Water Corporation reported 603 kilotonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in FY 2025-26, up from 450 kilotonnes in FY 2022-23, a rise of about 34%. Over the same three years its total energy consumption grew from 3,461 to 4,655 terajoules.
Missing both targets
The utility's Annual Report 2026 sets two different emission targets for FY 2025-26: 549 kilotonnes in its strategic targets table and 568 kilotonnes in its performance indicators table. Actual emissions exceeded both. Its long-term target is net zero scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2035.
Why energy use is rising
Water Corporation describes desalination as around four times more energy intensive than groundwater, and desalination already supplies around half of Perth's drinking water. The A$2.8 billion Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant will add 50 billion liters a year at Stage 1 and is due to be fully operational by mid-2028. Streamflow to the utility's South West dams has fallen 80% since the 1970s, so the shift toward energy-intensive supply is set to continue.
The wind bet
In March 2026 Water Corporation agreed to buy 330 MW of electricity from Alinta Energy's 550 MW Marri Wind Farm in the Mid-West, which is expected to generate from 2029. The utility also owns the development company for Flat Rocks Wind Farm Stage 2, acquired in December 2022. Alkimos itself is designed to run with net zero scope 1 and 2 emissions.
Questions the report answers
When contracted wind supply could start to reduce emissions, how energy and carbon costs feature in Water Corporation's capital plans, and how the 2035 target fits a supply system that relies more on desalination are covered in the full report. The full report, Water Utility of the Future: Water Corporation, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the Water Corporation Utility Snapshot.