Wastewater

Wastewater from individual houses, units and businesses enters a network of wastewater pipes that all ultimately travel to a wastewater treatment facility, where it can be processed.

At our 17 wastewater treatment works we treat the wastewater before it is reused or discharged to rivers or oceans in accordance with strict licence conditions issued by the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Wastewater is therefore treated to a very high standard and clear effluent is discharged to waterways or reused where it is economically and environmentally beneficial.

We maintain an extensive system to transport wastewater , which includes 4,477km of sewer main systems and 380 pumping stations, as well as the 17 wastewater treatment plants.

Environmental safeguards for wastewater

The Department of Environment and Climate Change issues licences under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act (1997) for Hunter Water’s wastewater pipe network and treatment systems.

The licences stipulate both quality and quantity conditions for discharge from each wastewater treatment works and are reviewed every three years under the legislation. The licences also specify operational controls and reporting for the pipe network and pump stations.

During the 1990s Hunter Water upgraded its major coastal wastewater treatment facilities and, as a joint venture with the State Government, spent $310 million through the Hunter Sewerage Project to provide services to 20,000 unsewered properties in outlying areas.

The removal of septic overflows and treated effluent from Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens and the upgrade of major ocean disposal facilities has improved the quality of the region’s beaches and the health of both these major waterways.

In addition to the improvements achieved under the Hunter Sewerage Project, there has also been an upgrade program focused on the inland wastewater treatment facilities that discharge treated effluent to more sensitive waterways. About $100 million has been spent on the program of works to upgrade our inland wastewater treatment facilities.

Recycling wastewater

A key objective in Hunter Water’s Environmental Management Plan is the productive reuse of recycled water  and biosolids where it is economically and environmentally feasible.

Recycled water from our treatment plants is used by agriculture and industry, and we ensure that biosolids can be used wherever possible. (Biosolids are the biological organisms generated from the treatment process.)

Hunter Water endeavours to find beneficial uses for biosolids – most biosolids from our plants are used for mine site rehabilitation. We stockpile unused biosolids at the wastewater treatment sites until a beneficial reuse opportunity is found.