Our Achievements

We believe setting objectives and targets is only the starting point for good environmental performance. We would much rather be known as a company that achieves sustainable outcomes than one that simply talks about it!

We are proud to have made some major leaps forward on our sustainability journey through our first Environmental Sustainability Plan including:

• becoming the first water business in Australia to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions. By partnering with EPA, Victoria’s independent environmental regulator, who supported our approach to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions through a Sustainability Covenant made under the Environment Protection Act 1970. We successfully achieved this goal on 30 June 2007
• recording a 40 per cent reduction in per person water use, when comparing 2007/08 water consumption to the 1990s average. This has been achieved by partnering with our business and residential customers for sustainable outcomes and a proactive leak detection program.

Since our inception in 1995, we have also developed and implemented a range of plans and strategies to achieve our sustainability objectives including:

• two Sustainability Covenants with EPA Victoria
• an upgrade of Altona Treatment Plant to tertiary treatment
• three Environment Improvement Plans (EIPs) and an Environmental Sustainability Plan
• Enviro Partnerships programs which served as an incubator for successful grassroots sustainability programs such as Green Streets and Sustainability Street
• joint Water Conservation Plan with other Melbourne water businesses
• wastewise business accreditation
• Natural Resource Management Plan
• Environmental Management System accreditation to ISO14001.

We have also received numerous awards for best environmental practice and community based partnerships. We were a finalist in the Business Sustainability Category for the Banksia Awards in 2008.