Aboriginal Communities Water Services 

We will be in touch with all communities over the next 18 months and begin working with them to understand their water service situations and concerns. 

We will prioritise communities based on their water reliability, water safety, and safety risks relative to the operational management of the services. 

The types of upgrades will depend on each community's unique water situation. Some communities may require major upgrades such as a water treatment plant or a new water source, while other communities may only require new tap fittings. Others may not require any upgrade works at all. 

We will seek to collaborate on and co-design upgrades where possible, meaning we will be informed and guided by the community on most aspects of work, including timing. 

There will be a number of other contributing factors relating to the timing of upgrades, including:

• what upgrades are required; 
• criticality of upgrades; 
• heritage and native title arrangements;
• community governance;
• regulatory approvals;
• environmental factors; and 
• funding.

Changes customers will experience will depend upon their existing water service situations and the level of upgrades and changes carried out.

However, community residents can expect to experience some of the following:  

• more reliable water;
• better water aesthetics (colour, smell, taste);
• higher quality of water;
• improved community amenities; and/or
• water efficiency education.

We are working with community residents and relevant representative organisations to foster sustainable relationships grounded in mutual respect. The community will lead decisions around projects to ensure, where possible, service changes and socio-economic outcomes are defined by the community. We are committed to assisting in creating an environment where self-determination can thrive.

Our dedicated Aboriginal Community Engagement team will lead the engagement with all directly involved communities and representatives. We will also have Aboriginal Stakeholder Relationship Managers who will work closely with all relevant organisations.

As well as our engagement and stakeholder specialists, we have subject matter experts in water quality, water sourcing, engineering, environment, heritage and native title, water efficiency, billing, safety, and many other areas who will work closely with communities, as required.

How we engage with communities will be determined by the communities themselves. In the past, this has mainly been through face-to-face meetings. However, we can use other ways if preferred. If you want to know more about how we will engage with communities and relevant organisations, please email ACWS@watercorporation.com.au. 

If you have general water concerns about your community and how these will be addressed by the program, please get in touch with us at ACWS@watercorporation.com.au.

If you have water concerns about your community that require immediate action, please get in touch with your regional service provider.

The communities that are in the Aboriginal Communities Water Services program were previously managed by the Department of Communities under their Remote Essential and Municipal Services program. 

For the time being, the Aboriginal communities that were not part of this program have not been transferred to Water Corporation and will continue to be self-managed. We understand some of these communities may have concerns about their water services and experiences, so we encourage these communities to get in touch with us. 

Major water service upgrades may include unavoidable localised impacts on the environment. We will undertake baseline environmental assessments to better understand the current state of the environment and how we can minimise impacts through any work we carry out.

Environmental considerations will be factored into the design and location of upgrades and infrastructure, and we will plan for upgrades to have no additional long-term negative impact on the environment. 

We anticipate that minor water service upgrades will not significantly impact the environment. Community approval will be sought before we undertake any environmental assessments.

We understand that heritage, native title and all land governance and ownership will be different for each community. 

We are committed to ensuring all Aboriginal cultural heritage issues and Native Title rights are managed in a culturally appropriate and sensitive manner. We will ensure the impacts our activities may have on cultural heritage and Native Title are fully identified, understood and, wherever possible, avoided as part of planning and operations.

We have a dedicated Heritage and Native Title team who will support the ACWS program throughout all phases of engagement, planning and work, as required. If you want to know more about how Heritage and Native Title matters will be managed, please email ACWS@watercorporation.com.au.  

Water that is unsafe to drink can have negative health impacts. Unsafe water may have been exposed to:

• animal or human waste;
• animal remains (carcasses);
• oil and fuel; 
• pesticides and herbicides; or
• naturally occurring metals or radioactive materials found in the ground.

When water quality is not meeting Australian health standards, we will endeavour to rectify this as soon as possible. If this cannot occur, we will be in touch with the community explaining what community members need to do to ensure the water they drink is safe.

The water treatment work required within each community will determine whether there are any changes to the taste and appearance of water.

Upgrades such as improved source protection, and new pipes and tanks, will not change the taste or appearance of the water. Treatments such as filtration may change the taste of the water as salts will be removed at the same time as the harmful pollutants. Adding chlorine may change the taste of water. However, the level of chlorine added is safe to consume and will ensure harmful microorganisms are removed.

Regional service providers undertake the operational and day-to-day management of the water services in communities. They were previously administered by the Department of Communities and are now administered by Water Corporation.

Regional service providers are our preferred on-the-ground operators. They are local, Aboriginal-owned businesses with a thorough understanding of the infrastructure, service, communities, governance and customers they are servicing.

If you want to receive email progress updates on the program, please email ACWS@watercorporation.com.au.