What we do
Electricity | Water and sewerage | Remote operations | Related companies
Electricity
Power and Water Corporation generates, distributes and retails electricity in the Northern Territory, using gas, diesel and solar technologies to power major cities and remote communities spread across 1.3 million square kilometres.
The new Weddell Power Station uses the latest technology, including two 44MW LM6000PD gas turbine generators commissioned in 2009. The Corporation has trialled solar power for more than 20 years and pioneered combined diesel-solar generation in six remote communities.
Our total generation capacity is 473MW. Power and Water’s Channel Island duel-fuel gas turbine power station is the Territory’s largest (232MW) and the second largest is Weddell (88MW).
Some three quarters of Territory generation capacity powers our major population base in the Top End, with more than 400km of 132,000 volt line connecting Darwin to Katherine.
Power and Water operates eight minor power stations in smaller townships and 68 remote community power stations, largely diesel-powered.
More than 5600km of overhead lines, 1690km of underground cable and 37,500 poles and towers connect domestic and commercial customers to the Territory electricity network.
The environmental challenges we face in maintaining the network include cyclones, severe storms, damage from trees and wildlife, especially flying foxes (bats).
[back to top]Water and sewerage
We provide water and sewerage services in the Territory’s five major centres. We provide water in 13 minor centres and sewerage services in five of those.
Most centres rely on groundwater, however Darwin, Pine Creek and Katherine have combined groundwater and surface water supplies. Excluding Katherine and Yulara, Territory water supplies require limited treatment and in most cases are only disinfected prior to use.
In Adelaide River, Alice Springs, Batchelor and Yulara, non-potable water supplies are reticulated to parts of the town for irrigation. In Darwin, effluent is treated and used to irrigate a sporting complex. In Alice Springs, it is treated and pumped to an isolated aquifer for later recovery for horticultural irrigation.
Water is pumped through some 2170km of mains across 18 centres. Sewer mains in our eight centres stretch 1080km. Sewage is mostly treated via waste stabilisation ponds.
The Alice Springs Water Reuse Project recycles water for use in horticulture and irrigation. Producing 600 million litres a year, it is the first project of its kind in Australia. Water from the wastewater stabilisation ponds undergoes treatment in a Dissolved Air Floatation plant before it is pumped 6.2km to underground aquifers at the Arid Zone Research Institute.
- Water Quality
- Darwin River Dam
- Mereenie Aquifer - Alice Springs
- Water Infrastructure
- Water Reuse in the Alice
- Trade Waste Program
- Darwin Sewerage Strategy
- View Map – Water supply
- View Map – Sewerage System
Remote operations
Power and Water’s not-for-profit subsidiary Indigenous Essential Services provides electricity, water and sewerage services to 72 Indigenous communities including 15 Federal Government identified Growth Towns.
These are geographically isolated, in both tropical and arid environments, requiring design service levels equal to similar-sized urban centres with resilience and adaptation for our changing climate.
Rapid development in these regions requires a commitment to working with communities toward sustainable electricity and water use to meet future needs and aspirations.
Power and Water contracts and trains Essential Services Operators through local councils, Indigenous enterprises and private contractors to run facilities day-to-day.
Infrastructure includes solar-powered water pumps, highly efficient diesel, low emission gas and renewable power stations. Many remote power stations are now controlled by fully-automated systems, requiring a high degree of expertise by the staff involved.
Ninety per cent of potable water is groundwater, from some 250 production bored through 160 water storage tanks and 650km of reticulation. A multi-barrier approach is taken to providing drink water consistent with Australian Drink Water Guidelines. Chlorination and ultraviolet systems are used as appropriate.
Fifty six towns and communities have full water-borne sewerage disposal systems with waste stabilisation ponds. The remainder have individual on-site systems maintained by the community.
Related companies
Power and Water’s major fuel is natural gas, sourced from the Bonaparte Gulf off the Northern Territory coast. Gas is brought onshore at Wadeye and piped to Channel Island and other power stations. Power and Water also has access to gas from Darwin LNG and the Mereenie and Palm Valley gas fields in Central Australia.
Two subsidiary companies, Darnor Pty Ltd and Gasgo Pty Ltd, manage gas purchase and transmission from the Amadeus Basin to Darwin.