Wastewater treatment
The Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre (LMWQCC) is the main wastewater treatment facility for Canberra and is the largest inland treatment centre in Australia. The plant uses physical, chemical and biological treatment processes.
Located one kilometre upstream from the junction of the Murrumbidgee and Molonglo Rivers, LMWQCC treats more than 90 million litres of Canberra's wastewater each day. The process includes physical, chemical, and biological treatment processes before the water is discharged into the Molonglo River.
Each day, LMWQCC:
- treats 70–80 million litres of wastewater
- recycles an average of 10 million litres of wastewater
- removes four to five million litres of sludge from the process for dewatering and incineration
- produces approximately 16 tonnes of of Agri-Ash.
Some wastewater from the industrial area of Fyshwick and adjacent suburbs is partially treated at the Fyshwick Sewage Treatment Plant and returned to the sewer for full treatment at LMWQCC.
Our certification and licence requirements
In line with ActewAGL's commitment to ecological sustainability, LMWQCC has developed an Environmental Management Program. LMWQCC was the first sewage treatment facility in Australia to gain certification for the following International Standards:
- AS/NZS ISO 9002 - Quality Management Systems
- AS/NZS ISO 14001 - Environmental Management Systems
The ACT Environmental Protection Act 1997, under which LMWQCC operates, sets strict licence conditions aimed at protecting the rivers into which water is discharged. LMWQCC meets all these licence requirements, including chemical testing and biological monitoring programs. Performance results are reported monthly.
Quick fun facts about LMWQCC
- Our treated water is so safe, that platypuses are often seen near where the treated water re-enters the Molonglo River, and have been known to visit the plant.
- Typically LMWQCC treats 80 to 100 million litres of wastewater each day. This is equivalent to 35 to 40 Olympic swimming pools full of water. For the record, LMWQCC has treated up to 235 million litres in one day.
- As the wastewater enters LMWQCC, a range of objects are collected by a screening process. Some interesting finds include goldfish, dentures and a range of children's toys. Some items can be seen in the screen room during tours of the facility.
- LMWQCC was built in the 1970s for a cost of $50 million. In 2011, it would cost $600 million to build a similar treatment plant.
- The storage dam can hold up to 147 million litres of wastewater.