SA Water is taking decisive action to assist off-grid households in the Adelaide Hills region facing critical water shortages. The utility company plans to establish three new water collection points to provide much-needed relief. These sites will be strategically located at Ridge Road, Woodside; Koennecke Road, Sandergrove; and Peggy Buxton Road, Brukunga. These points will offer potable water, operating on a user-pay basis, and will be staffed by SA Water personnel from 7 am to 7 pm daily.
The decision to create these collection points comes as the state grapples with unprecedented demand on the water-carting industry in the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu regions. Environment Minister Susan Close highlighted that water inflows into South Australia's reservoirs hit their lowest level in 40 years last January. Consequently, many residents who have not had to cart water in decades are now forced to do so.
In response to these challenges, the state government has activated the desalination plant at Lonsdale to increase water supplies. Additionally, they are contemplating a fourth temporary water collection point in Aldinga to further assist affected households.
"The bulk water collection points are not intended for commercial stock or watering gardens," stated Ms. Close.
The water collection points aim to support the community during this challenging period. However, they are specifically for households not connected to mains water and not meant for commercial use. This initiative underscores the temporary nature of the government's intervention, designed solely to support the water-carting industry and address the overwhelming demand from off-grid households.
"It must also be emphasised that the temporary emergency steps being implemented by the state government have been designed to support the water-carting industry respond to the current unprecedented level of demand and do not relieve off-grid households from their responsibility to carefully monitor and pro-actively manage their own water supplies," Ms. Close clarified.
The region's water crisis follows Adelaide experiencing its driest year since 2006. The government is actively working to connect water carters with transport supply companies to enhance their capacity, helping them meet the escalating demand.
"With the current operation of the Adelaide Desalination Plant, there is sufficient water supply for those connected to the SA Water mains network," assured Ms. Close.
The state's efforts extend beyond immediate relief; they seek to stabilize the situation in the broader Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu regions where off-grid households face supply challenges.
"This will not change as a result of the government's efforts to address the current inability of the water-carting market to meet the demand from off-grid households in the broader Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu region," Ms. Close emphasized.
As localised shortages persist, some residents find themselves navigating unfamiliar territory — carting water for the first time in 30 years due to insufficient rainfall. This situation underscores a significant challenge: ensuring that operational mechanisms can cope with sudden surges in demand, despite an overall adequate domestic supply of water.
"It is important to note that the situation we are dealing with in the Hills and Fleurieu is not an overall issue of water security — sufficient volumes of water are currently available to meet domestic supply in this region," Ms. Close added.
"The issue that is really affecting off-grid households in this area is the current inability of the water transport market to meet their demands for supply," she continued.
