Alternative Water Supplies Efficiency Measures Program grants
Photo: Copyright City of Salisbury. Greenfields Wetlands incorporates managed aquifer recharge.
Alternative Water Supply Efficiency Measures Program grants aim to help South Australia deliver water savings to the Murray-Darling Basin. The program is funded under the Australian Government Resilient Rivers Water Infrastructure Program: State-led Water Recovery Program Arrangements.
The program provides funding to invest in infrastructure that substitutes River Murray water used for open space irrigation and industry with stormwater, treated wastewater, and other alternative water sources.
As well as providing an environmental benefit to the River Murray by returning water entitlements under the Basin Plan, the program aims to deliver a wide range of benefits for urban areas.
Grant Round Status – Applications Closed
Applications for the 2024–2025 grant round closed on 14 March 2025, and are currently under assessment by the Department for Environment and Water (DEW).Eligible projects include urban alternative water supply infrastructure that:
- Commences construction by 30 September 2025, and
- Reaches practical completion by 30 June 2027.
Stakeholders will be notified of outcomes following the completion of the assessment process.
Resources
- AWSEM Information Sheet (PDF, 2.7 MB)
2019 Alternative Water Supplies Efficiency Measures project - Feasibility Study
In 2019 the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) received funding from the Australian Government to assess the feasibility of increasing alternative water use to replace River Murray water. This project was an efficiency measures projects under the Water Efficiency Program delivered by the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture.
DEW collaborated with key stakeholders, particularly alternative water supply scheme owners and operators and SA Water to complete the study. The assessment focused on the feasibility of increasing the volume of water supplied from existing recycled water and stormwater capture and re-use schemes to replace demands currently supplied by mains water.
The study investigated the engineering solutions required, potential demands for alternative water, the volume of stormwater that could reliably be harvested to meet demands, risks associated with increasing storage of water underground, governance arrangements to support project delivery and options for River Murray entitlement return.
