Paxton

The Paxton Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) serves the village of Paxton. From 2011, it will also service the townships of Millfield and Ellalong.

It currently treats 160 kilolitres per day and can handle wastewater from a population equivalent to 1,000 people.

The Paxton WWTW provides secondary treatment of the wastewater using the activated sludge process.

Effluent polishing and disinfection are achieved using a maturation pond and artificial wetlands.

Secondary treatment is provided utilising:

• an intermittent decant extended aeration (IDEA) activated sludge tank
• a catch pond
• a maturation pond
• a set of constructed wetlands (two trains of three cells in parallel)
• two sludge lagoons
• an effluent irrigated tree plantation (EITP).

View our Wastewater Performance Report to see how the Paxton WWTW is currently performing.

As a result of large storage capacity in the maturation pond, up to 150 kilolitres per day of recycled water from the Paxton WWTW is used to irrigate the onsite plantation during summer days.

As effluent is used for irrigation, demands tend to be much lower during winter due to increased rainfall.

Unused treated effluent is discharged to Congewai Creek via constructed wetlands.

The sludge lagoons are typically dewatered every four years and the biosolids produced are beneficially used for mine site rehabilitation or agricultural pasture improvement.

Hunter Water recycles approximately 5091 Megalitres per year. Learn more about our recycling and reuse initiatives.