Aboriginal Communities Water and Sewerage Program

About the program

The NSW Government is invested in improving the health and wellbeing of residents of 63 eligible Aboriginal communities across the state by providing safe and effective water and sewerage services.

Well-managed water and sewerage systems reduce the risk of diarrhoeal disease for communities, as well as respiratory and skin infections, resulting in better health outcomes.

The Aboriginal Communities Water and Sewerage Program (ACWSP) is a $200 million award-winning initiative aimed at ensuring the level of these services provided to eligible communities is of equivalent standard to nearby non-Indigenous towns.

The program began in December 2008 and is a joint initiative of the NSW Government and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC).

Aboriginal Affairs is the lead government agency for the program and the department manages the implementation. NSW Health also plays an important role, monitoring health standards for water and sewerage systems in the communities involved.

How it works

Regular meetings are held with Aboriginal community members, local Aboriginal land councils (LALC), local water utilities and NSW Health to understand what’s needed to improve the existing infrastructure and service levels.

The ACWSP provides ongoing support for service delivery, ensuring water and sewerage services continue to be operated and maintained at levels consistent with nearby non-Indigenous communities.

History of the program

The NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act came into force in 1983 and former Aboriginal reserve lands were transferred to Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALCs). The introduction of the Act saw LALC’s become responsible for the water and sewerage systems on their land without the technical knowledge or resources to maintain them, placing the health of these communities at risk.

In 2004 a working group was established by NSW Health to investigate infrastructure needs in discreet Aboriginal communities, and a report was published 3 years later. The report was used to form a business case for funding which was successful in 2008 and resulted in the development of the ACWSP.

Community map

Explore the communities benefiting from the program in the map below.

Completed projects

Namatjira

A $3 million upgrade to Namatjira’s raw water supply is now complete, ensuring the community has a reliable water supply for all outdoor purposes. The upgrades, which will increase the community’s water capacity by over 18%, include 2 new raw water tanks, 5 pumps, a pumphouse with control room and supporting infrastructure.

The upgrade was led and funded by the department and collaboratively supported by Dareton Local Aboriginal Land Council, Wentworth Shire Council, NSW Public Works and contractors. The new tanks have been painted with a design inspired by local Maura/Barkandji artist John Mitchell and was produced by Zest Events International Creative. Another mural has been added on the pump station, celebrating local sporting heroes.

Jubullum

In 2021, a new river intake was constructed for Jubullum to provide cleaner and safer drinking water for the Aboriginal community. The upgrade replaced a failing infiltration gallery with an ultrafiltration plant that assists with filtering solids such as bacteria, blue green algae toxins and unpleasant organic materials from the river water.

With the assistance of a community liaison member, the program also implemented a demand management campaign to conduct house-by-house audits of leaks and encourage residents to report leaks and protect water scarcity.

Elder Uncle Lewis Walker yarned with children in the community about the cultural value of water and swam in the river. The children then painted artworks from their experiences which were enlarged and attached to the new water treatment plant.

Summervale

A new chlorine dosing system has been installed to boost the chlorine residual at Summervale, ensuring the community receives quality water that consistently meets Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. The department worked with the Summervale LALC, Walcha Shire Council and contractors to deliver this project.

Malabugilmah

Upgrades to the treatment plant and the stabilisation of the eroding Clarence riverbank were both completed for Malabugilmah in 2020.

A disc filter, ultrafiltration membranes, activated carbon filtration and improved control systems were added to the treatment plant. The river embankment was also stabilised with 530 geotextile sandbags and 40 cubic metres of rock.

As a result, the reliability of the community’s water supply increased as the river water quality no longer dictates when water can be extracted from the river. Water supply security has also improved, with the riverbank stabilisation works significantly reducing the risk of intake structure failure.

Input from the Jana Ngalee LALC, Clarence Valley Council and contractors assisted the department with the development and delivery of the project.

Malabugilmah, Clarence River stabilisation.

Contact us

For more information call us on 1300 081 047 or email us at water.enquiries@dcceew.nsw.gov.au