Cape Grim Water: From Market Leader to Liquidation – The Rise and Fall of Tasmania’s Premium Water Brand

After nearly three decades of operation, the Cape Grim Water Company has fallen into administration. Jason Tang and Ozem Kassem from KPT Restructuring have been assigned as administrators for the company.

The water bottling business was established in 1998. It capitalized on the pristine rainwater from northwest Tasmania, branding its product as the “world’s cleanest water”. The company strategically marketed its product to high-end hospitality and export sectors, emphasizing its unique rainwater harvesting process that ensures the water is captured before touching the ground.

In its heyday, Cape Grim Water had secured a supply partnership with the airline, Qantas, further validating its premium product status. Along with its successful water business, the company had launched the Cape Grim 666 Vodka in 2008, a product that also utilized the region’s rainwater.

However, Qantas ended its contract with Cape Grim Water in 2005. The discontinued partnership left the company with a surplus of stock that it couldn’t sell. This led then-director Doug Halley to attempt selling the surplus to acquaintances at a cut-rate price.

The Cape Grim Water Company ceased trading in early 2021. By July 2024, its water bottling operations were liquidated. Despite these setbacks, Aqua Sano continued to be the main distributor of Cape Grim Water across all mainland Australian states and territories.

In an update provided by Aqua Sano in October of last year, it was indicated that the chances of Cape Grim Water resuming operations were slim. Despite this, Aqua Sano expressed their regret for the inconvenience caused to their customers and voiced their hope to supply Cape Grim Water again in the future.

The first meeting of the company’s creditors will be held on January 19. During the meeting, attendees will decide whether to appoint a committee of inspection.