An expert in urban water management has expressed urgent concerns about the quality of treated wastewater discharged from sewage treatment plants in the catchment area supplying Sydney’s drinking water. Associate Professor Ian Wright from the University of Western Sydney highlighted the issue following a recent peer-reviewed study conducted with PhD student Katherine Warrick.
While assuring that Sydney’s drinking water remains safe, Dr. Wright warned that some pollution levels detected near the treatment plant outfalls are approaching crisis thresholds. “We need sewage treatment plants that meet the highest standards,” he emphasized, “and we must improve the management of effluent generated by a growing population.”
The study, published in the Urban Science Journal, involved collecting water samples from five locations Goulburn, Lithgow, Mittagong, Bowral, and Moss Vale across four different occasions between October 2023 and February 2024. These samples were taken at varying distances downstream from the outfalls, ranging from 25 meters to 2 kilometers, depending on accessibility.
The discharged effluent flows into the Warragamba Dam catchment, which is managed by WaterNSW and supplies approximately 90 percent of its water to over five million residents of Greater Sydney. The findings raise concerns about the potential risks posed by pollutants in the effluent, especially as the population continues to grow and pressure on water resources intensifies. Experts are calling for urgent measures to ensure the highest standards in wastewater treatment to safeguard public health and maintain water quality.
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