According to the CSIRO Sydney rainfall will decrease by 3% while population will increase, amounting to an increase of 20% more water by 2030. Currently Sydney is recycling 25 billion litres per year; by 2015 we will be recycling up to 70 million litres. 12% of Sydney’s water usage will be recycled water.

1. Water Sustainability
Do our future generation really have
sufficient fresh water?

2. Facts of Sydney and Water
• Sydney’s population has doubled since the 50’s and is still increasing due to
civilisation and policy of centralisation. The population is now 4,284,379.
• 151000 litres/person annually OR annual total of 634,742 mega litres; this equals
to 20.128 ton/sec.
• Except for 1998, the last 13 years have seen below average inflows to Warragamba
Dam, which supplies 80% of the water supply.
• The population is estimated to reach 5.3 million by 2031 which means water
consumption will increase by at least 20% by then.
• Recycle water only accounts for 4% of Sydney water supply.
• Sydney faces the risk of drought and that water crisis is possible in Sydney.

6. Waste Water and Sewage

7. http://www.sydneywater.com.au/OurSystemsandOperations/

8. About Wastewater
• Sydney Water collects + treats more than 1,2 billion litres of wastewater each
day. 36 million litres or 3% is recycled daily.
• Around 75% of the wastewater is processed at Malabar, North Head and Bondi.
The effect of discharges on water quality and aquatic life is monitored weekly by
the Department of Environment and Climate Change to ensure performance
standards are met.
• Use of recycled water has increased from 6.2 billion litres a year in 1995 to
approximately 25 billion litres a year. This will grow to 70 billion
litres a
year by 2015.
• Sydney Water operates 65 Stormwater Quality Improvement Devices (SQIDs),
including trash racks, litter booms and sediment traps.
• Trade Waste Policy is in place to control the quantity and quality of trade waste
discharged.
• Sydney Water owns 31 sewage treatment plants.
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/OurSystemsandOperations/images/WastewaterSystem.jpg;
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/OurSystemsandOperations/
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/OurSystemsandOperations/WastewaterTreatmentPlants/

9. Black water vs. Greywater
• Black water contains water from  Grey water is contaminated or used
the toilet (or kitchen sink) water that does not contain sewage
• It is treated by chemical or e.g. showers, sinks or washing
biological agents and disinfected machines.
• It is generally not suitable for  Grey water is safe to use on gardens
reuse if it is either treated or not stored for
more than 24 hours.
 The amount of Grey water is much
more than Black water and is less
expensive to be treated
http://www.ecocommunity.com.au/default2.asp?active_page_id=123

10. Facts and Figures
In Sydney approx. 70% of
piped water  waste water
which is minimally treated
and discharged to the
ocean.
About 9% of water
consumption is used for
drinking and personal
hygiene. CSIRO projections show that
Sydney’s average annual rainfall
may decrease by 3%by 2030.
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Environment/Water/CurrentStatus/WaterConservation/WaterDemand.asp
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/Publications/Reports/AnnualReport/2007/menu/performance/Goal3.cfm
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/annualreport/pdf/Annual_Report_Summary_2008_Final.pdf

11. Sewerage system & development patterns
Polluted streams became the first sewerage channels. Later the
sewerage network followed the patterns of development.
Fresh water
Open Sewers
Underground Sewers Settlement
New water source Increase in population
Dams, pumps and pipes Drought
Residential and Industrial Pollution
More water needed
Henry F.J.J, 1939, The water supply and sewerage of Sydney, Halstead Press, Sydney

12. What precipitated the development of waste water
system?
• Ridding of waste + no backflow
• Hygiene and comfort
• Minimise spread of disease and pests
Henry F.J.J, 1939, The water supply and sewerage of Sydney, Halstead Press, Sydney

13. What are the infrastructure that support the waste
water system?
• 23,500km of sewer pipes
• 663 sewage-pumping stations
• 31 sewage treatment plants
• $33 million on cleaning,
repairing and relining pipes.
(2006-07)
243 500
Olympic pools
487 billion litres of
treated wastewater
(2006-07)
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/Publications/Reports/AnnualReport/2007/menu/performance/Goal3.cfm
Image: http://www.digitalapoptosis.com/archives/montreal/Olympic%20Pool.jpg

14. What effect has the system had on the city?
+ -
• Improve quality of life – convenience • Backflow of waste from ocean
• Control of various pest and diseases outfalls
• Production of crops (sewerage farms • Condensed areas of odour near
in the past) treatment plants
• 100% of captured biosolids re-used
(for horticulture and other beneficial
purposes)
• Save water
• Desalination plant to supply up to
Wollongong - Treatment
15% of Sydney’s drinking water by Plant + recycled water
2009–10 plant.
• Recycled water to replace 12% of Image:
http://www.waterforlife.nsw.gov.au
drinking water supply by 2015 (70 /__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/1457/
06mwp_chapter_5.pdf
billion litres)
Henry F.J.J, 1939, The Water Supply and Sewerage of Sydney, Halstead Press, Sydney
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/Publications/Reports/AnnualReport/2007/menu/performance/Goal3.cfm
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/annualreport/pdf/Annual_Report_Summary_2008_Final.pdf

15. Limitations of the System
• Expensive to construct/upgrade
• Maintenance is difficult (leaking pipes)
• Difficult to implement upgrades/dual
systems in existing developments
• Loss of resources (water and nutrients)
• System bypass due to overflow
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/OurSystemsandOperations/SewageOverflows/

16. Effects on Nature
Areas that are dammed are flooded
Destruction/modification of natural habitats
Ramifications on biodiversity of area
Warragamba Dam
Concrete channels increase flow velocity
May cause siltation or erosion downstream
Image:
http://eduplanner.net/gnu/data/blog/file/kalkin/3544170614_eb43ea15_rhs_warragamba4302C0.jpg

17. Relationship between Resources
-
• Fresh water  waste water  ocean
• Large consumer of energy  treatment,
distribution and removal of waste.
+
• Recycled water + particles 
Irrigation/horticulture (nutrients)/
industrial water supply
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/Publications/Reports/AnnualReport/2007/menu/Performance/Goal4.cfm

18. The Tank Stream (1788-1826)
Water was a top priority for the first settlement
of Australia and Sydney Cove was selected by
Governor Phillip due to a rivulet later known as
the Tank Stream. (The name came from the
three tanks excavated near its channel.)
The Tank Stream became the primary water
supply of the settlement for almost four decades
until it became severely affected by drought and
pollution in 1826.
Wells and rainfall became the alternatives as a
source of water in the following years.
In 1850 the swamp areas which fed the Tank
Stream were drained to permit further
development of the City. Consequently the Tank
Stream became little more than an open sewer.
By the 1860’s the Tank Stream was covered and
converted into part of the city’s main sewer.
(The Water Supply and Sewerage of Sydney, F.J.J
Henry, 1939)

19. Busby’s Bore (1830-1858)
In 1824 the Governor directed John Busby (a Mineral Surveyor) to search for water. In 1826 Busby reported in favour of drawing a
supply from the Lachlan Swamps.
Busby’s Bore is a 3.5 km tunnel with an average height of 1.5m and width of 1.2m. It extends from Lachlan Swamps to Hyde Park and
has 28 vertical shafts along the way. The project commenced in 1827 and began to supply Sydney with fresh water from seepage
springs by 1830 however the project was not complete until 1837.
Water became so abundant by 1833 that it became a source of revenue for the government by selling water to merchants at the
port.
The bore had a capacity of from 1,365,000L to 1,820,000L per day and provided an adequate supply of water to the population of
Sydney at the time (20,000).
In 1854 a small pumping station plant was constructed along with dams at several locations to increase flow and conserve water.
These supplementations allowed Busby’s Bore to remain the sole source of Sydney’s water supply until 1858 when the Botany
Swamps Water Supply Scheme commenced.
(The Water Supply and Sewerage of Sydney, F.J.J Henry, 1939)

20. The Botany Swamp (1858-1886)
In 1824 the Governor directed John Busby (a Mineral
Surveyor) to search for water. In 1826 Busby reported in favour
of drawing a supply from the Lachlan Swamps.
Busby’s Bore is a 3.5 km tunnel with an average height of 1.5m
and width of 1.2m. It extends from Lachlan Swamps to Hyde
Park and has 28 vertical shafts along the way. The project
commenced in 1827 and began to supply Sydney with fresh
water from seepage springs by 1830 however the project was
not complete until 1837.
Water became so abundant by 1833 that it became a source of
revenue for the government by selling water to merchants at
the port.
The bore had a capacity of from 1,365,000L to 1,820,000L per
day and provided an adequate supply of water to the
population of Sydney at the time (20,000).
In 1854 a small pumping station plant was constructed along
with dams at several locations to increase flow and conserve
water. These supplementations allowed Busby’s Bore to
remain the sole source of Sydney’s water supply until 1858
when the Botany Swamps Water Supply Scheme commenced.
(The Water Supply and Sewerage of Sydney, F.J.J Henry, 1939)

21. Upper Nepean Scheme (1867-1888)
Explosive population growth and recurring dry seasons result in the
need for the fourth source of water supply. The upper Nepean
River was chosen for the location of another 4 dam: Cataract Dam,
Avon Dam, Cordeaux Dam, Nepean Dam. The scheme diverted
water from a series of weirs on the Cataract, Cordeaux, Avon and
Nepean rivers to Prospect Reservoir via 64km of tunnels, canals
and upper Canals. The prospect reservoir by the time of 1888 has a
capacity available for supply of 8,877 million litres of water.

22. Woronora River Works (1867-1888)
The Upper Nepean Scheme brought
only temporary relief to Sydney’s
water supply problems. The limit of its
practicable capacity and additional
sources had to be considered. Then in
the early 20th century,
recommendations for the
construction of Woronora Dam and
Warragamba Dam was approved. The
construction of Woronora Dam
started in 1927 and finished in 1941 at
a cost of about $13,000,000. it has the
capacity of 71,790 million litres, which
is 8 times as big as the prospect
reservoir.
Due to rapid development in the
Sutherland-Cronulla area, and thereby
increased demand for water, new
pumping stations were constructed.

23. Bibliography
• http://www.sydneywater.com.au/, viewed 14 January 2009
• http://www.ecocommunity.com.au/, viewed 14 January 2009
• http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/, viewed 14 January 2009
• http://farm3.static.flickr.com/, viewed 14 January 2009
• Henry, FJJ, 1939, The water supply and sewerage of Sydney, Halstead Press, Sydney
• Beasley, M, 1988, The sweat of their brows: 100 years of the sydney Water Board 1888-
1988, The Board, Sydney
• Aird, W 1961, The water supply, sewerage and drainage board of Sydney, Metropolitan Water
Sewerage and Drainage Boar, Sydney

24. Case Study
• Currently greater Sydney recycles about 25 billion litres of wastewater a year. By
2015, we'll be recycling 70 billion litres of wastewater a year - that's up to 12% of
Sydney's water needs.
• Homes
One of Australia's largest residential recycling schemes at Rouse Hill provides
recycled water to about 17,500 homes. This will more than double to around
36,000 homes.
• Industry
Sydney Water's largest industrial recycling project at Port Kembla provides about
20 million litres of recycled water a day to BlueScope Steel, saving about 17% of
the Illawarra's daily water use.
• Environment
A new recycled water plant at St Marys will produce up to 18 billion litres a year of
highly treated recycled water to help maintain the flow of the Hawkesbury-Nepean
River, through the Replacement Flows Project.
http://www.sydneywater.com.au/SavingWater/RecyclingandReuse/