TasWater's real water losses fell from 10.6 kL per km of main per day in FY 2022-23 to 6.0 kL in FY 2024-25, taking the Tasmanian utility below the 7.5 kL standard set for that year. Over the same two years its infrastructure leakage index dropped from 2.93 to 1.87.
Measured zones, found leaks
The fall came as TasWater divided its network into district metered areas. It installed 68 in FY 2022-23, 92 in FY 2023-24 and 48 in FY 2024-25, reaching 208 of the 223 it plans. Leak detection surveys in FY 2024-25 found 1,281 leaks, with an estimated potential saving of 1.7 GL a year.
Unaccounted-for water fell from 28.1% of sourced potable water in FY 2022-23 to between 21.4% and 22.6% in FY 2024-25. Different official reports give different figures for that year.
A measurement problem upstream
TasWater has told the Regulator's capital reviewer that it lacks accurate information on the volumes its treatment plants put into the urban system. Until those flows are metered, the 21.4% to 22.6% loss figure carries a margin of doubt.
Targets diverge
From July 2026 the Regulator's minimum standard for leakage is 18.0% of drinking water supplied, falling to 16.5% by 2029-30. TasWater's own targets are tougher, reaching 10.0% by 2029-30, from 20.7% in FY 2023-24. TasWater proposed a A$100.6 million leakage reduction program; the capital reviewer assumed A$51 million for its Water Efficiency Program.
With the build-out nearly complete, further gains depend on repairs and mains renewal; TasWater replaced 20 km of a 6,708 km network in FY 2024-25.
How data weaknesses extend to TasWater's asset register, and what the 2026–2030 capital allowance of A$1,175.1 million means for leakage and wastewater work, are examined in the full report. The full report, Water Utility of the Future: TasWater, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the TasWater Utility Snapshot.