Wastewater Treatment Plants

Townsville Water operates and maintains water and wastewater treatment plants throughout the city.

Due to the region's rapid population growth, some sewage treatment plants will soon reach maximum capacity.

To meet the community's needs, the council is working to expand the capacity of the city's wastewater network which will include a big upgrade of the city's oldest sewage treatment plant at Mt St John.

Construction work on the project is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2009 and is expected to be completed by early 2011.

More details about the city's water and wastewater treatment plants can be found below.

Mount St John Wastewater Treatment Plant

Mt St John Wastewater Treatment Plant is found just off Ingham Road at the Bohle. Starting operations in 1972, the facility is one of Townsville's major wastewater treatment plants. Sewage at this plant goes to primary and secondary levels of treatment.

Mt St John receives between 11 and 13 million litres of raw sewage every day, with some treated effluent being reused to irrigate the plant grounds, the RAAF Base, Rowes Bay Golf Course, and Pallarenda foreshore.

Horseshoe Bay Wastewater Treatment Facility

The Horseshoe Bay Wastewater Treatment Facility is located at Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island. This facility achieves zero ocean outfall by recycling 200,000 litres of effluent a day to irrigate a purpose-built dry tropics rainforest and the local sports field, while also supplying water to the local rural fire brigade. This innovative water recycling scheme provides greater protection to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Commissioned in September 2006, the facility uses advanced membrane bioreactor technology. This produces high quality treated effluent by filtering out small particles that would not be removed during conventional treatment.

Cleveland Bay Wastewater Purification Plant

Cleveland Bay Wastewater Purification Plant is located on Racecourse Road and treats an average of 20 million litres of waste water every day. The plant has received a $65 million upgrade in order to meet more stringent Environmental Protection Agency licence conditions that came into force in 2008. This has made it the largest membrane bioreactor wastewater treatment plant of its type in the southern hemisphere. The membrane bioreactor technology allows the effluent to be treated to a very high standard by significantly reducing the level of nitrogen and phosphorous. A $9 million Biosolids Dewatering Facility was also constructed which turns sewage sludge into a soil conditioner, suitable for the agricultural sector.

Magnetic Island Water Recycling

Magnetic Island Water Recycling (MIWR) is produces recycled water that can be used for irrigation, helping to reduce the use of potable water. Commissioned in October 2002, the plant represents the first use in Australia of a membrane biological reactor in a wastewater treatment facility. The plant treats wastewater to one of the highest levels achieved in the world, reducing nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous to the lowest levels possible. The facility has a 100% re-use target for irrigation purposes, meaning the treatment facility has no outfall to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. During wet weather, the recycled water is stored. A wetland system further filters any recycled water, released after tropical storms, before it reaches the ocean.

Douglas Water Treatment Plant

The Douglas Water Treatment Plant is the major water treatment and storage plant in Townsville. The water travels 9.2 kilometres from Ross River Dam to Douglas in a 1.22m diameter concrete pipe. The plant treats on average 150 ML (megalitres) of water everyday. Further treatment of water at the plant includes chlorination and fluoridation. Chlorine kills harmful microscopic organisms, whil fluoride helps to protect people's teeth against decay.

Condon Wastewater Treatment Plant

This scheme serves residential development in Kirwan, Condon, Rasmussen and Kelso. This treatment plant is serviced by 14 pump stations and has a current capacity of 20,000 EP.

Mount Low Wastewater Treatment Plant

This scheme serves beachside urban residential development in the Mount Low area.

Council plans to decommission the plant once an upgrade of the Mt St John Wastewater Treatment Plant has been completed.

Deeragun Wastewater Treatment Plant

This scheme serves residential developments in the suburb of Deeragun. An effluent reuse scheme incorporating filtration is utilised to supply treated effluent water to the council's Parks Department for use on beautification of the Northern Highway. 

The plant will be decommissioned once an upgrade of the Mt St John Wastewater Treatment Plant has been completed.

Toomulla Wastewater Treatment Plant

This scheme serves the beachside community of Toomulla. A system of mains and two pump stations discharge sewage into a package water purification plant. Effluent generated by this process is contained in an evaporation lagoon to prevent contribution to local waterways.

Nelly Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant

The Nelly Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant was the first wastewater treatment plant on Magnetic Island, originally constructed with a capacity of 300 Equivalent Persons (EP), and later augmented to 1000 EP.

Residential development was allowed to surround the facility and a decision was made to relocate treatment to a more appropriate site. Most wastewater from Nelly Bay is now sent to Magnetic Island Water Recycling located in Picnic Bay.

Nelly Bay Wastewater Treatment Facility currently only treats septage and grease trap waste for the Island, and the wastewater for 40 EP. It is intended that the facility will be de-commissioned in 2009 after a new septage and grease facility is completed at Magnetic Island Water Recycling.

For more information, please phone the Customer Service Centre on 4727 9000 or send an email to Townsville Water.