Sydney
11.6 Delivery of desalinated water to urban water system

The urban water supply system is one of three subcomponents of Sydney's urban water system. The three subcomponents are the:

• urban water supply system
• wastewater system
• recycled water system.

In the 2012–13 year, all water supplied to the urban water supply system was sourced from surface water (11.12 Allocation diversion of surface water to urban water system) with a small volume of 596 ML sourced from the Fish River Water Supply Scheme by Lithgow City Council (11.9 Delivery of water to urban water system under inter-region agreement). Sydney Water Corporation in the past has also sourced water from desalinated water (11.6 Delivery of desalinated water to urban water system); however, no desalinated water was reported this year.

Potable and nonpotable urban water consumption (part of 19.4 Delivery to urban water system users) was 472,541 ML during the 2012–13 year, representing 88% of all urban water supply system outflows.The remaining outflows are reported as being lost through leakage (19.3 Leakage to groundwater) as well as other operational losses (19.20 Other urban water decreases), and a small volume was exported outside the region (19.11 Transfer of water outside of region).

The following figure shows all the inflows and outflows associated with the urban water supply system.

For more detail on a particular flow associated with the urban water supply system, refer to the line item notes.

Schematic diagram of water inflows and outflows during the 2012–13 year for Sydney's urban water supply system; line item numbers are provided in brackets

The Kurnell Desalination Plant is operated by Veolia Water Australia Pty Ltd and contracts water to the Sydney Water Corporation. 

During the 2012–13 year, the Kurnell Desalination Plant did not supply any water to the Sydney Water Corporation's urban water system.

Data are managed and maintained in an internal data management system by the Sydney Water Corporation's Service Delivery Division (Hydraulic Systems Services).

Sydney Water Corporation.

The volume was derived from flow meter data on the outflow of desalinated water from the plant.

The flow meter data are continually monitored and recorded. Flow meters are maintained and calibrated according to meter manufacturers' specifications. The data are stored within a complex data management system. Adjustments are made to the data (if necessary) to correct any interruptions, errors and so on. Data have been extracted for the 2012–13 year from the data management system.

Nil.

The volume is based on measured data. Estimated uncertainty based on meter accuracy is +/– 2%.