The NSW Government is ramping up its war on wasted water, rolling out the second phase of the hugely successful $12.5 million Regional Leakage Reduction Program to save billions of litres of the State’s most precious resource.

Minister for Lands and Water Kevin Anderson said the first stage involved leak detection work across 22 Local Government Areas, with experts locating a staggering 2.7 billion litres of water leaking from network pipes each year.

“We're working with local water utilities to survey a further 4500km of pipeline before June 2023 and a similar amount the following year, with the aim of saving up to 7.5 billion litres of water by the end of 2024. That equates to millions of dollars in pumping and treatment savings for councils.

“Just because we’ve had rain, it doesn’t mean we can relax when it comes to water security. Drought will come again, and the recent flooding has put many storage areas at risk of contamination. Every drop of clean water counts and that’s why the state government has thrown its support behind this vital project.”