Water supply and sanitation in Australia

Water supply and sanitation in Australia is a topic concerning the consumption and obtainment of water for the Australian population. Being the driest inhabited continent in the world, and also one of the highest consumers of water per capita, both the acquisition and usage of water are of concern to Australians. Issues such as climate change and global warming are expected to impact the supply of water in Australia in the future, which can lead to severe consequences such as prolonged droughts.

Historically, Australia's variable rainfall levels have caused the construction of various dams and reservoirs in major water systems, to ensure that a consistent water supply exists for its population. The Murray-Darling river, Australia's largest river by capacity, supplies 55% of the total water usage in Australia, and is primarily used for agriculture in South Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria. Other prominent water sources have included groundwater, desalinated marine water, and recycled water.

The government management of water supply and distribution are a responsibility of each state government. State-owned companies are in charge of service provision in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory, while utilities owned by local governments provide services in parts of Queensland and Tasmania. In Victoria, New South Wales and Southeast Queensland, state-owned utilities provide bulk water which is then distributed by utilities owned by either local or state governments. The Minister for Water is responsible for water policies at the federal level.

Restrictions on water usage have been implemented at various points in Australia's history, in response to widespread droughts. Policies involve the prohibition of water usage for non-essential purposes, such as sprinklers and car washing. In less urgent times, residents are still encouraged to conserve water and apply practices such as effluent reuse, rainwater harvesting and using greywater for various applicable purposes. Larger scale projects in wastewater reclamation have been discussed in many major cities and successfully applied in Adelaide and Brisbane.

In 2006, Perth became the first Australian city to operate a seawater desalination plant, the Kwinana Desalination Plant, to reduce the city's vulnerability to droughts. Additional plants followed for major cities around Australia, such as

• Kurnell which supplies Sydney metropolitan area during droughts and low dam levels
• Gold Coast Desalination Plant supplying the Gold Coast and additionally the South East Queensland area by the SEQ Water Grid
• Victorian Desalination Plant supplying Melbourne metropolitan area.
• Adelaide Desalination Plant with capacity to supply up to 50% of Adelaide's water requirements.