TasWater stated in 2025 that only ten of its 110 sewage treatment plants met all their environmental licence conditions. The same utility has delivered full microbiological compliance for drinking water for seven consecutive years to FY 2024-25, so Tasmania's water problem is now mainly a wastewater one.
Slow progress on effluent
Flow-weighted effluent compliance at Level 2 plants rose from 84% in FY 2015-16 to 90.8% in FY 2019-20, then eased to 89.2% in FY 2021-22. TasWater reports that the share of Level 2 plants considered compliant rose from 15% in 2013 to 26% as at June 2024, against only 3% of the 33 Level 1 plants; the Regulator noted this was inconsistent with EPA reporting that most plants are compliant for much of the time. TasWater classed 23% of its 77 Level 2 plants as high risk to the receiving environment in June 2025.
Spills still above standard
Critically notifiable sewage spills fell from 15 in FY 2022-23 to 9 in FY 2024-25, against a standard of 1. Total sewer spills rose from 3,063 to 4,485 over the same years, and sewer main breaks and chokes reached 63.0 per 100 km against a standard of 39.
Consolidation is the plan
TasWater's answer is fewer, larger plants. In Hobart, the Selfs Point project, valued at A$314 million in 2024–2025 and at A$380 million by its contractor in February 2026, is now due to finish construction in early to mid 2027, before the Macquarie Point plant is decommissioned. In Launceston, TasWater proposed A$356 million for the Ti Tree Bend transformation; the Regulator's capital reviewer assumed A$213 million and considered commissioning in 2029-30 would be difficult. The Environment Protection Authority has been assessing it since 31 October 2025.
How the 2026–2030 settlement funds this work, which dams sit above the safety limit and how TasWater's governance divides responsibility for these outcomes are set out in the full report. The full report, Water Systems Overview: TasWater, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the TasWater Utility Snapshot.