Essential Water plans to invest more than $250 million in major infrastructure upgrades to secure the future of water and wastewater services for communities across Broken Hill, Menindee, Sunset Strip and Silverton. 

The proposed rebuild program, outlined in Essential Water’s 2026–31 Pricing Proposal to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) which was released today (October 27, 2025), is critical to replacing ageing infrastructure that has reached the end of its service life.  

This includes the near-100-year-old Wills Street Wastewater Treatment Plant and the close to end-of-life South Wastewater Treatment Plant, both of which service Broken Hill and can no longer be upgraded to meet modern environmental standards. 

According to Essential Water’s Head of Water, Ross Berry, the business proposes that a new 4.8 megalitre wastewater treatment plant be built to replace both facilities.  

“Designs are being finalised and the project will go out to tender shortly, with construction expected to begin in mid-2026,” Ross explains. 

The new plant offers greater reliability, reduced odours and improved opportunities for re-use of high-quality treated water. 

Essential Water will also increase the replacement rate of ageing water and sewage pipes, reducing emergency maintenance costs and improving service continuity. 

“This investment is not just about pipes and plants; it’s about investing in the future of Broken Hill for long-term reliability and sustainability, not short-term fixes,” Ross says. 

To fund these upgrades, Essential Water is proposing to IPART that an annual increase of around 15 per cent in water and wastewater prices over five years, before inflation, is needed. This reflects the cost of delivering safe and reliable services in a remote region with a small customer base. 

“Our proposal to IPART outlines what the necessary investment would cost our customer base. It’s part of the process we need to go through, but we are advocating on behalf of our customers to see if there will be additional government support to help ease the impact on households,” Ross says. 

“We understand that the proposed annual increase is significant, especially in the current economic climate. We welcome IPART acknowledging our concerns that fully recovering the costs through customers could result in financial stress and that additional government support may be needed. 

“The reality is, without these upgrades, we risk service outages and escalating emergency costs; there is a real risk of environmental damage to creeks, water pipe bursts causing flooding, and an increase in service outages that disrupt daily life. Essential Water has kept prices stable since 2014, with increases only in line with inflation, but the cost of maintaining and upgrading the network has reached a tipping point.” 

Essential Water has also committed to a 0.5 per cent annual productivity improvement, alongside existing cost-saving measures.  

The proposal has been shaped by extensive community consultation, including surveys, stakeholder meetings and the Essential Water Customer Panel. Customers identified clean drinking water, long-term security, affordability and sustainability as top priorities.  

As part of the IPART review process, a community consultation meeting will be held in Broken Hill on November 24 with tickets available via this website. Essential Water encourages all customers to participate and provide feedback.  

To stay informed of the process, go to IPART’s website.