Water & the environment
Managing water and protecting the environment is very important to us.
Find out how we do it and what you can do to help!
Water testing
Sydney Water Monitoring Services™ provides Australia's largest dedicated water, trade wastewater and environmental sampling and testing facility.
Find answers
- Why don't you have any water?
There are a few common reasons why you might not have any water.
- Occasionally we turn the meter tap off to repair your private water pipes. A plumber may also turn it off while working on your property. Please check the meter tap is in the 'on' position (turn anti-clockwise like normal household taps).
- If you live in a property that shares a water meter, for example a block of units, someone may have turned off the water supply to the entire block to repair a fault. Contact your body corporate or strata management to investigate.
- We may be fixing a broken or damaged water main and need to turn off the water supply to fix it. Register for water outage alerts if you'd like us to notify you when we need to turn off the water supply to your property.
Please check our water supply & service updates map to see if we're working near your property. A problem in a nearby street may affect your property even though you can't see it.
What can you do if you have no water and your meter tap is turned on?
Check for outages
Call 13 20 90 (24 hours/7 days) to report a fault.Check your meter tap if you have no water. The meter tap controls the water supply to your property - it's not a standard garden tap.
- What does hard and soft water mean?
Water hardness refers to the mineral content (particularly calcium and magnesium carbonates) within the water.
Other things can also influence the effects of hardness. These include the type of minerals present, pH, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen and temperature. If these other factors combine, water can become corrosive if it's too soft.
If the water is too hard, it can deposit minerals. This can cause scaling or make it hard to create foam or lather from soap.
Although a single scale can't accurately describe the hardness of water, typically, water is considered:- soft below 60 mg/L
- moderately hard between 60 - 120 mg/L
- hard between 120 - 200 mg/L
- very hard above 200 mg/L.
Sydney's water is 'soft'On average, our water has a hardness level of about 50 mg/L, so it's considered soft. When water is soft, you don’t need to add as much detergent to get things clean. Also, less soap scum builds up.
Many European brand appliances, such as dishwashers, use a water hardness measurement known as 'millimoles' (shown as mml CaCO3, or mmol/L).
To translate our measurement of mg/L to mmol/L, divide our level by 100.
For example, our water has a hardness level of about 50 mg/L. To convert this figure into millimoles, simply divide 50 by 100, which equals 0.50 mmol/L - What are the water restrictions?
Level 1 water restrictions are now in place
More than 85% of Greater Sydney’s water supply relies on rain. This means that our water is in short supply during prolonged droughts.
Water restrictions limit how and when we use drinking water outdoors and help reduce demand when we’re not getting enough rain. It's too soon to tell whether the rain in early 2020 is just a temporary relief from drought or a sign that conditions are improving for the long-term. It's important we all continue to save water.
Water restrictions apply to everyone in Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra. This includes both residents and businesses.
If we all do our bit and save a little, it will make a big difference across Greater Sydney.Find out more about water restrictions. - How can you get to Prospect Reservoir picnic areas?
We manage the Prospect Reservoir picnic areas. They're located off Reservoir Road, Prospect, about 35 km west of Sydney.
Facilities include a viewing area, playground and toilets. The lower Prospect Reservoir picnic grounds and cycleway are open to the public from:
- 6 am - 6.30 pm during daylight savings
- 7 am - 4.30 pm at all other times.
Prospect Nature Reserve is not open to the public as it is part of a Special Area Water Catchment which is controlled by Water NSW.
How do you get to Prospect Reservoir?Travelling west on the M4
Take the Prospect Highway exit.
Turn left at the roundabout.
Turn right at the T-intersection.
The entrance to Prospect Reservoir is the second turn to the left.Travelling east on the M4
Take the Reservoir Road exit.
Turn right onto Reservoir Road.
The entrance is about two kilometres on the right.
Simply email us if you have any questions.
Who manages Prospect Reservoir?We manage the picnic areas only.
WaterNSW owns and manages the reservoir itself as well as Prospect Nature Reserve.
- Which trees can damage wastewater pipes?
Tree roots are a common cause of damage to wastewater pipes. They can enter small cracks in your wastewater pipes to seek out nutrients and then continue to grow. As they grow, they take up more space and slow down your drainage. This can eventually cause a blockage.
Signs of a blockage can be:- slow drainage
- gurgling noises in sanitary drains
- odour
- overflows in your home and property.
What can you do to prevent blockages?
Before you plant trees on your property, find out where your wastewater pipes are. A sewerage service diagram will show you. You can get one online through Sydney Water Tap inTM
As a guide, don't plant trees within six metres of any wastewater pipes. Your local nursery can give you advice on trees and their root systems.
If you have existing trees and they're a problem, ask a plumber to set up a regular maintenance plan for you.
The only things you should flush are the three Ps - pee, poo, and toilet paper. While some brands of wet wipes might say that they’re flushable - they aren't!
Which trees should you avoid planting near wastewater pipes?
Tree species vary greatly in their ability to enter the wastewater system and cause damage.
The trees listed below are likely to cause problems to your wastewater pipes. We recommend that you don't plant these species within six metres of a wastewater pipe.
Botanical name Common name Acer sp. Maple (mostly large) Araucaria sp. Norfolk Island Pine Bambusa sp. Bamboo Brachychiton Acerifolius Illawarra Flame Tree Callistemon sp. Bottlebrushes Casuarina sp. Casuarinas or She-Oaks (especially River Oak and Swamp Oak) Celtis sp. Nettle-tree and Hackberry Chamaecyparis/Cupressus sp. Cedar and Cypress Cinnamomum Camphora Camphor Laurel Erythrina sp. Coral tree (large) Eucalyptus sp. Gum trees (large) Ficus sp. Figs (Moreton Bay Fig, Weeping Fig, Rubber Tree) Fraxinus sp. Ashes (large) Jacaranda Mimosifolia Jacaranda Lagerstroemia sp. Crape Myrtle Liquidambar Styraciflua Liquidambar Lophostemon Confertus Brush Box Magnolia sp. Magnolias (large) Melaleuca Paperbarks Metrosideros Excelsus New Zealand Christmas Tree Morus sp. Mulberry (especially Black Mulberry) Murraya Paniculate Orange Jasmine Nerium Oleander Oleander Persea Americana Avocado Phoenix Canariensis Canary Island Date Palm Pinus sp. Pine Platanus sp. Plane trees Populus sp. Poplars Prunus sp. Apricot, Cherry, Peach, Plum Quercus sp. Oaks Salix sp. Willows Sapium Sebiferum Chinese Tallow Tree Schefflera Actinophylla Umbrella Tree Schinus Molle Pepper Tree Syzygium sp. Lillypilly Ulmus sp. Elms (large) Wisteria sp. Wisterias What can you do if you have a blockage?
If you think you have a blockage, we recommend you contact a licensed plumber for advice and a quote for repairs.