We're committed to supporting the regional community and economic development and recognises that available water resources are limited and are shared between human consumption, environmental and cultural needs.
This information has been developed to assist Councils, developers and proponents of large, non-residential water use, including data centres, to understand the guiding principles North East Water follows in decision making around servicing these facilities.
Guiding principles
Sustainable water resources management: water corporations must manage water resources sustainably and effectively integrate economic, environmental and social objectives to support sustainable and liveable communities.
Long-term considerations: decisions must be based on the best available information, including 50-year climate projections and regional Urban Water Strategies.
Security of supply: water corporations manage risks to protect the quality and security of supply of water and wastewater services for all users, which includes assessing the impact of highdemand applicants like data centres on the broader system.
Equity: new developments must not negatively impact the water availability, affordability or service levels of existing residential and small business customers.
Risk management: corporations must assess and manage risks to protect the quality and security of supply for existing customers before approving new high-demand connections. Trade waste management: data centres that discharge cooling water into the sewer are subject to trade waste obligations, which require water corporations to protect sewerage systems and facilitate recycling or reuse of wastewater.
Early engagement: consultation should begin at the feasibility stage—before land acquisition—to understand water availability, impacts on water security and infrastructure construction responsibilities and construction timelines.
Circular economy: preference be given to projects that demonstrate ‘water-positive’ designs, such as heat recovery, onsite recycling and closed-loop water efficient systems.
Water efficient design: preference be given to closed-loop systems and where feasible, incorporation of alternative water sources, considering the use of rainwater, recycled or raw water, sewer mining and/or stormwater harvesting opportunities.
Drought-related restrictions: large water users will need to plan for potential, future water scarcity and have plans in place to address water shortages and restrictions.
Sustainable and efficient water usage: Proponents should:
- cover their share of infrastructure and delivery costs, where costs are recovered fairly and transparently through the North East Water Customer Contribution Framework
- build resilience into operations to mitigate the impacts of water disruptions, drought and climate change.
Definitions
A ‘data centre’ is a secure facility that houses large-scale computing systems, including those that are essential for supporting the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. Depending on the technology used, they can require significant electricity and water, with water often used for cooling.
A ‘large, non-residential’ customer uses more than 20ML/yr of water from reticulated networks. Water needs for these users exceed typical commercial consumption and therefore require more detailed and often bespoke servicing assessments, infrastructure planning and regulatory oversight.
Further information
Contact North East Water’s Urban Growth team at development@newater.com.au or 1300 361 622.