Sydney’s Water Supply Upgrade to Cost $1bn

An independent review of Sydney’s water quality management has revealed the water system requires a key upgrade, costing about $1bn.

The Sydney 2000 review, released on 2 May, says water quality in Sydney has improved significantly but still needs upgrading.

In 1998, Sydney’s 130-year-old canal was identified as a contamination risk and residents were asked to boil their tap water after the detection of cryptosporidium.

Since the risk of contamination was detected, there have been major upgrades in the water system, which supplies quality water to 4.5 million Sydney residents.

Officials say work has not started on the upper canal, which delivers water from the Warragamba dam to Sydney’s largest water treatment plant.

The decision to go ahead with the upgrade plan will be made by December this year, according to abc.net.au.