Opening the $11.1 million plant in Stroud last Wednesday, NSW Minister for Water, Phil Costa said it represents best practice in effluent management.

“The commissioning of the Stroud STP marks an important step in protecting the long-term health of the Karuah River and providing the Stroud community with improved sewage services,” he said.

“Reclaimed water that is discharged from the new plant is of a very high standard. In fact, about 95 per cent of the treated effluent will be used for irrigating 25 hectares of pasture for dairy cattle.”

The minister said only a small volume of the highly treated effluent that cannot be used to aid local primary production will be returned to the Karuah River under stringent environmental guidelines.

To achieve this reuse target the new plant includes the capacity to store up to 30 million litres of treated effluent and caters for 1500 people with the ability to manage the significant population potential of Stroud’s urban expansion.

The plant also includes a designated wet weather storage lagoon which is designed to cater for the excess inflows which occur during times of wet weather. The lagoon stores this excess for later treatment and will also capture rainwater which falls on the process parts of the plant.

The Mid Coast Water project has been supported by $1.1 million in funding from the State Government’s Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Program.

The 30 year old plant in Spencer St, which the new plant is replacing, will be decommissioned once the new plant is fully operational.