The New South Wales Government is stepping up its commitment to save billions of litres of water by injecting $3 million into round 2 of its innovative Active Leak Detection Project. This will help boost long-term water security for regional towns and cities across the State.
It forms part of the hugely successful Water Efficiency and Regional Leakage Reduction Program that has secured $11.3 million in further funding, on top of an initial $12.5 million investment, to continue its activities in the regions over the next two years.
The program already achieved impressive results between 2022 and 2024, saving a staggering 7,500 megalitres (ML) per year in water in over 60 regional locations.
This next round aims to save up to 4,000 ML of water per year, enough to meet the annual water needs of around 20,000 NSW regional households.
“Our leak detection program has been smashing it out of the park by recovering a massive 7,500 megalitres of water in regional NSW per year since 2022 that would have otherwise gone to waste,” New South Wales Minister for Water Rose Jackson said. “That’s why I am absolutely thrilled to announce that we are rolling the program out to even more locations across the State over the next two years.
The active leak detection project uses cutting-edge equipment, including noise loggers, electronic listening sticks, ground microphones, and leak noise correlators, to detect leaks in local water networks. Local councils can then repair the leaks.
Crews will survey approximately 6,000 kilometres of regional water supply mains across more than 40 high-priority areas that are severely impacted during dry months, including Warrumbungle Shire, Warren, Moree Plains, Forbes, Cobar, Dubbo and Lithgow.
The NSW Government is locking in more locations over the coming weeks.
“While water levels are currently stable, the next drought could be just around the corner, so projects like this one are a simple solution to make the most of the water we already have by identifying and fixing leaks across local networks,” Jackson said.
The next stage of the program will also focus on identifying leaks in residential properties. If issues are found, homeowners will be notified. Work commenced in January and will be rolled out until June 2026.
“You’d be amazed at how much town water gets lost every year because of cracks or holes in pipelines, which is why using high-tech equipment to pinpoint these leaks is one of the most effective ways to safeguard our long-term water supply,” Jackson said.
The $35.3 million Water Efficiency and Regional Leakage Reduction Program aims to create a more sustainable and resilient water future for country towns and cities across the State.
For more information, visit the Regional Leakage Reduction Program webpage.