Karratha Airport has been crowned Western Australia’s leading waterwise business, thanks to several innovative water-saving initiatives that have helped halve water usage in the past 12 months.
The Pilbara airport, which is operated by the City of Karratha, was announced as the Platinum Waterwise Business of the Year at a special ceremony for participants in Water Corporation‘s Waterwise Business Program.
Among its recent water-saving initiatives is an ongoing major upgrade to water distribution networks and increased use of recycled water for irrigation, flushing toilets, and wash-down bays.
Digital water meters have also been piloted to deliver real-time usage data and help easily identify leaks.
“Being waterwise is fundamental to WA’s future water security, which is why programs that help high water-use businesses and buildings reduce consumption are so important,” Water Minister Don Punch said. “It’s about all segments of the community – not just households – joining together to treat water like the precious resource it is.
A second Pilbara business – The Landing Resort in Port Hedland – was also acknowledged at the ceremony, joining Crown Metropol Perth and BOC Australia as gold waterwise award recipients.
“With climate change dramatically reducing drinking water received from rainfall, we cannot afford to take our eye off the ball when it comes to being waterwise,” Punch said. “It’s great to see WA’s business community doing its part to ensure drinking water remains secure now and into the future.”
Introduced in 2007, the Waterwise Business Program helps high-water-use businesses reduce consumption and lower water bills while alleviating the wider demand for precious drinking water supplies.
In 2023-24, 287 participating businesses saved 9.6 billion litres of water, bringing the total amount saved since the program’s inception to 156 billion litres—enough to fill Optus Stadium 156 times.
Also celebrated were Dexus Funds Management Limited‘s building at 240 St Georges Terrace and 1 William Street by Centuria Capital Limited for achieving gold waterwise status in the Waterwise Building Program.
For more information about all Water Corporation non-residential water efficiency programs, visit watercorporation.com.au/Waterwise/Waterwise-programs.
The Waterwise Business and Waterwise Buildings Programs support the WA Government’s Kep Katitjin-Gabi Kaadadjan (Waterwise Action Plan 3) to establish leading waterwise communities for Boorloo (Perth) and Bindjareb (Peel) by 2030.
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