Figtree Water Hardness & Quality Report (2026)

Figtree's drinking water is supplied by Wollongong City Council Water, drawing from Avon Dam and Cordeaux Dam on the Illawarra Plateau via the Illawarra Water Supply Scheme and treated at the Avon Water Treatment Plant for the Wollongong City LGA inner western distribution in New South Wales. Water hardness in Figtree is measured at 60 mg/L — classified as slightly hard, at the ADWG boundary — well below the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) aesthetic guideline of 200 mg/L published by NHMRC. Figtree — an inner western Wollongong suburb in the Wollongong City LGA adjacent to Unanderra and Kembla Grange, known for the Figtree Anglican College, the Keira Mountains bushland escarpment backdrop, and the established residential character of the inner Wollongong western slopes community with views across the Illawarra coastal plain — receives considerably softer supply than the harder Woonona sub-zone (153 mg/L) in the same Wollongong City supply network, reflecting a different distribution blend at the Figtree sub-zone.

Figtree's comparatively soft supply reflects a higher Avon Dam proportion in the inner Wollongong distribution blend at this sub-zone. The Avon Dam upper catchment drains softer upper Illawarra Hawkesbury Sandstone terrain with minimal Permian coal measure contribution, producing a lower-mineralisation supply component. The Figtree inner Wollongong western slopes distribution at 60 mg/L and TDS 106.7 mg/L is substantially softer than the harder Woonona (153 mg/L) sub-zone in the same Wollongong supply network, confirming the dramatic supply blend variation across the Illawarra Water Supply Scheme distribution.

Figtree residents can expect occasional light limescale on taps and in kettles — descaling every two to three months is typically adequate. Hot water systems benefit from periodic inspection. The low lead reading (0.002 mg/L) is excellent. Wollongong City Council provides water quality information at wollongong.nsw.gov.au, with all ADWG health standards consistently met. Figtree's inner Wollongong escarpment residential community benefits from a clean supply meeting all ADWG standards.