North Canberra Water Reuse Scheme

Fyshwick Sewage Treatment Plant

The Fyshwick Sewage Treatment Plant (FSTP) partially treats some of the industrial and domestic sewage from the industrial area of Fyshwick and adjacent suburbs. The treatment process consists of mechanical coarse screening, primary sedimentation tanks, trickling filters, humus tanks, maturation lagoons, emergency storage lagoon, and sludge digesters.

Digested sludge is diluted with non-potable water and returned to the main sewer. Effluent from the final maturation lagoon is also pumped to the mains sewer for full treatment at Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre (LMWQCC).

North Canberra Water Reuse Facility

The North Canberra Water Reuse Facility (NCWRF) was developed as part of the North Canberra Effluent Reuse Scheme to filter FSTP lagoon effluent to supply irrigation water for fields in North Canberra. Partially treated effluent from the lagoons is passed through an ultrafiltration treatment process at approximately 20 L/s.

The filtered effluent flows into a balance tank from which it is pumped into a reservoir. Filtered effluent is disinfected by dosing with gaseous chlorine into the rising main downstream of the balance tank. The treated effluent is produced to a high quality as required by strict Environmental and Health guidelines.

North Canberra Water Reuse Scheme

The treated effluent from the NCWRF is pumped into the Lower Russell Reservoir, which supplies the irrigation water for various North Canberra water reuse sites including ovals, playing fields and a golf course.

The Lower Russell Reservoir is also supplied with potable water from the Upper Russell Reservoir as a backup supply source if required. The scheme is monitored and controlled remotely at LMWQCC.