Treatment III at the WTP

The WTP is a special place. It’s essential to Melbourne's way of life, treating more than half of Melbourne’s sewage. Its vast wetlands are also a haven for our wildlife, including some of the world’s rarest bird and frog species. It may not be widely known but the WTP has also been the centrepiece of a public art projects for a number of years!

Treatment III exhibition featured art, installations, and live performances by leading and emerging Australian artists. This event celebrated a day in the life of the plant by drawing attention to the magic of the WTP and how wastewater technologies operate, their value to society, and how they contribute to public health and the re-use of our resources.

Wadawurrung's first cultural burn at the WTP

In June the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation undertook their first cultural burn at the WTP grasslands. This had been in planning for four years and occurred thanks to help from CFA (Country Fire Authority) and Forest Fire Management Victoria.

For Wadawurrung, cultural burns are important for renewing Dja (Country), reaffirming cultural connections, identity and healing Dja and people. Cultural burning practices build a resilient ecosystem, culturally connected landscape and bring communities together to care for Dja.

This is the first of an ongoing program of cultural burns at the WTP and has been a great opportunity for all organisations involved to learn and grow together in the spirit of reconciliation.

How we turn your sewage into something amazing

The WTP sustainably treats more than 182,500 million litres of sewage a year, that's more than half of Melbourne’s sewage!

We do this using a combination of mechanised treatment and a series of large ponds, called lagoons. The sewage treatment process is also a vital part of the circular economy – turning waste into resources and helping to reuse what might otherwise be thrown away.

One of the wastes we re-use is the solid organic material created as a result of the sewage treatment process, called biosolids. Biosolids are rich in nutrients and across Australia and around the world are used on farmland to improve soil, as well as in compost and fertiliser.

Learn more about biosolids (via melbournewater.com.au)open in new window

We have an active biosolids reuse program at Melbourne Water. The reuse of biosolids is regulated to ensure strict quality is achieved and is currently being used offsite to improve the soil of agricultural farmland in western Victoria. The biosolids are applied sustainably as a soil supplement and contribute nutrients, carbon and trace elements that are often scarce in Australian soils.

In 2023, the biosolids reuse program delivered 36,655 tonnes of biosolids to 44 paddocks across six farms.

This was achieved in collaboration with LOOP Organics and its partner Mahonys Transport, who delivered this over an impressive seven week period, with trucks travelling approximately 166,000 kilometres during this time!

Farm machinery was then used to spread and incorporate the biosolids into the soil to maximise nutrient improvement.

As we implement our biosolid reuse program in the future, we will continue to work with the Environment Protection Authority Victoria, the water industry, our customers and community.

Wadawurrung's second cultural burn at the WTP

In late September, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation completed their second cultural burn at the Western Treatment Plant, this time at the Lake Borrie grasslands. This was a more challenging burn than previous, as it had a high fuel load due to a large amount of weeds (phalaris in particular), and the critically endangered Spiny Rice-flower (Pimelea spinescens).

This was a collaborative project with many months of planning between Wadawurrung, Melbourne Water, Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). Wadawurrung manage all of the burning process, with CFA and DEECA providing suppression support.

The burn went even better than expected, and has supported the survival of native flora and fauna. Rains since the burn have led to a fast regrowth, and many Spiny-Rice-flower has survived or regenerated after the fire.

WTP wildfowl winter survey shatters records

Since 2000, we've been surveying the incredible world of shorebirds, wildfowl, and waterbirds at the WTP. This massive operation covers 318 water bodies, from ponds to coastlines.

Our recent winter survey for wildfowl has shattered records! Check out these astonishing numbers:

• Black Swan - 2,705
• Chestnut Teal - 6,099
• Eurasian Coot - 9,355
• Pacific Black Duck - 9,842

And that's not all! The Australasian Shoveler, a vulnerable species in Victoria, made a spectacular comeback with a whopping 2,866 sightings – the highest count since 2011!

But why the sudden surge in numbers? Dr Danny Rogers from the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research says, "Australian waterbirds have enjoyed great breeding success in three consecutive La Nina years with extensive inland flooding . Now the inland is starting to dry out and waterbirds are starting to move to areas with more secure water supplies" - such as the Western Treatment Plant.

Check out the below video and hear from Cody McCormack, Conservation and Land Officer, on why the WTP is such a special place for wildlife.

Talking sewage with the Wyndham community (Children's Week Picnic)

We attended the Wyndham Children's Week Picnic held at the Werribee Mansion for the second year running. It was a fantastic event with over 5,000 locals attending the day!

Members from our Communications & Engagement and WTP teams spoke to hundreds of community members about recycled water and sewage treatment. Children (and adults) were shown our sewage model, which allowed attendees to 'flush' toilets, sinks and baths and see the journey our sewage takes. Amazingly, sewage is comprised of 99% water, which comes from the wastewater that leaves our kitchens, bathrooms, laundries and toilets.

We talked to the community about the extensive network of underground pipes and sewers that we manage to treat our city’s sewage, ensuring the health of our environment, communities and families.

However, our city is always changing, with more and more people wanting to call Melbourne home. Without innovations and improvements our enormous sewerage network could become overburdened, and our waste may impact the health of our environment.

That’s why we continue to transform our sewerage system and recover Melbourne’s waste, turning it into water, nutrients and energy ready for re-use.

You can help keep our sewerage system safe from Fatbergs and blockages by only flushing the three P's - Poo, Pee & (Toilet) Paper!

We hope to attend this great event again next year, so make sure you keep an eye out for events in Wyndham 2024 and we'd love to see you there.

WTP 5W Nutrient Removal Plant (NRP) Project

The new Nutrient Removal Plant will replace the 55E Activated Sludge Plant setting the WTP up to better cope with future growth. The project will also improve safety for our operations and maintenance crews as the new equipment will eliminate the need to maintain equipment by diving and working over water.

The innovative treatment processes used by the new plant, will require less power and carbon, enabling us to produce more biogas which can be converted into energy.

Construction is continuing across multiple work fronts including the NRP and Building areas, Feed Pump Station, 160S Road and across the full field area completing launch and retrieval shafts, pipelines and cofferdams for intake and outtake structures.

The following key milestones have been achieved recently:

• The completion of tank three base slab segments
• Installation of 113 concrete panel walls in tank two
• Successful completion of the post tensioning in tank five
• Completion of the Effluent Pipeline in the NRP Area
• Feed Pump Station hydro test

A Social Engine Kitchen has set up shop within the 5W NRP Project Compound providing the team with kiosk and catering services, whilst also creating employment and training opportunities for at-risk youth. This initiative creates practical and relevant employment experience that assists to transition the participants successfully to the open employment market.

The project teams continue to participate in fundraising activities, having had great success with April’s Good Friday Appeal; a group of Mo Bros and Sisters are currently participating in Movember.