Community
17 October, 2026
New campaign highlights risk to Sydney’s Water supply
A new community campaign has been launched to coincide with National Water Week highlighting the risk to Sydney’s water supply by high-risk development in the Southern Highlands.
A new community campaign has been launched to coincide with National Water Week highlighting the risk to Sydney’s water supply by high-risk development in the Southern Highlands.
‘Protect Sydney’s Water’ will show Sydneysiders where their water comes from and encourage them to join the fight to keep high-risk development out of the catchment that fills their taps.
That development includes the proposed Repoly plastics recycling facility and a proposed gas-fired power plant – both of them in Moss Vale.
Creeks around Moss Vale drain to the Wingecarribee River, then the Wollondilly River and on to Warragamba Dam, which supplies about 80 per cent of Sydney's drinking water.
The Sydney Drinking Water Catchment serves around 5.5 million people.
A spokesperson for Protect Sydney’s Water, Anna Phillips, said most Sydneysiders had never heard of Moss Vale but drank its water every day.
“Ask most people in Sydney where their water comes from and they'll say Warragamba Dam,” Ms Phillips said.
“The story actually starts further upstream, in the creeks and paddocks of the Southern Highlands.
"Sydney's water is safe today and we want to keep it that way.”
Dr Katherine Warwick, PostDoctoral Research Fellow at Western Sydney University’s Aquatic Ecology School of Science, said the Southern Highlands was essential to Sydney's water supply.
"The Southern Highlands is part of the catchment that feeds Warragamba Dam and fills Greater Sydney's taps.
“It is essential that we keep this water source free of PFAS and microplastics.
"Once these contaminants enter a catchment, they don't stay put.
“They move downstream, build up in sediment and wildlife, and they are extraordinarily difficult to remove,” Dr Warwick said.
“Prevention at the source is the only protection that really works."
Ms Cathryn Bensley, who has more than 10 years' experience in Australian plastics manufacturing, including the use of recycled plastics as a raw material, said “Location was the issue”.
"Australia needs plastics recycling. But reprocessing plastic at scale sheds microplastics.
“That work belongs in purpose-built industrial precincts, not in a drinking water catchment," Ms Bensley said.
Member for Wollondilly Judy Hannan said it was time for regulators to catch up with the science.
"Whether it's a mine, plastics (or) gas-fired data centres, the regulatory process does not consider PFAS and microplastic contamination,” Mrs Hannan said.
“Today, the risks they pose to our water are well documented and widely recognised.
“We have a duty of care to safeguard the vital asset of clean drinking water, not just for this area but for Greater Sydney," Ms Hannan said.
"Our regulators and government need to catch up with the science and ensure our environment and water supply are properly protected.
“Given the absence of essential operational details and the risk of pollution and irreparable harm, I remain firmly opposed to proposals that threaten drinking water and stand with my constituents in calling for it to be stopped."
The campaign is not just about surface flows or run-off.
The campaign will also highlight the importance of a massive sandstone aquifer under the Southern Highlands which is considered the ‘first line of defence’ for Sydney in the event of a drought.
It has been compared to a ‘giant sponge’ holding hundreds of gigalitres of water.
The aquifer is recharged by local rainfall and its water is of high, drinkable quality.
National Water Week starts on Monday (October 19) and runs through until October 25.
In the same week, Land and Environment Court proceedings will commence relating to the proposed Repoly plastics recycling facility and Cloud Carrier’s proposal for a 16MW gas plant and battery energy storage system attached to the existing data centre.
Hundreds of people are expected to turn out for on-site hearings next week to show their opposition to the proposals.
The first day of proceedings in the Repoly matter will be Monday (October 19).
Concerned members of the community are being asked to gather at 74-76 Beaconsfield Road at 8.30am for a 9.30am start.
The first days of proceedings in the Cloud Carrier matter will be held on Tuesday (October 20).
Concerned residents will be gathering at 30 Douglas Road for a 10am start.
Those people attending are reminded that these are formal court proceedings and they must conduct themselves in the same way as if they were in a courtroom.
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