Securing water for the Lower Hunter is at the heart of a new 40-year strategic plan, ensuring the region has a resilient, secure and sustainable supply now and for future generations.
The NSW Government’s Lower Hunter Water Security Plan (LHWSP) sets out a series of actions that consider new water sources and new ways to reduce water usage.
The LHWSP includes a range of supply and demand measures to ensure there is enough water to supply homes, businesses and industry in the region, especially during drought.
According to Hunter Water, the Lower Hunter’s water system performs well in typical conditions, but in a severe drought, the water storages can drop to critical levels in around three years.
If a drought continued longer than three years, the storages would completely empty, and the Lower Hunter region would run out of water.
Currently, the Grahamstown Dam, located north of Newcastle in the Port Stephens Council LGA, provides 51 per cent of the Lower Hunter water supply and is the Hunter’s largest drinking water supply dam.
Chichester Dam, near Dungog, supplies 28 per cent of the Lower Hunter water supply, and the rest comes from groundwater sources, recycled water, rainwater tanks and rivers.
Developed with significant engagement from the Hunter community, the LHWSP aims to reflect community values and priorities while being adaptable for the long term.
Minister for Lands and Water, Kevin Anderson, said the Lower Hunter community had overwhelmingly supported the plan.
“Safe and secure water is important to regional communities. This plan clearly lays out how the NSW Government will continue to support the Lower Hunter over the next 40 years,” Anderson said.
“This plan is a foundation for the region’s continued economic development, the largest in terms of the economic output of any region in Australia.
“I thank the community for their broad engagement with the LHWSP over the past three and a half years. The high level of support puts the region in a strong position to manage future challenges and overcome adversities such as drought.”
Hunter Water Managing Director, Darren Cleary, said all LHWSP actions attracted support from the community.
He said there was particularly strong support (97 per cent) for water conservation and leakage reduction, which were foundational elements of the plan.
“Hunter Water will also continue to explore the opportunity to access deep groundwater sources near Tomago and opportunities to reduce evaporation from our dams,” Cleary said.
“Analysis conducted while developing the plan confirms our region is more vulnerable to drought than previously thought, so improving the resilience of the water supply system is paramount.
“To generate greater flexibility and to meet community expectations of a reliable water supply to withstand drought means acting now to support continued regional prosperity.”
Some of the actions that the LHWSP will deliver over the next 40 years:
- Increased investment in water conservation, efficiency and leakage reduction actions.
- Construction of a permanent desalination plant at Belmont to supply up to 30 million litres of water per day.
- Assessing the viability of a Hunter Water connection to the Glennies Creek Dam-Lostock Dam scheme in the Upper Hunter.
- Increased investment in new, highly-treated recycled water schemes to support community green spaces and local industry.
To view the NSW Government’s Lower Hunter Water Security Plan, visit www.hunterwater.com.au/waterfuture
Hayley McMahon