Water Supply & Wastewater

  • Beachwatch

    • What is the Beachwatch program?

      Answer

      Beachwatch programs was established in 1989 in response to community concern about the impact of sewage pollution on human health and the environment at Sydney's ocean beaches.

      The programs provide regular and reliable information on beach water quality to enable people to make informed decisions about where and when to swim.

    • What is stormwater?

      Answer

      Stormwater is water that falls from the sky and runs across roofs, roads and parks into stormwater drains. Hunter Water works closely with local councils and other agencies to manage the stormwater in Hunter Region.

      Stormwater services:

      • protect people and properties from flooding
      • improve the health of waterways
      • allow for stormwater to be reused.

    • How many beaches are monitored under the Beachwatch program?

      Answer

      There are 17 beaches monitored in the Hunter Region.

    • Where can I find out more information about Beachwatch programs?

      Answer

      Further information about beach water quality can be found at the Beachwatch website.

  • Wastewater Systems

    • What is wastewater?

      Answer

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

      At our 18 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 Office Environment and Heritage (OEH).

      Wastewater is treated to a very high standard and clear effluent is discharged to waterways or reused where it is economically and environmentally beneficial.

    • How does Hunter Water treat wastewater?

      Answer

      Our wastewater treatment processes rely on both biological processes and chemical processes to treat wastewater to an acceptable quality for discharge into local waterways or the ocean.

      Our treatment processes differ at each site in small ways, but can be broadly split into:

      • inlet works
      • biological treatment
      • chemical treatment
      • biosolids handling
      • effluent disinfection (for inland wastewater treatment works)

  • Water Supply

    • Where does my water come from?

      Answer

      If you live within our area of operations, your water comes from Grahamstown Dam , Chichester Dam , Tomago Sandbeds  or Anna Bay Sandbeds.

    • How is the water treated?

      Answer

      We apply a multiple barrier approach to protecting water quality, where water is:

      • protected within the catchment
      • treated using coagulation and filtration to remove impurities
      • disinfected to protect against microbiological contaminants
      • transported and stored within a closed, well maintained distribution system
      • routinely sampled & analysed for compliance

      Learn more about our multiple barrier approach <link to pdf>.

    • When are water storage levels updated on the website?

      Answer

      Water storage levels are updated on our website each week.

    • When do water restrictions come into effect?

      Answer

      Hunter Water’s Drought Management Plan outlines the four stages of water restrictions we would experience if water storage levels in our dams dropped. 

      The four stages are:

      Stage 1 restrictions – 60% Water Storage Levels

      Ban fixed sprinklers and limited hours use of hand held hoses

      Stage 2 restrictions – 50% Water Storage Levels

      Same as Stage 1 with use of hand held hoses limited to 2 days per week.

      Stage 3 restrictions – 40%

      Ban use of mains water for outdoor use.

      Stage 4 restrictions – 30%

      Complete ban on outdoor use.

    • Why is it so important to keep catchments clean?

      Answer

      Keeping catchments clean is an essential first step in maintaining water quality.

      We can all work together to protect water quality.

  • Stormwater

    • What role does Hunter Water play in stormwater management?

      Answer

      Our Environmental Management Plan 2008-13 identifies our overriding stormwater management objective is to cooperate with other organisations and the community to improve urban stormwater catchment management in the Hunter Region. This includes working with Total Catchment Management (TCM) committees and local councils to support environmental programs and to raise public awareness of stormwater issues.

    • How does Hunter Water protect waterways from stormwater pollutants?

      Answer

      Stormwater pollutant reduction structures in our stormwater systems include:

      • sediment traps
      • floating booms
      • gross pollutant traps
      • trash racks

      These structures help to protect our coastal estuaries and beaches from pollutants such as floating rubbish, oil and organic matter.

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