Water and sewerage

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local sewerage treatment plantsYarra Valley Water's local sewage treatment plants

Yarra Valley Water Ltd (YVW) is responsible for the provision of water and sewerage services to the northern and eastern suburbs of Melbourne comprising a total area of some 4000 square kilometres, extending around 80 km to the east and 35 km to the north of Melbourne’s Central Business District. 

The majority (93%) of YVW’s sewage is transferred to Melbourne Water’s Western and Eastern Treatment Plants, with the remaining 7% treated at nine small sewage treatment plants (STP) owned and operated by YVW.  Six of these STP’s discharge highly treated water (Tertiary Standard) into the Yarra River or its tributaries.

The other three plants recycle 100 per cent of treated water for third pipe supply, agricultural or recreational purposes (YVW, 2009).  Yarra Valley Water’s local sewage treatment plants are listed in the table below.

Sewage Treatment Plants and receiving waterways

STP

Discharge Waterway

Brushy Creek STPBrushy Creek
Upper Yarra STPYarra River
Lillydale STPOlinda Creek
Healesville STPYarra River
Craigieburn STPMerri Creek
Monbulk STPSassafras Creek
Wallan STP100% reuse
Whittlesea STP100% reuse
Aurora STP100% reuse

Prior to October 2009, each of the plants having a discharge to a waterway would have required an individual Licence issued by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) under section 20 of the Environment Protection Act 1970 (the Act) to authorise the discharge.

However, in 2009/10 EPA developed the opportunity for an organisation to seek a Corporate Licence that replace all of the individual Licences with just one licence, hence licensing the organisation rather than individual facilities. 

They have done this to both deliver business efficiencies through streamlined reporting requirements, and to deliver more environmentally sustainable results by specifically selecting projects to work together on.

Yarra Valley Water was issued with its Corporate Licence by EPA on the 5th October 2009 under section 20 of the Environment Protection Act 1970 (the Act).

For further information:

Further information regarding Yarra Valley Water’s local sewage treatment plant’s operations and performance, including summarised monitoring data results can be made available upon request at enquiry@yvw.com.au.