News and media

Restoring the health of urban waterways: a decade of progress in the Parramatta River Catchment

2025 | Future Water – Australian Water management journal (2025) Future Water 2025 p. 22-24  (Sydney Water specifically mentioned on p. 24)

Sydney Water have been a long term partner of the Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG), working to improve the health of the river.

Swimmable Cities

Outdoor Swimming Society 

Efforts are underway from Paris to Sydney to make cities swimmable, alongside a global Swimmable Cities partnership.

Splashing in the Seine, driving the Danube: the drive to make cities swimmable

20^th August 2024 | The Guardian 

Campaigners and architects around the world are turning rivers and harbours into places for a refreshing dip.

Putney Beach opening

January 2025

We were thrilled to attend the opening of Putney Beach on the Parramatta River. Our Urban Plunge programme supported the City of Ryde to open the site and ensure it was safe. We have monitored water quality there since July 2019. You can check water quality before you swim here.

Bayview Park Baths opening 

November 2022

After being closed for 60 years, bathing at Bayview Park re-opened in November 2022. We’ve been monitoring water quality here since July 2019 and supported the City of Canada Bay to open the site safely. You can check water quality before you swim here.

Urban Plunge Tech Showcase 

2022 and 2023

In 2022 and 2023 we held free events showcasing innovative technology to support healthy waterways. These events provided a platform for conversations between water industry specialists, tech providers and key players across government and other stakeholders.

Prospect pop-up swim spot

Summer 2022/23

Urban Plunge worked with partners to make a splash over the 2022/23 summer holidays with a pop-up swim site in the Parklands at Prospect Reservoir, in the heart of Western Sydney. Whilst the pop-up swim site has been packed away, the parklands at Prospect Reservoir are open to the public and a great place to explore.

Can the platypus save our rivers? Lessons from across Australia

Platypuses are a truly unique animal, an important part of our natural ecosystems, and they can be found in our urban waterways. As we further urbanise we are impacting their habitat, changing both the flow dynamics and water quality. This, in turn, affects their food supply – aquatic macroinvertebrates and habitat.

This webinar has hand-picked case studies from across South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, Victoria and NSW where the elusive platypus is driving change in waterway management. Watch now to see how important the platypus is to protecting our waterways in Australia.

Great design and innovative tech – how Sydney Water is tackling urban waterway health challenges

Healthy waterways are critical to supporting the liveability of Greater Sydney, adding value to our urban green spaces, supporting the cultural and recreational needs of our people, and providing essential habitat for the species that call them home.

This webinar showcases a series of innovative, home-grown Sydney Water projects that aim to enrich the health and amenity of our waterways.

Visualising the potential for swimming in Greater Sydney's waterways

Watch the first in a series of our Urban Plunge webinars. Chris Romer-Lee from Studio Octopi joined Sydney Water's Senior Waterways Analyst Hannah McKnight to discuss how creative design can open up new areas for swimming.

Hear about the range of new concept designs, developed to help others visualise the potential for swimming under a range of different conditions experienced across Greater Sydney.

Chris also shares inspiring international examples of swimming sites, including Thames Baths (London), Saltcoats Bathing Pond and Tarlair Outdoor Pool (Scotland), as well as various other international examples that have influenced Chris and his studio's work.