Amazon Funds Ten-Year Project To Restore Waterways Feeding Sydney’s Drinking Water Supply

Amazon is funding a ten-year project to restore 14.8 kilometres of degraded waterways in the Coxs River catchment, west of Sydney, in collaboration with national not-for-profit, the Australian River Restoration Centre (ARRC).

The Coxs River feeds the reservoirs that supply drinking water to the Greater Sydney population. Decades of land clearing, grazing and invasive plant growth have eroded its banks, increased sediment in the waterways and allowed livestock waste to enter the water supply.

Once completed, the restoration work is expected to improve water quality and return nearly 400 million litres of water per year to the catchment. Amazon is the sole funder of the initiative.

Head of Infrastructure Policy at Amazon Australia and New Zealand, Matt O’Rourke, pointed to the project’s connection to Greater Sydney’s drinking water infrastructure.

“By leveraging the ARRC’s expertise to address major challenges and restore Coxs River catchment, we’re not only helping to increase water volumes in reservoirs that provide drinking water to millions of people, but we’re also helping to reduce treatment costs, restore native ecosystems and build long-term resilience for one of Sydney’s important catchment areas,” O’Rourke stated.

Three interconnected problems

The project targets three issues along the Coxs River that have compounded over decades.

Dense willow growth has overrun creek channels, drawing large volumes of water from the system and suppressing the recovery of native plants. The project will involve removing willows and replacing them with native species to free water to flow downstream and allow native vegetation to re-establish.

Historic land clearing and grazing pressure have contributed to active erosion in parts of the catchment. Sediment is entering waterways that feed Warragamba Dam, reducing the dam’s capacity to store water over time. Erosion control programs will work to stabilise affected areas and improve water quality for the broader community.

Unrestricted livestock access has introduced nutrients and pathogens into waterways that feed Sydney’s drinking water catchments. New livestock exclusion fencing, off-stream watering points and dedicated crossings will aim to keep livestock out of the water, reducing contaminants and allowing bankside vegetation to regenerate as a natural filter.

Implementation and habitat restoration

The ARRC will carry out the restoration work in collaboration with local landowners over an initial two-year implementation phase, followed by monitoring and maintenance through to 2036.

Beyond water quality, the project also aims to rebuild habitat for native species including platypus, freshwater crayfish and other aquatic wildlife. Revegetation along waterways and wetlands will provide shade, stabilise banks and support the return of native plants and animals to the catchment.

Founder and CEO of the ARRC, Siwan Lovett, described the project as an example of what is possible when investment flows into waterway health.

“By restoring this important part of Sydney’s drinking water catchment, we’re creating benefits for both people and nature, improving water security for millions of Sydneysiders while helping native plants and wildlife recover and thrive,” Lovett remarked.

“We’re delighted to be collaborating with Amazon and local landholders on this project, demonstrating that restoring natural systems can deliver lasting benefits for water security, biodiversity and future generations.”

Amazon’s second Australian water project

The Coxs River initiative is Amazon’s second water replenishment project in Australia. The first, launched in 2024 with conservation group, Great Eastern Ranges, is restoring nearly 54 hectares of land in the Buxton District of New South Wales that was affected by the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.

That project returned approximately 48.5 million litres of water to the Greater Sydney water catchment in 2025 by removing invasive weeds that consume more water than native vegetation and by replanting riverbanks to reduce stormwater runoff.

Data centre water efficiency targets

The restoration work sits within Amazon’s broader goal of becoming water positive in its data centre operations by 2030, meaning it would return more water to communities and the environment than it uses in direct operations. By the end of 2025, Amazon reported it was 75 per cent of the way to that target, returning three litres for every four used.

Amazon has two data centre regions in Australia, located in Sydney and Melbourne, and has committed to investing $20 billion to expand, operate and maintain data centre infrastructure in Australia from 2025 to 2029.

The company says its Australian facilities are designed to be water efficient. In 2025, the Sydney region achieved a Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) of 0.10 litres per kilowatt hour and Melbourne achieved 0.06, compared to a global data centre industry average of 0.84 litres per kilowatt hour. Amazon states this means its Australian data centres use up to 93 per cent less water than typical data centres to deliver the same computing power.

“As part of Amazon’s global goal to be water positive by 2030, Amazon is investing in water replenishment projects that expand and improve community water access, availability and quality,” O’Rourke added.

Globally, Amazon has announced more than 55 water replenishment projects that, once completed, are expected to return over 27 billion litres of water annually through watershed restoration, improved water access, leak reduction and efforts to address water scarcity.

Last Updated on August 3, 2026 by Nick Ross