Where does water come from in the Alice Springs region?

Drinking water for Alice Springs comes from natural underground water deposits called aquifers. This water is pumped to the surface, treated to meet Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and stored in tanks to ensure you can drink it straight from the tap.

The Amadeus Basin, located south of the Alice Springs township, provides the region's drinking water. Within the basin we source water from the Mereenie, Pacoota and Shannon aquifers. These aquifers are relatively narrow and deep, so our pumps have to reach approximately 185m beneath the surface to access the water.

Our underground water supplies do not replenish quickly. It is estimated for every 100 litres of water we consume, each year only 20 litres is renewed from rainfall. Approximately 300 - 400 years worth of water supply remains in the Amadeus Basin. We need to work together as a community to conserve water and protect our precious supply.

How we use water in the Alice Springs region?

Whilst still in the top 3 of water users per household in Australia (BoM Annual Performance Report), in recent years our water consumption has decreased. This has been through identifying and fixing leaks, changing our watering patterns and creating more water efficient homes, businesses and public spaces.

Simple water saving tip:

Don’t overwater lawns. Optimise irrigation timing and reduce watering in cooler months, you could save up to around 80,000 L a year and support our overall goal to save water and save you money!