Public drinking water source areas are important for the ongoing growth and development of WA. Without reliable sources of drinking water, development cannot occur, so we need to protect them.
However, land uses and activities introduce contamination which can have a negative impact on water quality and public health.
Achieving a balance between protection and development is essential. The department works with planning agencies, local government, water service providers and other stakeholders to create this balance, via the land planning process. State planning policy 2.9: Planning for water sets out how drinking water must be considered in land planning.
If we don’t carefully manage development in drinking water sources, we will become more reliant on costly treatment to make that water safe to drink. That outcome would be less effective and more expensive than a combination of protection and basic treatment.
Use the online mapping tool to find out if you are within a public drinking water source area. If you are, you need to make sure your project, development or activity can occur, using land use compatibility tables for public drinking water source areas.
We also need to manage recreation within public drinking water source areas, and clearing of native vegetation within salinity clearing control catchments.
