desalinated water to up to 1.5 million people.

Key facts about desalinated water

If you live or work in an area that can be supplied by desalinated water, you may receive water from dams, the desalination plant or a combination of both.

The plant produces drinking water that meets the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. You can find out about the quality of the water we supply to your property in our daily drinking water quality report.

At full capacity, the plant can provide up to 15% of Greater Sydney's total water use. It can supply about 1.5 million people with an average of 250 million litres a day.

The plant takes seawater from about 300 metres offshore and 25 metres below the surface. It uses reverse osmosis to turn seawater into drinking water.

Sydney Desalination Plant at Kurnell is privately owned and operated.

Find out more
Desalination for Greater Sydney
Desalination for Greater Sydney (detailed)