Coca-Cola: Perth’s Best Kept Water Secret? Or Just Another Corporate Coincidence?

A water truck removes groundwater from a property on Irymple Road, Karragullen.

In the sleepy hills of Karragullen, Perth, a secret has been bubbling beneath the surface—literally. For years, Coca-Cola has been slurping up free groundwater from the area to fuel its Mount Franklin bottled water empire. How, you might ask? Well, thanks to a little loophole, the water comes from an unproclaimed area, meaning they don’t need a license or, more importantly, have to pay a cent for it. That’s right—free water for a multi-billion-dollar corporation! Who knew fresh water came with a "help yourself" sign when you're a corporate giant?

But wait, there's more! While farmers and local businesses struggle with water restrictions and a parched climate, Coca-Cola was quietly siphoning away tens of thousands of liters per week. All perfectly legal, of course, because no one thought to proclaim the area. It's almost like someone "forgot" to shut the tap, right? Or maybe they just had better things to do than regulate the water used to make fancy plastic bottles that we totally don’t have enough of already.

What's truly fascinating, though, is the way the local council and landowners seem to have played their cards. We’re not saying there’s anything fishy going on, but it's quite the happy coincidence that everyone involved appears to benefit handsomely. Coca-Cola gets free water, the council avoids the hassle of angry voters by staying quiet, and local landowners get some pretty nice development boosts. If you squint hard enough, it might just look like the corporate version of a local bake sale, where everyone’s got their hands in the cookie jar—except the public never gets a taste.

Coca Cola extracts groundwater from this property in Karragullen.

Water Minister Simone McGurk voiced her concerns, but after years of public pressure, finally discussions are being held about potentially regulating this little arrangement. Because nothing screams accountability quite like waiting years while Coca-Cola fills their water tanks for free!

What’s next? Will Karragullen become a new "hydration hub," with the council installing luxury fountains while selling bottled Mount Franklin to the masses? Or is Coca-Cola simply the latest example of how the world's water resources flow uphill, towards money?

One thing’s for sure: Perth’s water woes have never looked so... profitable.