Wastewater, or sewage, is water that has been used in home, businesses and industries. It flows from sinks, showers, toilets, laundries, and other drains, travelling through a network of approximately 5,000 kilometres of pipes in the Lower Hunter to our treatment plants. After treatment, it is returned safely to the environment or recycled for non-drinking purposes.
Here you’ll learn about our wastewater systems, from our sewer network and the treatment process at our wastewater treatment plants to wastewater quality and the environmental safeguards we have in place.
Our sewer network is separate to our stormwater system; they operate independently from one another. Stormwater is rainwater that runs off hard surfaces into stormwater drains.
Ever wondered where water goes after you've used it? Our Wastewater Network Map shows our wastewater treatment facilities - the places where used water (sewage) from homes and businesses goes to get treated.
All the water that is used at home, at work and in the community flows through a complex network of pipes managed by Hunter Water that lead to a wastewater treatment facility. There are things you can do to help us keep this network operating effectively, like only flushing the 3P's and avoiding rinsing fats and oils down your sink.
Most residential properties across the Lower Hunter are connected to both Hunter Water’s water and wastewater networks. However, there are approximately 2,500 residential lots across 23 townships in the Lower Hunter that are connected to the drinking water network, but do not presently have access to reticulated sewer services.
The used water (sewage) from homes, factories, shops, and other places is often called wastewater, but it's no longer considered a waste product. It's a valuable resource we can recycle and use in new ways. Recycled water is used in homes and gardens, in industry, and on sporting fields. Biosolids, also from our wastewater treatment plants, is beneficially re-used in mine site rehabilitation and farming.
We carefully monitor and treat our wastewater, ensuring that it complies with Environment Protection conditions. See how each wastewater treatment works (WWTW) is performing in our monthly reports.
We manage a network of wastewater pipes and wastewater treatment works (WWTW) throughout the Lower Hunter. Find out where each facility is located and wastewater is treated.
We collect pollution monitoring data as required under the Environment Protection Licences (EPLs) issued by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
There is no evidence that COVID-19 has been transmitted to people via wastewater. COVID-19 is susceptible to our current treatment processes. Sewage also contains detergents and other substances that inactivate (kill) the virus before it reaches the treatment plant.