Wastewater Services - Wastewater Core Activities & Assets

The core activities of the wastewater function are:

Design, construction, operation and maintenance of: Wastewater treatment plants and outfalls Wastewater pumping stations and licensed overflows Reticulation system Trade waste management.
Principal assets include: Major treatment plants (6) Biosolid disposal points (3) Biosolid reprocessing plant (1)

Other infrastructure assets include:

• Estuarine discharge points (4)
• Freshwater discharge points (2)
• Pumping Stations (143)
• Length of sewerage mains 1,010 km

Sewerage Performance Data

• Annual Revenue Approximately $(A) 31M
• Annual Expenses $(A) 23m
• Average Capital Program $(A) 11M
• Current Costs of Assets $(A) 323M
• Residential Customers 46,000
• Commercial Customers 2,800

Sewerage Reticulation Systems and Treatment Plants

The sewerage reticulation system is divided into six distinct catchment areas each serviced by a sewerage treatment plant. These catchments are Marlin Coast, Central City North, Central City South, Edmonton, Gordonvale and Babinda.

Cairns Regional Council is required to meet certain standards of wastewater treatment at its six (6) wastewater plants. These standards are set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Effluent treatment has traditionally been to a "secondary" standard (effluent to meet specified chemical and biological parameters) and is a combination of activated sludge and biological filter treatment processes.

However, the Queensland Government recently adopted a Coastal Management Strategy which requires all coastal Councils to upgrade the standard of effluent discharged into the Barrier Reef Lagoon (see The Cleaner Seas Initiative section for more details and the new Clarifier Project at the Southern Water Treatment Plant.)

The management of Council's sewerage systems is covered under an environmental integrated authority issued by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Council's water laboratory conducts weekly sampling and analysis of all sewerage treatment processes to ensure compliance with license parameters.

http://www.tiw.org.au/

FINAL REPORT Cairns Biological Impact Monitoring Program July 2006

Go to Major Projects to view details on the current stage of the Cleaner Seas Alliance Project