Our history timeline

For at least 6,500 years Aboriginal people have inhabited the Lower Hunter. The traditional owners include the Awabakal, Worimi, Wonnarua, Geawegal, Birpai and Darkinjung Nations. Evidence shows that in addition to accessing fresh water streams, Aboriginal people dug groundwater reservoirs, created wells, channelled water for filtration and created covers to protect drinking water from contamination.

Image: Newcastle Harbour

Europeans first discovered Newcastle in 1797, and initially established as a coal mining settlement. They relied on groundwater wells, rainwater tanks and creek water. Their supply became increasingly contaminated, and people became sick, with the death rate climbing to 42.5 per 1,000, three times the natural rate.

In 1882, the Hunter’s first drinking water reservoir (The Res) was constructed and by 1885, the first fresh drinking water was supplied from the Hunter River to Newcastle.

Ten years after construction approval was granted, the Walka Water Scheme supplied Newcastle, Maitland and surrounding townships with filtered water from the Hunter River in 1887, alleviating disease and sickness from contaminated water supplies.

Image: Walka Water Works

Until 1892 the Hunter’s water supply was managed by local councils, with some oversight from the NSW Department of Public Works. To gain better control of the system and stem the debt being accumulated on the expense of providing water to Hunter residents, the Colonial Government decided to establish a statutory Water Board.

The constitution of the Hunter District Water Supply and Sewerage Boards, was approved by the Government in 1892, with five official members. One member was President Hon. Alexander Brown, and our others were municipal representatives from Newcastle, East Maitland, West Maitland and Morpeth Councils, all serving four year terms.

Image: Board and staff in 1897

In 1898, approval was granted for first sewerage scheme.

The Hunter faced a severe drought in 1902. Hunter Water constructed a small temporary weir about two feet (60cm) high to capture what little water was flowing in the river. The Hunter's first water restrictions were imposed. The drought lasted for several years, and in 1906, the Hunter River ceased to flow at Oakhampton, while the single delivery pipe between Walka and Newcastle failed to supply enough water to meet population demands.

In 1907, Newcastle, Merewether and part of Hamilton were connected to Newcastle's first Sewerage Scheme, serving 52 properties with 40 kilometres of underground sewer mains. The scheme discharged from the cliffs at Merewether Beach.

Newcastle’s first sewage pumping station was built in 1910 on the intersection of Brown and Hunter Streets, allowing the scheme to service 650 properties.

Image: 1902 Hunter River

In 1916, the State Government approved the construction of Chichester Dam. A works village was established to accommodate the men employed for construction, which included a general store, doctor, and reticulated water supply from the Chichester River.

The water supply scheme included an 85 kilometre water main running from the Dam to Newcastle. Fourteen kilometres of pipeline was made from wood, due to a shortage of steel from WWI.

Water supply became critical in the summer of 1923-1924, and work on the tunnel for the Chichester Trunk Gravity Main under the Hunter River was still incomplete, so an alternative was made. Two pipes were placed in the riverbed as a temporary connection for water to be delivered from Chichester Dam.

Chichester Dam was completed in 1926.

Work began on a sewerage expansion scheme including a major sewage treatment works at 'Murdering Gully' Merewether.

Image: Chichester Dam construction

In 1931, Walka Water Works shut down due to economic recession.

The new Burwood Wastewater Treatment Works at 'Murdering Gully' was successfully tested in 1936. Sewage would be screened at the plant to separate solids from liquids and then discharged into the ocean via a 20 metre pipeline.

Investigations into accessing water from Tomago, which means 'sweet water' in local Worimi language, had been ongoing since the turn of the century. It was in 1936 the Tomago Sandbeds Water supply Scheme was brought into use as the only legitimate backup to Chichester Dam.

In 1956, work started on our region's largest water source, Grahamstown Dam. Hunter Water's President, George Schroder, enlisted Swedish engineers to design water storage for the Hunter. Construction took nine years and 560 men to trench a canal from the Williams River to the new dam, clear and level land, and lay water tight clay across the 28 square kilometre site.

Drought hits the Hunter in 1965, emptying Chichester Dam.

Image: George Schroder Pumping Station construction, Grahamstown Dam

Work began in 1985 to overhaul the treatment works at Burwood and improve the level of sewage treatment. A 1.8 kilometre long, 28 metre deep ocean outfall was completed in 1989, which has led to Hunter beaches being consistently rated as the cleanest in NSW by Beachwatch.

Dungog Water Treatment Plant opens in 1988 to treat water from Chichester Dam.

In its centenary year, the Board broke with public sector traditions and the organisation became Hunter Water Corporation under the State Owned Corporations' Act on January 1, 1992.

Image: Construction of the Burwood Ocean Outfall

In 2004, Hunter Water sold two million litres of water per day to Wyong as a temporary measure to help the Central Coast in their water shortage.

A new spillway and embankment were completed in December 2005, increasing the top water level of Grahamstown Dam to 12.8m and its capacity to approximately 190 billion litres.

In 2013, Hunter Water developed the Lower Hunter Water Plan which sets out 20 years of water security with new efficiency measures like Water Wise Rules.

The region's largest recycled water scheme, which saves 2.2 billion litres of drinking water each year was opened in 2014. The Kooragang Recycled Water Scheme takes treated wastewater from Shortland, then purifies it to the point where it's free of all salts, minerals and bacteria. The recycled water plant site also includes Hunter Water’s Centre for Education, which is open for school tours.

Image: Grahamstown Spillway

In 2017, Hunter Water established a research partnership with the University of Newcastle to better understand how tomorrow’s communities will want to live, and how social and technological innovation will contribute to a more integrated and sustainable future.

The severe drought affecting NSW had a significant impact on dam levels in 2019, prompting the introduction of water restrictions for the first time in 25 years.

Image: Partnership with University of Newcastle

In 2020, global pandemic COVID-19 caused an unprecedented and challenging time for Hunter Water, its customers and the community. In response to the pandemic, Hunter Water closed its face-to-face customer service counters at Lake Macquarie and Maitland, and more services were moved online. Customers financially impacted by COVID-19 where provided with a range of assistance programs and support services, to help ease the pressure of paying their water bills.

Water restrictions were removed in October 2020, as a result of a combination of factors including the community’s ongoing water savings and a significant reduction in leakage across Hunter Water’s network.

The Lower Hunter Water Security Plan (LHWSP) was released by the NSW Government in April 2022, setting the region up for economic prosperity and underpinning growth, liveability and quality of life. It includes new ways to reduce the water we use to effectively balance water supply and demand in the region.

18 July 2022 marked the 130 year anniversary of the formation of the Hunter District Water Supply and Sewerage Board in 1892 and we continue on our journey to at the Lower Hunter region and our customers at the heart of all we do.