 Water recycling & reuse
- 2005
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| Water Recycling &
Reuse | 2005
Indicator description
Tea Tree Trial Bomaderry
What does the Data tell us for 2005
Northern Shoalhaven Reclaimed Water Management Scheme (REMS)
Operational Highlights
REMS Stage 1B
Northern Shoalhaven Reclaimed Water Management Scheme (REMS)
The Northern Shoalhaven Reclaimed Water Management Scheme
(REMS) has been developed to provide a long-term beneficial approach to
wastewater management in the Shoalhaven. Reclaimed Water (treated wastewater) is
tertiary treated including filtration and chlorine disinfection. The aim of the
Scheme is to reuse an average of 80% of reclaimed water produced with surpluses
released to the ocean at Penguin Head. Scheme water is currently supplied to
seventeen properties including dairy farms, golf courses and sporting grounds.
Reclaimed water is also now replaces drinking water for wash down of yards at
dairy farms saving over 40 megalitres of town water per year.
REMS Stage 1A construction was completed in 2003 and includes
Callala, Vincentia, Culburra Beach and St Georges Basin Wastewater Treatment
Plants (WwTPs). From October 2001 reclaimed water from St Georges Basin and
Vincentia WwTPs has been transferred to the REMS distribution facilities at
Coonemia allowed releases to Jervis Bay to be stopped.
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Operational Highlights
Volumes
Reused - In the first three and one-half years of
REMS operations, in excess of 5,100,000,000 litres (5,100 megalitres) have been
recycled onto land or 65% of the reclaimed water managed within the Scheme.
Approximately 2,700 megalitres was released to the ocean from the Scheme.
Reclaimed
Water Quality Scheme water quality has been of a
consistently high standard and fully complies with environmental and irrigation
water quality targets. A high level of disinfection is also being achieved. This
level of quality will allow reclaimed water to be used in a wide variety of
applications in the future.
REMS farm balance pond, Pyree
Impact on Jervis Bay
In excess of 5,300 megalitres of reclaimed water has not been released into
Jervis Bay as a result of REMS. This has resulted in 21 tonnes less of nitrogen,
11 tonnes less of phosphorus and 35 tonnes less suspended solids being released
into the Bay.
Ocean Release Monitoring
Possible impacts of reclaimed water releases to the ocean have
been studied since 1995. A range of ocean hydrology and ecological studies were
undertaken in 2003 following an extended ocean release from REMS. Given the
improved level of wastewater treatment in REMS, there has not been any increase
in pollutant loads released to the ocean on a daily or annual basis when
compared with the previous situation where Culburra Beach WwTP discharged on a
daily basis to Penguin Head. The ecological studies have generally shown minimal
or no detectable impact at the Penguin Head release site when compared to three
reference sites in the area. The ecological studys (MHL, 2004) main conclusion
was:
Considering all ecological studies undertaken at Penguin
Head since 1995 and including the current [2003] result, any detected effects of
release have occurred over small scales and are considered to represent small,
environmentally acceptable effects.
Further major
investigations will occur when there are significant changes to REMS ocean
release patterns.
Groundwater
monitoring The Scheme has
now collected three years worth of groundwater height and quality data from 13
bores in the main REMS irrigation area and bulk storage site. The data collected
does not indicate any significant change to local water table heights or quality
since irrigation began in December 2001.
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REMS Stage 1B
The REMS will be
expanded to include management of reclaimed water produced from the Nowra and
Bomaderry WwTPs. Both treatment plants are to be expanded, upgraded and linked
to the REMS distribution system. Concept design work for REMS Stage 1B is
underway in conjunction with the NSW Department of Commerce. It is expected REMS
Stage 1B will be completed in 2009/10.
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Settlement | Water Supply & Sewage Management
| Water Recycling &
Reuse | 2005
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