Water Kit - Hunter Water
Water Kit - Hunter Water
Water Kit - Hunter Water
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introduction to wastewater & stormwater<br />
Wastewater and Stormwater<br />
<strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> provides wastewater<br />
services to residents, businesses and<br />
industries across the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
Wastewater is transported through a<br />
network of about 4,160km of sewer<br />
pipes and 341 pumping stations to 17<br />
wastewater treatment works. Treated<br />
effluent is discharged to waterways or<br />
reused where it is economical and where<br />
there are environmental benefits for the<br />
community.<br />
Local councils manage the majority of<br />
the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>’s stormwater systems<br />
- while <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong> manages some<br />
drains in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and<br />
Cessnock.<br />
Compared with wastewater, the quality<br />
of stormwater is largely unmanaged<br />
and variable. Stormwater is not formally<br />
treated for two reasons: it flows in huge<br />
volumes that would be costly to treat and<br />
it is relatively unpolluted compared to<br />
wastewater.<br />
Wastewater and stormwater are affected<br />
by both human activities and natural<br />
processes. They are also important<br />
resources we can utilise - as we grow to<br />
appreciate the scarcity and great value of<br />
our water resources, strategies for<br />
making use of effluent and stormwater<br />
are being developed. Effluent and<br />
biosolids recycling, residential collection<br />
and use of stormwater and water<br />
sensitive urban design are growing<br />
across the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong>.<br />
Wastewater and stormwater<br />
management are an important step<br />
towards sustainable management of<br />
the region’s water resources: they are<br />
the responsibility of <strong>Hunter</strong> <strong>Water</strong>, local<br />
Councils, local communities, business<br />
and industry.<br />
Learning Opportunities<br />
This <strong>Water</strong> <strong>Kit</strong> provides information and<br />
worksheets to help schools integrate<br />
local and regional water issues into<br />
their curriculum. A range of issues are<br />
addressed in this section, including:<br />
• Understanding wastewater and<br />
stormwater and how they can be<br />
sustainably managed<br />
• Environmental, economic and<br />
social impacts of wastewater and<br />
stormwater in the Lower <strong>Hunter</strong><br />
• Wastewater treatment and how<br />
our personal actions increase or<br />
reduce the volume and impacts on<br />
the process<br />
• Case studies on wastewater<br />
treatment works<br />
• <strong>Water</strong> sensitive urban design and<br />
community action to improve<br />
stormwater quality<br />
The information and worksheets within<br />
this section can be used collectively,<br />
independently or combined with those<br />
from other sections of the kit.<br />
<strong>Water</strong> kit . ssS . 001 . april 2010<br />
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