Once upon a time, the water you flushed down the drains and toilets was considered ‘wastewater’. But in a changing and drying climate, improving how we manage our sewer network and reclaim and reuse the by-products of our water use is important for future water security.

We haven’t just renamed our 16 wastewater plants Water Reclamation Plants, we’ve committed to embedding more sustainable treatment practices and increasing the use of the by-products of the treatment process to benefit our customers, communities and the environment.

The used water collected from houses and businesses across our region contains nutrients, organic matter, bacteria, cleaning products, and trade waste from commercial and industrial customers. Left untreated, it can harm our health, the environment and the animals that live in it.

To protect the environment, we treat sewage to a specified quality for either reuse or release within the operating licence set by the Environment Protection Authority. We continually monitor our environmental performance, measure the water after it’s treated, and evaluate its impact on local waterways.