Fish River Scheme
As well as providing water from its own dams to supply the Blue Mountains region, the Sydney Catchment Authority (SCA) also sources water from the Fish River Scheme, originating in Oberon.
The Fish River Scheme comprises a dam and a weir for raw water supply, as well as reservoirs, 236 kilometres of pipelines, four pumping stations, a tunnel, chlorinator and clarification plants for water transfer and reticulation to customers.
The scheme provides bulk water to four major customers - including the SCA. Under an agreement with the Fish River Scheme, the SCA purchases about 3,650 megalitres of water each year.
This water can be used either to replenish the Upper Cascades Dam, or go directly to Sydney Water's Filtration Plant at Cascades Dam. This gives the SCA and Sydney Water maximum flexibility to source the best quality water, as well as providing a supplementary water supply during periods of low rainfall or maintenance activities.
