Dora Creek Wastewater Treatment Works
The Dora Creek Wastewater Treatment Works is a secondary treatment site and serves the communities of Dora Creek, Cooranbong, Wyee Point, Morisset, Bonnells Bay, Yarrawonga Park, Silver Water, Sunshine, Brightwaters and Morisset Park.
It currently treats 4.9 megalitres of effluent per day and can handle wastewater from a population of up to 48,000 people.
Operation
The Dora Creek Wastewater Treatment Works provides secondary treatment to wastewater and is designed to remove nutrients (nitrogen), solids and pathogens.
Secondary treatment works as follows:
- The sewage receives screening with an automatic mechanical screen, de-gritting, odour treatment with a soil bed filter and flow measurement at the inlet works.
- Biological treatment is achieved in two extended aeration tanks with an Intermittently Decanted Extended Aeration (IDEA) process.
- The decanted effluent flows into a large effluent balance dam.
- The large retention time within the dam exposes the effluent to ultraviolet light, resulting in a certain level of disinfection within the dam.
Biosolids are treated in two on-site sludge lagoons which are periodically dewatered.
Recycling and reuse
All biosolids produced at the Dora Creek Wastewater Treatment Works are beneficially used for mine site rehabilitation and pasture improvement projects.
Treated effluent is re-used at Eraring Power Station or pumped to Toronto Wastewater Treatment Works during wet weather. The power station further treats the effluent with membrane technologies and then uses the recycled water as feedwater to its high pressure boilers.
At Hunter Water, we recycle approximately 5,000 megalitres per year. Learn more about our recycling and reuse initiatives.
Environmental Licence Monitoring
Pollution monitoring data is collected by Hunter Water, as required under the Environment Protection Licences (EPL) issued by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA).