Water Corporation (Western Australia)

Water Corporation
Agency overview
Formed1 January 1996
Preceding agency
JurisdictionGovernment of Western Australia
Agency executive
  • Pat Donovan, chief executive officer
Websitewww.WaterCorporation.com.au

Water Corporation is the principal supplier of water, wastewater and drainage services throughout the state of Western Australia.[1] It is the seventh successive agency to deal with the services in Perth, Western Australia.

With offices in Perth, Bunbury, Albany, Karratha, Geraldton, Northam and Kalgoorlie, Water Corporation's services, projects and activities span 2.6 million square kilometres.[1]

Water Corporation employs over 2,746 people and manages an asset base over $37 billion (AUD) in water supply, wastewater, drainage infrastructure and bulk water for irrigation.[2]

Water Corporation is owned by the Western Australian Government and is accountable to its sole shareholder, the Minister for Water. Most of Water Corporation's surplus is returned to the Government as a dividend to contribute to the development of the state, with the remainder invested in capital works.[1]

Formation

Water Corporation was created in January 1996, in a restructure of the water industry in Western Australia.

The Water Authority in turn had been created in 1985 through a merger of the former Metropolitan Water Authority, which operated in Perth, the state capital, and the water and wastewater operations of the former WA Public Works Department.

Earlier agency names

  • Metropolitan Water Works Board[3] 1 October 1896 – 1 April 1909
  • Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage 1 Apr 1909 – 1 January 1910
  • Metropolitan Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage Department 1 Jan 1910 – 1 July 1964
  • Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage Department 1 Jan 1912 – 1 January 1921
  • Metropolitan Water Supply Sewerage and Drainage Board 1 Jul 1964 – 1 Jul 1982[4]
  • Metropolitan Water Authority 1 July 1982 – 1 July 1985[4][5]
  • Water Authority of Western Australia 1 July 1985 – 1 January 1996[4][5]
  • Water Corporation 1 January 1996 –[5]

Operations

Irrigation

Water Corporation provides more than 5,234 megalitres per year of bulk water supplies to irrigation schemes operated by farmer cooperatives in the northwest (Ord Irrigation District), midwest (Gascoyne Irrigation District) and southwest (South West and Preston Valley Irrigation Districts).[2]

Drainage

Water Corporation manages main drainage systems in Perth and some regional areas to prevent flooding and optimise land usage while minimising impacts on property and protecting the natural environment.[6] These services involve about 1,420 kilometres of rural main drains and more than 1,126 kilometres of drains in the Perth metropolitan area. Local councils manage most of Perth's smaller reticulation drains. Corporation drainage services benefit 320,000 hectares of agricultural land in parts of the South West and Albany on the south coast.[2]

Planning for the future

To ensure water services for a state that is growing rapidly yet at the same time suffering reduced rainfall, Water Corporation plans well ahead on multiple fronts. It aims to reduce water use and increase wastewater recycling while developing new water sources with a strong focus on those that are independent of climate. At the same time, it aims to reduce environmental impact from its operations.[7]

In October 2009, Water Corporation released its 50-year plan,[8] Water Forever: Towards Climate Resilience, which provides a portfolio of options to manage demand and supply balance by 2060.

References

  1. ^ a b c "The Way We Work". Water Corporation of WA. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Water Corporation Annual Report 2018" (PDF). 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  3. ^ "AU WA A105- Metropolitan Water Works Board". State Records Office of WA. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "Western Australian Metropolitan Water Authority (1982 - 1985)". The Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation. Swinburne University of Technology. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Water Authority of Western Australia (1985 - 1996)". The Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation. Swinburne University of Technology. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Sewerage & drainage services". Water Corporation of WA. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  7. ^ "Planning for the future". Water Corporation of WA. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  8. ^ "Water Forever" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2023.