MEDIA RELEASE
29 April 2008
Release of Australia's National Water Performance Reports
Two National Performance Reports on the performance of the water industry for 2006-07 were released today at the Australian Water Summit by the Chair of the National Water Commission, Ken Matthews and the CEO of the Water Services Association of Australia, Ross Young.
Mr Matthews said, “Tackling the water crisis and securing our future water supply requires all Australian cities and towns to use water more efficiently, cut water wastage, more effectively capture rain and stormwater, and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
“These reports greatly improve the quality and quantity of information available to the general public and improve the transparency of the water industry.
“They deliver on a key commitment in the National Water Initiative, Australia’s blueprint for water reform, to annually benchmark pricing and service quality, and to do so independently and publicly.”
The National Performance Report 2006-0: Urban Water Utilities tracks the performance of the urban water sector and was prepared jointly by the National Water Commission, all state and territory governments, and the Water Services Association of Australia.
Ross Young said, “The report highlights the success of urban water conservation strategies, with the largest water providers reporting a near 20% reduction in the volume of water supplied per residential property over the last five years.
“For some of the largest water utilities, these water savings have led to a net decrease in the typical residential bill, despite increases in the price of water.
“In addition, governments and water utilities across Australia have invested significantly to boost urban water supply with total capital expenditure of almost $2 billion for the largest water utilities in 2006-07 – almost four times the total for 2001-02.”
The report also shows that the largest providers achieved a substantial 31% increase in recycled water on last year as the result of the significant investment in new recycled water schemes.
The inaugural National Performance Report 2006-07: Rural Water Service Providers reports the performance of the thirteen largest rural water service providers across five states. Together, these thirteen providers manage a significant proportion of overall rural water supply and approximately 92% of the rural water network supply.
Attached is a summary of the findings for both reports. Full reports are available - www.nwc.gov.au/nwi/national_performance_reports.cfm
Key findings - National Performance Report 2006-07: Urban Water Utilities
All information provided below is sourced from the National Performance Report 2006-07 - Urban Water Utilities. A comparative analysis of 29 indicators is given in Part A of the report while Part B displays (in individual utility format) a wider indicator set over a time series. Part C of the report provides the National Water Initiative (NWI) indicators in electronic excel format.
82 water utilities have reported in the 2006-07 report and the published results have been audited where required.
The following key findings shown below are for the 20 utilities in the two largest utility sectors only; that is, utilities with 100,000+ properties and utilities with between 50,000–100,000 properties (see table below).
| Utilities with 100,000+ connected properties | Utilities with between 50,000 and 100,000 connected properties |
|---|---|
| Sydney Water | Gosford City Council |
| Water Corporation - Perth | Logan Water |
| Yarra Valley Water | Cairns Water (Cairns City Council) |
| South East Water | Coliban Water |
| SA Water - Adelaide | Maroochy Water Services |
| Brisbane Water | Gippsland Water |
| City West Water | Wyong Shire Council |
| Gold Coast Water | Central Highlands Water |
| Hunter Water | Goulburn Valley Water |
| ACTEW (Canberra) | |
| Barwon Water |
Please refer to Part A of the report for information on utility sectors with 20,000-50,000 properties and 10,000-20,000 properties.
Residential Water Supplied (pp 9-13)
Across Australia, the average annual residential water supplied for 2006-07 was 236 kL per property ranging from 69 kL to 536 kL per property. Factors influencing results include changing customer behaviour, climatic variations and demand management strategies (e.g. water restrictions).
For utilities with 100,000+ properties the average volume of residential water supplied in 2006-07 was 196 kL per property which was a reduction of 5.6% (from 2005-06). Over the 5-year period from 2001-02 water supplied has fallen by 19.4% per property. The lowest volume of water supplied for 2006-07 was 153 kL per property (Brisbane Water), and the highest was 281 kL per property (Water Corporation – Perth).
For utilities with between 50,000 and 100,000 properties the average volume of residential water supplied was 201 kL per property, a reduction of approximately 10% (from 2005-06). Water supplied ranged from 139 kL per property (Wyong Shire Council) to 311 kL per property (Goulburn Valley Water).
For utilities with 100,000+ properties the average duration for unplanned water supply interruptions was 124 minutes, ranging from 69 minutes (ACTEW) to 181 minutes (Brisbane Water).
For utilities with between 50,000 and 100,000 properties the average duration of unplanned water supply interruptions was 98 minutes, ranging from 40 minutes (Logan Water) to 150 minutes (Wyong Shire Council).
Recycled Water Supplied (pp 14-16)
Across Australia, recycled water supplied ranged widely from 0% to 100% of total sewage treated. Higher levels of recycling are generally undertaken by utilities where the recycled water is predominantly used for low value irrigation-type purposes (as opposed to high value urban uses such as third pipe schemes and industrial uses).
For utilities with 100,000+ properties the total volume of recycled water was 80 914 ML. The largest volume of recycled water supplied was by SA Water – Adelaide (25 047 ML or 29.6% of sewage collected). The lowest volume of recycled water was by ACTEW (2,104 ML or 7.4% of sewage collected).
Melbourne Water also recycled a large volume of water (74 918 ML or 23% of sewage collected) on behalf of the three Melbourne retailers (City West Water, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water).
For utilities with between 50,000 and 100,000 properties, the total volume of recycled water was 16,503 ML. This ranged from 212 ML or 2% of sewage collected (Gosford City Council), to 6,699 ML or 86% of sewage collected by Goulburn Valley Water.
Typical Residential Bill (pp 60-62)
Across Australia, the average typical annual residential bill for water supply and sewerage services was $713. The typical residential bill is that paid by a residential customer using the utility’s average annual residential water supplied per property (prices in effect as at 30 June 2007).
For utilities with 100,000+ properties the average typical annual residential bill for combined water supply and sewerage services was $633. The water supply component of the bill ranged from $185 (South East Water) to $332 (ACTEW). The sewerage component ranged from $210 (City West Water) to $475 (Water Corporation – Perth).
Utilities with between 50,000 and 100,000 properties the average typical annual residential bill for combined water supply and sewerage services was $664. The water supply component of the bill ranged from $229 (Coliban Water) to $380 (Logan Water) and the sewerage component ranged from $234 (Goulburn Valley Water) to $475 (Maroochy Water).
Microbiological Water Quality Compliance (pp 58-59)
All utilities with 100,000+ properties and between 50,000 and 100,000 properties reported greater than 99% compliance with the stated water quality guidelines for microbiological compliance
Average Duration of Unplanned Water Supply Interruptions (pp 28-30)
This indicator reports the average duration for which a customer is without water supply due to an unplanned interruption. The indicator does not capture the number or frequency of customer interruptions.
For utilities with 100,000+ properties the average duration for unplanned water supply interruptions was 124 minutes, ranging from 69 minutes (ACTEW) to 181 minutes (Brisbane Water).
For utilities with between 50,000 and 100,000 properties the average duration of unplanned water supply interruptions was 98 minutes, ranging from 40 minutes (Logan Water) to 150 minutes (Wyong Shire Council).
Capital Expenditure – Combined Water & Sewerage (pp 46-49)
In general, there were large increases in the capital expenditure for water supply and sewerage from 2005-06 to 2006-07.
Utilities with 100,000+ properties reported an average capital expenditure of $367 per property. This ranged from $111 per property (SA Water – Adelaide) to $932 per property (Gold Coast Water). Total capital expenditure for 2006-07 totaled nearly $2 billion which was around four times the level of capital expenditure in 2001-02.
Utilities with between 50,000 and 100,000 properties reported an average capital expenditure of $671 per property which was an increase of 75% per property (from 2005-06). This ranged from $213 per property (Logan Water) to $1 260 per property (Gippsland Water). The aggregate value of capital expenditure was $363 million for 2006-07.
Operating Costs (pp 41-46)
Operating costs include operation, maintenance and administration costs. Key factors influencing operating costs include changes in water supplied, network characteristics and customer density.
Utilities with 100,000+ properties reported an average total operating cost for combined water and sewerage of $439 per property, ranging from $352 per property (SA Water – Adelaide) to $576 per property (ACTEW).
Utilities with between 50,000 and 100,000 properties reported an average total operating cost for combined water and sewerage of $584 per property, ranging from $390 per property (Central Highlands Water) to $820 per property (Gippsland Water).
Key Findings - National Performance Report 2006-07: Rural Water Service Providers
This is the first national performance report for rural water service providers. The report has relied on data that was voluntarily provided by Australia’s thirteen largest rural water service providers. As a result, not all indicators have been reported by all providers. It is anticipated that in future, improved data collection will lead to a fuller data set and, that through the baseline established in this report, it will also be possible to provide historical data sets. As the report demonstrates, there is an extraordinary diversity amongst rural water service providers with size, location, type of delivery network and climatic conditions varying considerably. These differences make comparisons between providers very difficult. However, we have provided some summary information below.
The National Water Commission therefore recommends caution in making any other direct comparisons between service providers.
Indicator C11: Supply network intake volume
Rural water utilities diverted a total of 4 454 668 megalitres of water into their supply networks in 20067-07. The largest diverter was Goulburn-Murray Water, which diverted 1 550 601 megalitres. Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water diverted just 28 058 megalitres for non-irrigation purposes, making it the smallest diverter of the service providers in the report.
Indicator E7 Environmental Management Plan
Of the thirteen water utilities, seven reported that they had an environmental management plan or system in place. Two providers reported that they did not have such a plan in place and four did not report this indicator.
Indicator E4: Supply Network Delivery Efficiency
The supply network delivery efficiency indicator measures the percentage of volume that is accounted for as a planned delivery to customers. There is considerable variability across and within the providers, with overall results varying from 59% to 100% efficiency. These results largely reflect the type of delivery network in place.
Indicator F22: Capital Expenditure
Rural water service providers reported a total of approximately $242 million of capital expenditure in 2006-07. Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water had by far the largest capital expenditure over the period, at $121 million, reflective of the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline project currently underway in the area.
Indicator F3: Revenue from Rural Water Service Provision
Providers collected a total of more than $282 million in revenue from rural water service provision in 2006-07.
Media contacts:
National Water Commission - Lynne Griffiths 02 6102 6023 / 0412 786 945
Water Services Association of Australia - Ross Young 0418 354 632