Hunter Water has celebrated 130 years of service within the Lower Hunter region.

July marks the anniversary of the formation of the Hunter District Water Supply and Sewerage Board, which was established in 1892.

Since then, Hunter Water has contributed to the region’s growth, liveability, and environmental sustainability by providing reliable access to safe, clean drinking water and sewerage services.

Hunter Water Managing Director, Darren Cleary said he was proud to be celebrating Hunter Water’s 130-year history.

“Reliable access to safe drinking water is something we all take for granted but, without it, the Hunter would not have been able to grow to the thriving region it is today,” Darren said.

“There have been several key moments in our storied history, including the construction of the Walka Water Works and the Newcastle No 1 Reservoir in the late 1880s, the Chichester Dam and Trunk Main connecting Dungog to Newcastle and Maitland in the 1920s, and the construction of Grahamstown Dam in the 1960s and its later expansion in the early 2000s.

“Alongside investment in water, wastewater infrastructure investment has been critical for the health of our growing region, allowing local tourism to flourish and our beaches being consistently rated among the cleanest in the state,” Darren said.

In more recent times, Hunter Water has empowered the Lower Hunter community through its Love Water campaign and worked together to reduce water usage by encouraging households and businesses to make smart water choices.

These initiatives saw the region’s household water consumption fall by 17 per cent over the last four years.

Darren said the release of the Lower Hunter Water Security Plan represents a new chapter to ensure the region has a resilient, secure, and sustainable water supply now and for future generations.

“Our community’s needs are at the heart of our decision-making, and public feedback was crucial in developing the plan.”

“While our history is worth celebrating, we’re now turning the page to focus on new, highly-treated recycled water schemes, a permanent desalination plant at Belmont, stormwater amenities, and increased investment in water conservation and leakage reduction,” Darren said.

 

IMAGE | Hunter Water’s proud history includes the construction of Chichester Dam.