Recycled water network

Recycled water is wastewater that's been collected and treated so it can be re-used. We own and operate:

14 water recycling plants, including two plants operated by other companies on our behalf. (Our Gerringong-Gerroa plant is operated by Veolia. The St Marys Advanced Water Treatment Plant is operated by Deerubbin Water Futures)
770 km of recycled water mains
9 recycled water reservoirs
11 recycled water pumping stations.

Our water recycling plants treat wastewater according to the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling. This ensures recycled water is safe and suitable for its intended use.

Golf cart on course with sprinklers in background

Irrigating golf courses is one of many uses of recycled water.

Recycled water uses

Recycled water can be used to:

water gardens, golf courses and parks
flush toilets
wash cars
fight fires.

If you live in an area that has recycled water or work for a company that uses recycled water, read more about using recycled water.

Recycled water can also be used for some industrial purposes and to supplement river flow in the Hawkesbury-Nepean River. This saves water stored in dams for drinking and keeps the river healthy.

Find out about the water quality in our St Marys Advanced Water Treatment Plant, which is used to supplement river flow.

Read about our projects that recycle water using Sewer mining and Stormwater harvesting.

Recycled water supply

How do we recycle water?

All of our water recycling plants use multiple steps to treat wastewater so it can be safely used again. The level of treatment provided depends on how the recycled water will be used.

There are four main stages of wastewater treatment used in producing recycled water:

Primary treatment, which involves physical screens and grit removal.
Secondary treatment, which generally involves nutrient removal (using anoxic/aerobic biological reactors or Intermittently Decanted Aerated Lagoons (IDALs)) and clarification.
Tertiary treatment, which may involve coagulation/flocculation, clarification, media filtration and disinfection (chlorination and/or UV disinfection).
Advanced tertiary treatment, which may include ultra filtration, micro-filtration, including reverse osmosis plus disinfection.

Learn more about wastewater treatment levels.

Where are our water recycling plants?

Treatment plant	Treatment level	Discharge (Ml/day)	Discharge location
Bombo	Secondary and de-nitrification and disinfection	3.7	Headland north of Bombo Beach Supplies to Minnamurra Golf Club
Castle Hill	Tertiary (includes additional phosphorus removal and disinfection)	6.5	Cattai Creek Supplies to Castle Hill Country Club
Gerringong-Gerroa	Partial tertiary (includes screening, storm tank or primary sedimentation, ponding and chlorination)	1.26	Re-used for on-site agricultural irrigation Excess discharged to sand dune systems. Once sand dunes reach capacity, excess is discharged to Crooked River
Glenfield	Partial tertiary (includes screening, storm tank or primary sedimentation, ponding and chlorination)	0	Treated wastewater transported to Malabar Occasionally discharged to Georges River in wet weather
Liverpool	Secondary (includes screening, de-gritting, primary sedimentation, ponding and chlorination)	0	Treated wastewater transported to Malabar Re-used at Liverpool Golf Course and Warwick Farm Race Course. Also supplies to Fairfield Water Recycling Plant (operated by Aquanet and Veolia Water) under Rosehill Recycled Water Scheme Occasionally discharged to Georges River in wet weather
Picton	Tertiary (includes additional phosphorus removal and disinfection)	1.5	Re-used on-site for agricultural irrigation precautionary discharge to Stone Quarry Creek
Penrith	Tertiary (includes additional phosphorus and nitrogen removal and disinfection)	23.1	Re-used locally Remainder transferred to St Marys Advanced Water Treatment Plant Some excess discharged to Boundary Creek
Quakers Hill	Tertiary (includes additional phosphorus and nitrogen removal and disinfection)	35.4	Re-used locally Remainder transferred to St Marys Advanced Water Treatment Plant Some excess discharged to Breakfast Creek
Richmond	Tertiary (includes additional phosphorus removal and disinfection)	2.2	Re-used for irrigation at University of Western Sydney - Richmond Campus. Also Re-used for irrigation at Richmond Golf Course Excess overflows to Rickabys Creek
Rouse Hill	Tertiary (includes additional phosphorus and nitrogen removal and disinfection) also includes ultra-violet irradiation and super-chlorination for reuse water	15.3	Recycled back to households for non drinking use Excess discharged to Second Ponds Creek via wetlands to Cattai Creek
St Marys	Tertiary (includes ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, de-carbonation, additional phosphorous and nitrogen removal and disinfection)	39.2	Re-used locally and at Dunheved Remainder transferred to St Marys Advanced Water Treatment Plant Some excess discharged to South Creek
West Camden	Tertiary (includes additional phosphorus removal and disinfection)	13.1	Re-used at Agricultural Institute Remainder discharged via Matahill Creek to the Nepean River
Wollongong	Tertiary and disinfection	49.84	Re-used at BlueScope Steel Remainder discharged via offshore outfall with diffuser zone
St Marys Advanced Water Treatment Plant	Reverse osmosis and ultra filtration	42	Receives flow from St Marys, Quakers Hill and Penrith WRP to produce highly treated water discharged to Boundary Creek under Western Sydney Replacement Flows Recycled Water Scheme

How do we monitor recycled water quality?

We do routine checks on the quality of our recycled water.

Our customers may use recycled water for:

industrial purposes
irrigation
approved uses in some residential areas, eg Rouse Hill residential scheme.

We check that the water:

is treated to the right level based on how customers will use it
meets the standards in the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling.

What can you do to prevent blockages?

Before you plant trees on your property, find out where your wastewater pipes are. A sewerage service diagram will show you. You can get one online through Sydney Water Tap in^TM

As a guide, don't plant trees within six metres of any wastewater pipes. Your local nursery can give you advice on trees and their root systems.

If you have existing trees and they're a problem, ask a plumber to set up a regular maintenance plan for you.

The only things you should flush are the three Ps - pee, poo, and toilet paper. While some brands of wet wipes might say that they’re flushable - they aren't!

Which trees should you avoid planting near wastewater pipes?

Tree species vary greatly in their ability to enter the wastewater system and cause damage.

The trees listed below are likely to cause problems to your wastewater pipes. We recommend that you don't plant these species within six metres of a wastewater pipe.

Botanical name	Common name
Acer sp.	Maple (mostly large)
Araucaria sp.	Norfolk Island Pine
Bambusa sp.	Bamboo
Brachychiton Acerifolius	Illawarra Flame Tree
Callistemon sp.	Bottlebrushes
Casuarina sp.	Casuarinas or She-Oaks (especially River Oak and Swamp Oak)
Celtis sp.	Nettle-tree and Hackberry
Chamaecyparis/Cupressus sp.	Cedar and Cypress
Cinnamomum Camphora	Camphor Laurel
Erythrina sp.	Coral tree (large)
Eucalyptus sp.	Gum trees (large)
Ficus sp.	Figs (Moreton Bay Fig, Weeping Fig, Rubber Tree)
Fraxinus sp.	Ashes (large)
Jacaranda Mimosifolia	Jacaranda
Lagerstroemia sp.	Crape Myrtle
Liquidambar Styraciflua	Liquidambar
Lophostemon Confertus	Brush Box
Magnolia sp.	Magnolias (large)
Melaleuca	Paperbarks
Metrosideros Excelsus	New Zealand Christmas Tree
Morus sp.	Mulberry (especially Black Mulberry)
Murraya Paniculate	Orange Jasmine
Nerium Oleander	Oleander
Persea Americana	Avocado
Phoenix Canariensis	Canary Island Date Palm
Pinus sp.	Pine
Platanus sp.	Plane trees
Populus sp.	Poplars
Prunus sp.	Apricot, Cherry, Peach, Plum
Quercus sp.	Oaks
Salix sp.	Willows
Sapium Sebiferum	Chinese Tallow Tree
Schefflera Actinophylla	Umbrella Tree
Schinus Molle	Pepper Tree
Syzygium sp.	Lillypilly
Ulmus sp.	Elms (large)
Wisteria sp.	Wisterias

What can you do if you have a blockage?

If you think you have a blockage, we recommend you contact a licensed plumber for advice and a quote for repairs.

Who can supply your rainwater tank?

Rainwater tanks are available in many shapes and sizes.

Unfortunately, we can't recommend a particular rainwater tank supplier.

There are many different options, so it's best to do your research online and speak to a few suppliers.

Read more about what you should consider when buying and installing a rainwater tank.
What are the Water Wise Guidelines?

Water Wise Guidelines are simple, common sense actions about the way we use drinking water outside.

The NSW Government has announced that Water Wise Guidelines have replaced water restrictions and apply to everyone in Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra. This includes all residents and businesses.

If we all do our bit and save a little, it will make a big difference across Greater Sydney.

Find out more about Water Wise Guidelines.