Australian Water Utilities
Australia's drinking water is managed by 182 water utilities, from large metropolitan providers like Sydney Water and Melbourne Water to smaller regional councils. Each utility is responsible for treating, testing, and delivering safe tap water to the suburbs in its service area.
Browse every utility below to see their water quality data, the suburbs they supply, and how their water scores compare. Understanding which utility serves your suburb is the first step to knowing where your tap water comes from and how it's treated.
182
Water utilities
8
States & territories
15,000+
Suburbs covered
35+
Parameters tracked
Browse utilities by state
Select a utility to view its water quality data, service area, and the suburbs it supplies. Each utility page includes detailed parameter breakdowns benchmarked against the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.
New South Wales
88 utilities
Albury Council
Armidale Regional Council
Ballina Council
Balranald Council
Bathurst Regional Council
Bega Valley Council
Bellingen Council
Berrigan Council
Bland Council
Blayney Council
Bogan Council
Bourke Council
Brewarrina Council
Broken Hill Council
Byron Council
Cabonne Council
Carrathool Council
Central Coast Council
Central Darling Council
Clarence Valley Council
Cobar Council
Coffs Harbour Council
Coolamon Council
Coonamble Council
Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council
Cowra Council
Dubbo Regional Council
Edward River Council
Eurobodalla Council
Federation Council
Forbes Council
Gilgandra Council
Glen Innes Severn Council
Goulburn Mulwaree Council
Greater Hume Shire Council
Griffith Council
Gunnedah Council
Gwydir Council
Hay Council
Hilltops Council
Hunter Water
Inverell Council
Junee Council
Kempsey Council
Kyogle Council
Lachlan Council
Leeton Council
Lismore Council
Lithgow Council
Liverpool Plains Council
Lockhart Council
Mid-Coast Council
Mid-Western Regional Council
Moree Plains Council
Murray River Council
Murrumbidgee Council
Muswellbrook Council
Nambucca Valley Council
Narrabri Council
Narrandera Council
Narromine Council
Oberon Council
Orange Council
Parkes Council
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council
Richmond Valley Council
Shoalhaven Council
Singleton Council
Snowy Monaro Regional Council
Snowy Valleys Council
Sydney Water
Tamworth Regional Council
Temora Council
Tenterfield Council
Tweed Council
Upper Hunter Shire Council
Upper Lachlan Shire Council
Uralla Council
Wagga Wagga Council
Walcha Council
Walgett Council
Warren Council
Warrumbungle Shire Council
Weddin Council
Wentworth Council
Wingecarribee Council
Yass Valley Council
Victoria
16 utilities
Barwon Water
Central Highlands Water
Coliban Water
East Gippsland Water
Gippsland Water
Goulburn Valley Water
Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water
Greater Western Water
Lower Murray Water
Melbourne Water
Service area: Greater Melbourne (wholesale)
North East Water
South East Water
Service area: Melbourne South-East
South Gippsland Water
Wannon Water
Westernport Water
Yarra Valley Water
Service area: Melbourne North-East
Queensland
73 utilities
Aurukun Council
Balonne Council
Banana Council
Barcaldine Council
Barcoo Council
Blackall Tambo Council
Boulia Council
Bulloo Council
Bundaberg Council
Burdekin Council
Burke Council
Cairns Council
Carpentaria Council
Cassowary Coast Council
Central Highlands (Qld) Council
Charters Towers Council
Cherbourg Council
Cloncurry Council
Cook Council
Croydon Council
Diamantina Council
Doomadgee Council
Douglas Council
Etheridge Council
Flinders (Qld) Council
Fraser Coast Council
Gladstone Council
Gold Coast Council
Goondiwindi Council
Gympie Council
Hinchinbrook Council
Hope Vale Council
Isaac Council
Kowanyama Council
Livingstone Council
Lockhart River Council
Logan Council
Longreach Council
Mackay Council
Mapoon Council
Maranoa Council
Mareeba Council
McKinlay Council
Mornington Council
Mount Isa Council
Murweh Council
Napranum Council
North Burnett Council
Northern Peninsula Area Council
Palm Island Council
Paroo Council
Pormpuraaw Council
Quilpie Council
Redland Council
Richmond Council
Rockhampton Council
Seqwater
South Burnett Council
Southern Downs Council
Tablelands Council
Toowoomba Council
Torres Council
Torres Strait Island Council
Townsville Council
Unitywater
Urban Utilities
Weipa Council
Western Downs Council
Whitsunday Council
Winton Council
Woorabinda Council
Wujal Wujal Council
Yarrabah Council
South Australia
1 utility
Western Australia
1 utility
Tasmania
1 utility
Australian Capital Territory
1 utility
Northern Territory
1 utility
How Australian water utilities work
Water utilities in Australia operate under strict regulatory oversight from state health departments and must comply with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) published by the National Health and Medical Research Council. These guidelines set maximum acceptable levels for over 200 physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters.
Each utility sources water from one or more supply systems — including dams, rivers, groundwater bores, and desalination plants — then treats it through processes like coagulation, filtration, UV disinfection, and chlorination before delivering it to households through a network of pipes and reservoirs.
The quality of your tap water depends heavily on which utility serves your suburb, the water source they draw from, and the condition of the distribution network. Metropolitan utilities like Sydney Water, Melbourne Water, and SA Water serve millions of customers and operate advanced multi-barrier treatment plants, while smaller regional utilities may rely on simpler treatment methods suited to their local water sources.
Understanding water utility reports
Every water utility is required to publish regular drinking water quality reports, but these documents are often lengthy PDFs packed with technical data, statistical summaries, and regulatory language. WaterScore processes these reports and translates the data into easy-to-understand scores and plain-English explanations for every suburb.
On each utility page, you'll find the key water quality parameters that matter most to households — including hardness, pH, chlorine, fluoride, TDS, and turbidity — along with how they compare to ADWG guideline values. This helps you understand not just whether your water is safe, but how it compares to water in other parts of Australia.
Disclaimer: Information on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or professional guidance. Data is sourced from Australian water utilities and may not reflect real-time conditions. For specific health concerns, consult a qualified health professional or contact your water utility directly. See our Terms of Use.