Steve Whan
Member for Monaro

MEDIA RELEASE

Bombala and Delegate Water Treatment Plants nearing completion

Tuesday, 21 January 2025

Top quality drinking water is soon to flow from the taps in Bombala and Delegate as we near completion on two state-of-the-art water treatment plants, thank to $15 million from the NSW Government to bring the local water supply into the 21st century.

The new infrastructure, funded by the Safe and Secure Water Program, will guarantee a brighter water future of these Snowy Monaro towns, reducing the risk of boil water alerts and significantly improving both quality and efficiency.

Bombala's new water filtration plant will use the latest technology including carbon filtration systems and UV disinfection to improve water taste and quality.

It will also use a high degree of automation including continuous remote online water quality monitoring, which means less time and resources spent by council operators on-site, and a more consistent service for the town's 1,400 residents.

Delegate's new water treatment plant will be a landmark development for the town, eliminating the permanent boil water alert and delivering a completely treated supply to residents and business for the first time.

The smaller facility uses similar technology to Bombala and includes a new storage reservoir, so locals can drink with confidence knowing their tap water is clean and safe.

The projects are due to be completed soon and have helped unlock the economic potential of the region, opening up investment opportunities and creating more than 150 jobs during the design and construction phases alone.

It comes on top of an additional $500,000 invested by the NSW Government to carry out options studies to assess water security in Bombala and Cooma, further supporting the region. 

NSW Minister for Water Rose Jackson said:

"This project is a big deal for these town in Southern NSW, locking in safer and more secure water for these Snowy Monaro communities for decades to come.

"Bombala's older water treatment plant was struggling to meet current drinking water standards and modernising the infrastructure will make this a thing of the past and significantly improve services for its 1,400 locals.

"Down the road at Delegate, they will soon finally get their first water treatment plant - a major win for a rural community of 300 who can now get top quality water straight from their tap."

Member for Monaro Steve Whan said:

"These new facilities for Bombala and Delegate are keenly awaited by the community. For a long time, the residents have been calling for the need to modernise their water treatment systems. it's unfortunate that the people of Delegate have had to boil their water for so many years, and we're excited to see this finalised in coming months.

"As our planet warms, and we continue to live on the driest habitable continent, water security and sensible usage is going to become more important every year."

Snowy Monaro regional Council Mayor Chris Hanna said:

"These water treatment plants are massive projects for Bombala and Delegate and getting them across the line means we can finally deliver reliable, top-quality water to these communities.

"Having clean drinking water straight from the tap is a game-changer, especially for our Delegate community who have been doing it tough. They have been boiling their water or relying on rainwater tanks which is not what you expect in 2024, so getting this done has been a real priority for us.

"We're incredibly proud to partner with the NSW Government on these $15 million projects. By working together, we can deliver world-class infrastructure for our region in a way that makes sense for our ratepayers and is the kind of smart, long-term investment our communities deserve."