18 Dec 2025
Protecting the environment and waterways: our plan to preserve rivers and coasts
Tasmania’s rivers, beaches, and coastal waters are part of what makes our island home so special. Protecting them is a shared responsibility, and everyone has a role to play. At TasWater, we know we’re not the only ones who can make a difference, but we can make a big impact. In our proposed fifth Price and Service Plan (PSP5) we have put a strong focus on improving water quality and reducing the impact of our operations on the environment.
What is the problem?
Many of our sewage treatment plants are old and not up to modern standards. Some send treated water back into the environment with nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous that can upset the balance of rivers, estuaries, and coastal ecosystems. In some cases, the infrastructure is so outdated that it poses a high risk of environmental harm.
If we don’t invest in upgrades now, these risks will increase, and the cost of fixing them later will be even higher. Customers have told us loud and clear: they want clean waterways and healthy ecosystems.
What is the plan?
If our plan is accepted by the Tasmanian Economic Regulator, we will commit $655.8 million to transform how we manage sewage and protect waterways. This means upgrading or retiring high-risk treatment plants and completing major transformation projects. We’ll make treatment smarter to remove more nitrogen and phosphorous and we’ll boost our recycled water schemes, so treated water is reused rather than released into rivers and estuaries.
These changes will reduce pollution, improve efficiency, and deliver better environmental outcomes across the state.
What are the goals?
We will upgrade our ageing infrastructure and improve efficiency to:
- Meet environmental compliance obligations
- Reduce pollution in waterways
- Increase reuse of treated water (using treated water for irrigation, industry and other non-drinking purposes, instead of returning it to the rivers or ocean)
- Protect and enhance waterways and catchments for the long term
- Avoid passing environmental risks and costs to future generations
Why it matters
Clean waterways mean healthier ecosystems, safer recreation, and stronger communities. As one customer put it:
“Water discharged into our waterways should have zero negative impact. Ideally water should be recycled and not discharged into our waterways.”
We need to start now so future generations can swim, explore and fall in love with Tasmania’s waterways.
Just like we have.
Click here to read more about our Price and Service Plan.