FAQs

The proposed upgrade is necessary to ensure the WWTP can continue to meet the needs of the growing Murwillumbah community and improve the health of our river system. Specifically, the upgrade will ensure the plant:

• can support Murwillumbah’s growing residential, commercial and industrial needs
• continues to meet NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) licence conditions
• can manage peak loadings, such as during holiday periods
• supports the environmental health of the fragile Rous River system.

Yes. Council is committed to completing the upgrade ahead of significant population growth. There is a considerable amount of work to be done before construction begins, including concept development, detailed design and environmental and regulatory approvals. Construction is expected to start in the first half of 2028, with completion targeted by June 2030.

The upgrade will:

• increase the plant’s capacity from 16,000 to 24,000 equivalent persons (ep), with future provisions for up to 32,000 ep
• add an additional bioreactor to support increased capacity
• upgrade key infrastructure, including the tertiary treatment facility (which treats recycled water for reuse) and improve biosolids handling processes
• identify and implement an alternative discharge location for unused treated wastewater.

The project is fully funded by Council.

Yes. A significant portion of the treated wastewater (recycled water) from the Murwillumbah WWTP is supplied to the Co-Generation Plant at Condong and the Tweed River Jockey Club. Council is working with the Co-Generation Plant to increase recycled water use and welcomes additional ideas for reuse opportunities.

Currently, biosolids are treated, dewatered using sludge lagoons and geobags, and then applied to local sugar cane farms as a soil conditioner. 

Grit and rags are removed during treatment and sent to landfill, as there’s no viable recycling option for these materials.

After the treatment plant's upgrade, biosolids will undergo further treatment through aerobic digestion and will continue to be used for soil conditioning on local farms.

Any treated wastewater that doesn't get reused is currently discharged into the Rous River under strict EPA licence conditions. However, the Rous River’s smaller flow and agricultural activity along its catchment make it vulnerable to environmental stress.

To improve the health and water quality of the Rous River, Council proposes relocating the discharge point to the Tweed River, somewhere between Mayal Creek and the Condong Sugar Mill. The Tweed River is a much larger river system with stronger flow, which would allow for significantly faster dilution and dispersion.

The exact discharge location is yet to be determined and will be informed by this community consultation.

The specific discharge point hasn’t been determined yet. Water quality modelling, conducted by the University of Western Australia and NSW Department of Environment and Heritage, indicates that discharges downstream of Myall Creek would have minimal impact on the Tweed River’s health or water quality.

Ongoing community consultation will help determine the final location.

Council is aware of increased flows at the treatment plant after rainfall, with elevated levels continuing for days. This indicates stormwater is entering the sewerage system through damaged pipes, illegal connections or 'infiltration'—where water seeps into cracks and joints in the underground system when the ground becomes saturated. 

The upgraded WWTP will be designed to handle these additional inflows, ensuring the plant can maintain appropriate levels of wastewater treatment even during peak flow events.

Additionally, Council has ongoing programs aimed at reducing stormwater ingress. These include detailed infiltration studies, sewer manhole repairs and gravity mains relining. Over the past 5 years, we've relined more than 22 km of gravity sewers.

A range of environmental assessments either have or will be completed, including:

• Water quality modelling: Already conducted by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, in conjunction with the University of Western Australia. This modelling assesses the potential environmental impacts on the Tweed River.
• Review of Environmental Factors (REF): This will assess potential impacts such as noise, odour and vegetation disturbance and outline measures to minimise these effects.
• Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): If significant environmental impacts are identified from the REF, a more detailed EIS will be required.

Yes. Treated wastewater discharged from the plant meets strict NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) licence conditions. The upgrade will further improve treatment processes, ensuring high-quality standards continue to be met to protect local waterways.