The opening of South Australia’s reservoir reserves for recreational access has claimed the Organisational Excellence Award at the Australian Water Association’s 2023 National Water Awards.
Among the highest accolades celebrated in the Australian water industry, the award further recognises the transformation of these spaces into thriving community assets enjoyed by more than one million visitors to date.
Since the first site opened in April 2019, the community now has access to 2,100ha of land, 900ha of open water and 95km of trail network to explore across ten reservoir reserves.
SA Water’s Senior Manager of Environment and Energy, James Crocker, said the utility was honoured to receive the award and the recognition it brings for the pioneering initiative.
“This award is further credit to our dedicated team whose work underpinned opening up reservoir reserves for our communities to enjoy, and continues to protect drinking water quality,” Mr Crocker said.
In another achievement during the Australian Water Association’s national water exhibition and conference – Ozwater’23 – SA Water also took home the Best Paper Award for its Wider World Program.
SA Water’s Customer Experience Design and Delivery Lead, Nina Rampal, who co-authored the winning paper, said the program challenges the utility to make its services more accessible and equitable for all customers.
“Organisations often focus on solutions that suit as many customers as possible, which makes sense from the perspective of achieving efficiency. However, this approach can exclude customers who are on the margins, or limit their diversity,” Ms Rampal said.
Featured image: Happy Valley Reservoir Reserve. Courtesy of SA Water.
