Catchments
Healthy catchments are essential to the quality of water we deliver to Canberrans every single day.
Our water is sourced from the Cotter River reservoirs, Googong Reservoir and the Murrumbidgee River. We must treat this water to the requirements set by the Public Health (Drinking Water) Code of Practice 2007 (ACT) and the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines to ensure it's safe to drink.
We manage this through a comprehensive water quality framework built on multi-barrier controls. The first and most critical of these controls is catchment management.
Our source water protection strategy helps safeguard Canberra’s water supplies through targeted monitoring, risk management and active engagement with stakeholders.
We work closely with a range of partners to keep our catchments healthy, by:
ACT Parks and Conservation Service
Working together with ACT Parks and Conservation Service to minimise environmental impacts and support long-term water quality through coordinated catchment management.
Waterwatch
Supporting Waterwatch in monitoring and enhancing water quality across the Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment.
Through this partnership, we contribute to community-led efforts that help protect our waterways and strengthen local environmental stewardship.
Our community
Helping our community understand the importance of healthy catchments.
We’re committed to raising awareness about how catchment health supports clean, safe drinking water and a thriving environment. Because protecting our water starts at the source!
Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Network
Collaborating with the Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Network to identify and prioritise erosion hotspots for remediation.
Together, we’re working to protect catchment health by targeting areas most at risk and implementing solutions that support long-term water quality and landscape resilience, via our:
- Cotter Catchment ACWA Addendum Bushfire and Erosion Rise Assessment August 2020.
- Cotter Catchment Actions for Clean Water Plan March 2020.
- Googong Dam Catchment Actions for Clean Water Plan (2018).
- Upper Murrumbidgee Actions for Clean Water Plan (2012).
- Upper Murrumbidgee ACWA Site Review.
- Upper Murrumbidgee Actions For Clean Water Priority Erosion Hotspots Update 2019.
To find out more on how we manage your water supply, check out the annual Drinking Water Quality Report.