1. Home
  2. About Us
  3. Our business
  4. Sustainability


A pledge for our future, and yours.

We are proud to announce a major milestone in our journey towards a sustainable future with the release of our Environmental Sustainability Plan. This plan goes above and beyond our compliance standards, accelerating our previous targets from 2050 to 2040.

We’ve made a pledge to environmental leadership by creating thriving communities, greener spaces, cleaner waterways, and a circular economy. By embracing innovation and fostering collaboration, we’re steering towards a greener and more sustainable world and putting community and nature first.

Our commitment to environmental sustainability aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on five critical areas of impact:

  • Ensuring Waterway Health
  • Resource Recovery from Waste
  • Climate action
  • Value every drop
  • Nature positive

Download our Environmental Sustainability Plan: Snapshot.

Environmental Sustainability Plan

Wamuran Irrigation Scheme

As part of our commitment to long-term sustainable water supply in our region, we are building the Wamuran Irrigation Scheme. This recycled water scheme will provide year-round water security for a number of Wamuran farmers while sustainably managing wastewater from the Caboolture South Sewage Treatment Plant.

The initial stage of the project will deliver 2.6 gigalitres of recycled water per year and save 11 tonnes of nitrogen and 1.8 tonnes of phosphorous.

What's it all about

Yandina Creek Wetlands

In 2016, we purchased two lots of former cane farming land on River Road, Maroochy River as part of a larger program to improve the health of the rivers and creeks in the area. Much of the former cane land is being restored as a wetland.

This wetland removes nutrients and sediments from the river, which improves water quality and overall river health.

We can offset 0.26 tonnes of phosphorus and 5.3 tonnes of nitrogen per annum discharged to the Maroochy River following treatment of the local community’s sewage.

Find out more about Yandina

Water Matters

In our ever-growing world, we need to understand, more than ever, water matters - now and for the future.

Water sustainability, health and supply matters. Ensuring we have enough water for everyone and everything, matters. Water for liveable communities’ matters. Using water more beneficially matters to support our customers to get more from water and sewerage services. It also matters to find new ways to harness more water and waste less.

Through our Water Matters program, we are working with our partners and the community to develop a long-term plan for a healthier, more liveable future to 2050.

Why Water Matters!
Unitywater Solar Power Maroochydore

Solar Energy

Since 2015, we have been investing in large scale solar projects to power our operations. In 2017, a 100kW system was installed at our Southern Service Centre. This system reduces carbon emissions by 93 tonnes per annum.

Find out more

Kenilworth STP

The solar panels reduce the plant's carbon footprint and the floating wetland uses plant roots to remove nutrients and sediments from treated wastewater, improving water quality before it is used to irrigate a specially-planted forest.

Watch the video
Back to Tap van

Water on Tap

We aim to keep our waterways clean and our ocean wildlife safe from single-use plastic, by encouraging people to drink tap water instead of bottled water. Our vans are at community events and we have 60 water refill stations across our region.  

Go plastic free

Lower Caboolture River Nutrient Offset Project

This $8 million project will repair nine riverbank sites and 2.4km of eroding shoreline to offset nutrients discharged to the river from the nearby Burpengary East Sewage Treatment Plant. The project will increase biodiversity and fish habitat while stabilising sections of river bank. 

Find out more

Upper Caboolture River Nutrient Offset Project 

In 2019, we completed a project to stabilise a 250-metre section of the River at Bellmere. The works stopped 3,600 tonnes of soil entering the river and will hold back an annual estimate of 1.51 tonnes of total nitrogen and 0.79 tonnes of total phosphorus. 

Find out more

Kawana Waste to Energy Project

At the Kawana Sewage Treatment Plant we constructed a new anaerobic digester to produce methane-rich biogas from the sewage biosolids. This sustainable waste-to-energy solution will reduce emissions, operating costs and dependence on electricity. 

What you can do to help

1. Save water

You might not think that the water you use every day could have an effect on global carbon emissions? Actually, it can. Not only does every drop count – every drop also uses energy! And it’s so easy to do your bit and be a Local Water Legend. Go for shorter showers, water the garden at cooler times and sweep, not hose the driveways. These simple efforts can go a long way to keeping the planet in good shape for the future.  

2. Go paperless!

Receiving your Unitywater bills electronically is more environmentally friendly than paper billing. You’ll get your bill sent straight to your email and you can also view and manage your bills online through My Account. 

Switch to an email bill





Back to top