North West water supply

The North West region, extending from as far south as Onslow and as far north as Wyndham, is primarily supplied by groundwater. Karratha is supplied by the addition of surface water from Harding Dam and Wyndham also draw water from Moochalabra Dam.

Supplying the North West region’s towns and communities can come with its own challenges. We supply water in some very remote places, which means some of our serviced towns are unmanned, and repairs and maintenance mean several hours of driving for our skilled operators.  

Reducing water use

Customers in the North West are some of the highest water users per capita in WA. We aim to reduce water use in the area by working with communities and businesses on a range of programs, such as:

• water use behaviour change and replacement of inefficient fittings for residents and small business
• leak detection and repair
• water efficiency solutions for major businesses. 

Increasing water recycling

Around 42% of treated wastewater is recycled in the North West. Wastewater recycling plays a vital role in supporting a very high level of economic activity and population growth.

We expect recycled water use to increase further as wastewater volumes and demand for water grows.

Major activities include:

• irrigation of public open spaces and ovals in Karratha, Port Hedland and South Hedland
• recycling schemes which supply treated wastewater to golf courses, public open spaces, wetlands and irrigation schemes.

We're committed to exploring further recycling opportunities in the North West and will be investing substantially in technology to improve the quality of treated wastewater from our plants.

Buy hay for a good cause

We produce Rhodes grass at our Broome North Wastewater Treatment Plant as an environmentally friendly means of disposing of Broome's recycled water. The high-quality hay is sold to local farmers for fodder, and part of the revenue is used to fund community projects through our Kimberley Community Grants Scheme.