Work has begun on a $238.5 million upgrade of Western Australia’s largest water resource recovery facility. It is setting a new benchmark in sustainably converting wastewater into clean water, renewable energy, and other valuable resources.
Water Corporation‘s Woodman Point Water Resource Recovery Facility is commonly known as a wastewater treatment plant in Munster. It collects and safely treats 150 million litres of wastewater daily from around 900,000 homes and businesses in Perth’s southern suburbs.
Each day, the facility processes up to 78 tonnes of organic matter. It is treated to produce biosolids – a valuable resource used as safe, sustainable fertiliser in broadacre agriculture.
As part of a three-year Water Corporation project announced by Water Minister Simone McGurk, the facility will be progressively upgraded to treat 120 tonnes daily. This will help it keep pace with a growing population and cater for higher future inflows.
Enhanced energy recovery technology will also be installed. It will allow the facility to capture and reuse more biogas as a renewable energy source.
The upgrades will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 5,600 tonnes CO2-e annually. That’s because less power will be purchased from the electricity grid to run the plant. This supports Water Corporation’s target of net-zero emissions by 2035.
Centralising solids treatment at Woodman Point WRRF and improving treatment efficiency will also see around 1,000 fewer truck movements yearly. This will further reduce emissions by about 1,300 tonnes of CO2-e a year.
The project is to be delivered by Water Corporation joint venture partners Clough and Jacobs Group Australia. It will create nearly 300 local jobs and spend around $174 million with WA subcontractors.
No longer seen as waste, wastewater is now treated and recycled as a fit-for-purpose resource to alleviate pressure on valuable scheme water supplies. Water Corporation aims to recycle up to 35 per cent of all wastewater in the Perth metropolitan area by 2035.
Comments attributed to Water Minister Simone McGurk:
“People often don’t consider what happens to water once it’s flushed away. There is considerable innovation in how Water Corporation treats, recycles and repurposes wastewater.
“The Woodman Point Water Resource Recovery Facility is a crucial piece of infrastructure servicing more than 900,000 homes and businesses in Perth’s south – and now it will set a new benchmark in sustainable resource recovery too.
“This $238.5 million investment by the Cook Government will create hundreds of jobs and help meet the needs of a growing population. It will also reduce emissions, improve efficiency, and promote wastewater as a valuable resource.
“Nearly half the plant’s energy needs will be generated on-site. This is another significant step towards Water Corporation’s net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2035.”
Comments attributed to Cockburn MLA David Scaife:
“The Woodman Point Water Resource Recovery Facility plays a vital role in servicing our community of Cockburn and beyond.
“As the largest water resource recovery facility in WA, these upgrades will ensure it can meet the community’s needs efficiently and sustainably.
“Importantly, this project will cater for population growth in Perth’s booming southern corridor well into the future.”
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