Water Minister Dave Kelly today announced that a new trial to optimise water use in evaporative air-conditioners during summer will be offered exclusively to Kalgoorlie-Boulder residents as part of the Water Corporation’s 2020-21 Waterwise Towns Program.
Around 200 high water-use households will be invited to take part in the trial, which provides free services through local contractors to ensure evaporative systems are using water efficiently.
In hot weather, these systems require up to 20 litres of water each hour to keep filtration pads clean, however, many systems use significantly more. Data gathered during the trial will help determine the most effective ways to ensure evaporative air conditioners use water efficiently in local conditions.
The Waterwise Towns Program, which last year saved 30 million litres of water in the region, will also enable residents in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Wiluna and Laverton, to replace old, inefficient showerheads free of charge under the Water Corporation’s Showerhead Swap program.
To further assist the Goldfields community with saving water, the Leak Assist Program (LAP) has now also been extended to include regional WA. The LAP enables eligible customers to claim a rebate of $100 when they engage a licensed, waterwise plumber to repair a leak.
Kalgoorlie-Boulder is supplied with water from the Integrated Water Supply Scheme (IWSS) through the historic Golden Pipeline.
Reduced rainfall in the south-west of Western Australia caused by climate change has meant that 43 per cent of water supplied through the IWSS now comes from desalinated seawater.
Water from the IWSS is transferred 550 kilometres to Kalgoorlie-Boulder, travelling through 20 pump stations, taking five to eight days, and stored in a tank where it is treated and finally delivered to residents, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
All residential customers in Kalgoorlie-Boulder pay the same amount for the first 300 kilolitres of water usage each year as do residential customers in Perth (that is $1.827 per kilolitre for 0-150 kilolitres, and $2.434 per kilolitre for 151-300 kilolitres), as per the Water Corporation’s Tariff Cap Policy.
The majority of residents in Kalgoorlie-Boulder use less than 300 kilolitres of water per annum and for these customers, water is supplied at the same price as Perth.
While it costs the Water Corporation $14.38 for every kilolitre of water supplied to Kalgoorlie-Boulder, the majority of residential customers in Kalgoorlie-Boulder receive water for around $10 less per kilolitre than the cost of supply.
Higher water users in Kalgoorlie-Boulder pay an increased tariff but even these customers still pay significantly less for water then it costs the Water Corporation to supply it.
The McGowan Government provides an operating subsidy to the Water Corporation to keep the price of water below cost in Kalgoorlie-Boulder – last year this subsidy was $46 million.
Kalgoorlie-Boulder residents can further reduce their water bill by taking advantage of the waterwise offers.
The local waterwise offers are available from October 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021.
For more details and to see local offers, visit
As stated by Water Minister Dave Kelly:
“Every drop of water is precious, particularly as we meet the challenges posed by climate change.
“The Waterwise Towns Program is an incredibly effective way the McGowan Government is helping regional Western Australians conserve our most precious resource and save money on their water bills.
“As rainfall continues to fall in the South-West, the cost of supplying water to Kalgoorlie-Boulder continues to increase.
“The McGowan Government spends around $46 million a year to subsidise the cost of supplying water to Kalgoorlie-Boulder.”
Regional participants in the 2020-21 Waterwise Towns Program
| Town | Offers |
| Kalgoorlie-Boulder | Showerhead Swap, water-efficient evaporative air-conditioning trial |
| Wiluna | Showerhead Swap |
| Laverton | Showerhead Swap |
