70-673: The Western Treatment Plant (formerly the Metropolitan Sewage Farm or, more commonly, the Werribee Sewage Farm ) is a 110 km (42 sq mi) sewage treatment plant in Cocoroc, Victoria , Australia , 30 km (19 mi) west of Melbourne's central business district , on the coast of Port Phillip Bay . It was completed in 1897 by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW), and
140-662: A circular tunnel with an earth covering) and three brick arched aqueducts . It runs for approximately 27 kilometres or 17 miles from the old pumping station in Spotswood (now part of Scienceworks Museum ) to the Western Treatment Plant, spanning the suburbs of Brooklyn, Laverton North, Williams Landing, Hoppers Crossing and Werribee in the cities of Brimbank , Hobsons Bay and Wyndham . The Main Outfall Sewer's function has now been entirely replaced by
210-559: A concentration), 40–60 g/person/d for BOD (250–400 mg/L), 80–120 g/person/d for COD (450–800 mg/L), 6–10 g/person/d for total nitrogen (35–60 mg/L), 3.5–6 g/person/d for ammonia-N (20–35 mg/L) and 0.7–2.5 g/person/d for total phosphorus (4–15 mg/L). Sewerage (or sewage system) is the infrastructure that conveys sewage or surface runoff ( stormwater , meltwater , rainwater ) using sewers. It encompasses components such as receiving drains , manholes , pumping stations , storm overflows, and screening chambers of
280-454: A crossing at the same level as the watercourses on each end. The word is derived from the Latin aqua ("water") and ducere ("to lead"), therefore meaning "to lead water". A modern version of an aqueduct is a pipeline bridge . They may take the form of tunnels, networks of surface channels and canals, covered clay pipes or monumental bridges. Although particularly associated with
350-473: A distinctive feature of Roman aqueducts , which were built in all parts of the Roman Empire , from Germany to Africa, and especially in the city of Rome, where they supplied water to public baths and for drinking. Roman aqueducts set a standard of engineering that was not surpassed for more than a thousand years. Navigable aqueducts, also called water bridges, are water-filled bridges to allow vessels on
420-525: A low cost treatment option with practically no energy requirements but they require a lot of land. Due to their technical simplicity, most of the savings (compared with high tech systems) are in terms of operation and maintenance costs. Examples for systems that can provide full or partial treatment for toilet wastewater only: Examples for more high-tech, intensive or mechanized, often relatively expensive sewage treatment systems are listed below. Some of them are energy intensive as well. Many of them provide
490-413: A manually cleaned screen may be used. The raking action of a mechanical bar screen is typically paced according to the accumulation on the bar screens and/or flow rate. The solids are collected and later disposed in a landfill, or incinerated. Bar screens or mesh screens of varying sizes may be used to optimize solids removal. If gross solids are not removed, they become entrained in pipes and moving parts of
560-694: A network of pipes and pump stations (called sewerage ) which convey the sewage to a treatment plant. For cities that have a combined sewer , the sewers will also carry urban runoff (stormwater) to the sewage treatment plant. Sewage treatment often involves two main stages, called primary and secondary treatment , while advanced treatment also incorporates a tertiary treatment stage with polishing processes and nutrient removal. Secondary treatment can reduce organic matter (measured as biological oxygen demand ) from sewage, using aerobic or anaerobic biological processes. A so-called quarternary treatment step (sometimes referred to as advanced treatment) can also be added for
630-814: A network of pipes and pump stations to a municipal treatment plant. This is called a centralized system (see also sewerage and pipes and infrastructure ). A large number of sewage treatment technologies have been developed, mostly using biological treatment processes (see list of wastewater treatment technologies ). Very broadly, they can be grouped into high tech (high cost) versus low tech (low cost) options, although some technologies might fall into either category. Other grouping classifications are intensive or mechanized systems (more compact, and frequently employing high tech options) versus extensive or natural or nature-based systems (usually using natural treatment processes and occupying larger areas) systems. This classification may be sometimes oversimplified, because
700-504: A reduction in nitrogen loads going into the bay. In 2004, Melbourne Water completed a $ 160 million upgrade of the plant to reduce nitrogen loads. Recycled water irrigation replaced sewage irrigation across the site. Land and grass filtration methods previously used were stopped. Most of the Federation Trail , a major arterial pedestrian and bicycle path that runs for 23-kilometres from Werribee to Altona North , follows
770-754: A sludge which can be settled and separated. After separation, a liquid remains that is almost free of solids, and with a greatly reduced concentration of pollutants. Secondary treatment can reduce organic matter (measured as biological oxygen demand) from sewage, using aerobic or anaerobic processes. The organisms involved in these processes are sensitive to the presence of toxic materials, although these are not expected to be present at high concentrations in typical municipal sewage. Advanced sewage treatment generally involves three main stages, called primary, secondary and tertiary treatment but may also include intermediate stages and final polishing processes. The purpose of tertiary treatment (also called advanced treatment )
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#1732775878983840-431: A suitable sewage treatment process, decision makers need to take into account technical and economical criteria. Therefore, each analysis is site-specific. A life cycle assessment (LCA) can be used, and criteria or weightings are attributed to the various aspects. This makes the final decision subjective to some extent. A range of publications exist to help with technology selection. In industrialized countries ,
910-426: A treatment plant may involve a combination of processes, and the interpretation of the concepts of high tech and low tech, intensive and extensive, mechanized and natural processes may vary from place to place. Examples for more low-tech, often less expensive sewage treatment systems are shown below. They often use little or no energy. Some of these systems do not provide a high level of treatment, or only treat part of
980-544: A very high level of treatment. For example, broadly speaking, the activated sludge process achieves a high effluent quality but is relatively expensive and energy intensive. There are other process options which may be classified as disposal options, although they can also be understood as basic treatment options. These include: Application of sludge , irrigation , soak pit , leach field , fish pond , floating plant pond, water disposal/ groundwater recharge , surface disposal and storage. The application of sewage to land
1050-501: A year. (The Eastern Treatment Plant treats 40%.) The discovery of gold in Victoria in 1851 led to Melbourne becoming the richest city in the world at the time and thus, with a population of about 500,000 by the 1880s, also Australia's most populous. The rapidly expanding metropolis faced an increasing pollution problem. While it was described by British journalists as "Marvellous Melbourne" and "a city of magnificent intentions", it
1120-467: Is a parameter used in the design of sewage treatment plants. This concept is known as population equivalent (PE). The base value used for PE can vary from one country to another. Commonly used definitions used worldwide are: 1 PE equates to 60 gram of BOD per person per day, and it also equals 200 liters of sewage per day. This concept is also used as a comparison parameter to express the strength of industrial wastewater compared to sewage. When choosing
1190-573: Is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable to discharge to the surrounding environment or an intended reuse application, thereby preventing water pollution from raw sewage discharges. Sewage contains wastewater from households and businesses and possibly pre-treated industrial wastewater . There are a high number of sewage treatment processes to choose from. These can range from decentralized systems (including on-site treatment systems) to large centralized systems involving
1260-509: Is achieved by removing contaminants from the sewage. It is a form of waste management . With regards to biological treatment of sewage, the treatment objectives can include various degrees of the following: to transform or remove organic matter, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), pathogenic organisms, and specific trace organic constituents (micropollutants). Some types of sewage treatment produce sewage sludge which can be treated before safe disposal or reuse. Under certain circumstances,
1330-679: Is because the main important factors to be considered when evaluating and selecting sewage treatment processes are numerous. They include: process applicability, applicable flow, acceptable flow variation, influent characteristics, inhibiting or refractory compounds, climatic aspects, process kinetics and reactor hydraulics , performance, treatment residuals, sludge processing, environmental constraints, requirements for chemical products, energy and other resources; requirements for personnel, operating and maintenance; ancillary processes, reliability, complexity, compatibility, area availability. With regards to environmental impacts of sewage treatment plants
1400-405: Is both: a type of treatment and a type of final disposal. It leads to groundwater recharge and/or to evapotranspiration. Land application include slow-rate systems, rapid infiltration, subsurface infiltration, overland flow. It is done by flooding, furrows, sprinkler and dripping. It is a treatment/disposal system that requires a large amount of land per person. The per person organic matter load
1470-416: Is captured and turned into renewable energy . The Western Treatment Plant generates 70,000 MWh annually which means that it sometimes exceeds its own need for electricity and exports it back to the grid. Capturing and using biogas to generate electricity also means greenhouse gas and odour emissions are significantly reduced. Around 90% of odour emissions from the Western Treatment Plant have been cut since
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#17327758789831540-718: Is currently operated by Melbourne Water . The plant's land is bordered by the Werribee River to the east, the Princes Freeway to the north, and Avalon Airport to the west. It forms part of the Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site as a wetland of international importance. The Western Treatment Plant treats around fifty percent of Melbourne's sewage — about 485 megalitres or 393 acre-feet per day — and generates almost 40,000 megalitres or 32,000 acre-feet of recycled water
1610-502: Is discharged into Port Phillip Bay under an accredited EPA Victoria licence. In 1921 parts of Port Phillip Bay and Bellarine Peninsula including the Western Treatment Plant were declared a sanctuary for native animals . In 1983 the plant was declared a Ramsar site, internationally recognised for its wetland habitat especially for waterfowl. The Western Treatment Plant is one of Australia's best-known sites for recreational birding , with about 270 species of birds recorded there. On
1680-491: Is often encouraged. Disinfection of treated sewage aims to kill pathogens (disease-causing microorganisms) prior to disposal. It is increasingly effective after more elements of the foregoing treatment sequence have been completed. The purpose of disinfection in the treatment of sewage is to substantially reduce the number of pathogens in the water to be discharged back into the environment or to be reused. The target level of reduction of biological contaminants like pathogens
1750-697: Is often regulated by the presiding governmental authority. The effectiveness of disinfection depends on the quality of the water being treated (e.g. turbidity , pH, etc.), the type of disinfection being used, the disinfectant dosage (concentration and time), and other environmental variables. Water with high turbidity will be treated less successfully, since solid matter can shield organisms, especially from ultraviolet light or if contact times are low. Generally, short contact times, low doses and high flows all militate against effective disinfection. Common methods of disinfection include ozone , chlorine , ultraviolet light , or sodium hypochlorite . Monochloramine , which
1820-444: Is part of the field of sanitation . Sanitation also includes the management of human waste and solid waste as well as stormwater (drainage) management. The term sewage treatment plant is often used interchangeably with the term wastewater treatment plant . The term sewage treatment plant (STP) (or sewage treatment works ) is nowadays often replaced with the term wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Strictly speaking,
1890-414: Is sometimes defined as anything more than primary and secondary treatment in order to allow discharge into a highly sensitive or fragile ecosystem such as estuaries , low-flow rivers or coral reefs . Treated water is sometimes disinfected chemically or physically (for example, by lagoons and microfiltration ) prior to discharge into a stream , river , bay , lagoon or wetland , or it can be used for
1960-570: Is to provide a final treatment stage to further improve the effluent quality before it is discharged to the receiving water body or reused. More than one tertiary treatment process may be used at any treatment plant. If disinfection is practiced, it is always the final process. It is also called effluent polishing . Tertiary treatment may include biological nutrient removal (alternatively, this can be classified as secondary treatment), disinfection and removal of micropollutants, such as environmental persistent pharmaceutical pollutants . Tertiary treatment
2030-421: Is used for drinking water, is not used in the treatment of sewage because of its persistence. Aqueduct (bridge) Aqueducts are bridges constructed to convey watercourses across gaps such as valleys or ravines. The term aqueduct may also be used to refer to the entire watercourse , as well as the bridge. Large navigable aqueducts are used as transport links for boats or ships. Aqueducts must span
2100-576: The Romans , aqueducts were likely first used by the Minoans around 2000 BCE. The Minoans had developed what was then an extremely advanced irrigation system , including several aqueducts. In the seventh century BCE, the Assyrians built an 80 km long limestone aqueduct, which included a 10 m high section to cross a 300 m wide valley, to carry water to their capital city, Nineveh . Bridges were
2170-511: The combined sewer or sanitary sewer . Sewerage ends at the entry to a sewage treatment plant or at the point of discharge into the environment . It is the system of pipes, chambers, manholes or inspection chamber, etc. that conveys the sewage or storm water. Sewage can be treated close to where the sewage is created, which may be called a decentralized system or even an on-site system ( on-site sewage facility , septic tanks , etc.). Alternatively, sewage can be collected and transported by
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2240-665: The irrigation of a golf course, greenway or park. If it is sufficiently clean, it can also be used for groundwater recharge or agricultural purposes. Sand filtration removes much of the residual suspended matter. Filtration over activated carbon , also called carbon adsorption, removes residual toxins . Micro filtration or synthetic membranes are used in membrane bioreactors and can also remove pathogens. Settlement and further biological improvement of treated sewage may be achieved through storage in large human-made ponds or lagoons. These lagoons are highly aerobic, and colonization by native macrophytes , especially reeds,
2310-409: The organic material . The water progressively becomes cleaner as it flows through each of the ponds. Two main types of ponds are used in lagoon treatment - anaerobic (without oxygen) and aerobic (with oxygen) - both producing different types of bacteria needed to break down the sewage. Using huge covers over the ponds, methane gas produced as a by-product of sewage treatment (known as biogas )
2380-580: The Western Treatment Plant for birdwatching is by permit only; permits can be obtained from Melbourne Water. The site is part of the Werribee and Avalon Important Bird Area , identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance for waterbirds as well as for orange-bellied parrots. 38°00′S 144°34′E / 38.000°S 144.567°E / -38.000; 144.567 Sewage treatment Sewage treatment (or domestic wastewater treatment , municipal wastewater treatment )
2450-492: The activated sludge process has a high energy consumption because it includes an aeration step. Some sewage treatment plants produce biogas from their sewage sludge treatment process by using a process called anaerobic digestion . This process can produce enough energy to meet most of the energy needs of the sewage treatment plant itself. For activated sludge treatment plants in the United States, around 30 percent of
2520-422: The annual operating costs is usually required for energy. Most of this electricity is used for aeration, pumping systems and equipment for the dewatering and drying of sewage sludge . Advanced sewage treatment plants, e.g. for nutrient removal, require more energy than plants that only achieve primary or secondary treatment. Small rural plants using trickling filters may operate with no net energy requirements,
2590-399: The average flows. Such basins can improve the performance of the biological treatment processes and the secondary clarifiers. Disadvantages include the basins' capital cost and space requirements. Basins can also provide a place to temporarily hold, dilute and distribute batch discharges of toxic or high-strength wastewater which might otherwise inhibit biological secondary treatment (such
2660-472: The bottom while oil, grease and lighter solids float to the surface and are skimmed off. These basins are called primary sedimentation tanks or primary clarifiers and typically have a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1.5 to 2.5 hours. The settled and floating materials are removed and the remaining liquid may be discharged or subjected to secondary treatment. Primary settling tanks are usually equipped with mechanically driven scrapers that continually drive
2730-416: The collected sludge towards a hopper in the base of the tank where it is pumped to sludge treatment facilities. Sewage treatment plants that are connected to a combined sewer system sometimes have a bypass arrangement after the primary treatment unit. This means that during very heavy rainfall events, the secondary and tertiary treatment systems can be bypassed to protect them from hydraulic overloading, and
2800-597: The factories themselves to reduce the pollutant load , before discharge to the sewer. The pretreatment has the following two main aims: Firstly, to prevent toxic or inhibitory compounds entering the biological stage of the sewage treatment plant and reduce its efficiency. And secondly to avoid toxic compounds from accumulating in the produced sewage sludge which would reduce its beneficial reuse options. Some industrial wastewater may contain pollutants which cannot be removed by sewage treatment plants. Also, variable flow of industrial waste associated with production cycles may upset
2870-437: The fat floating on the surface. Air blowers in the base of the tank may also be used to help recover the fat as a froth. Many plants, however, use primary clarifiers with mechanical surface skimmers for fat and grease removal. Primary treatment is the "removal of a portion of the suspended solids and organic matter from the sewage". It consists of allowing sewage to pass slowly through a basin where heavy solids can settle to
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2940-423: The finer grit passes through the grit removal flows under normal conditions. During periods of high flow deposited grit is resuspended and the quantity of grit reaching the treatment plant increases substantially. Equalization basins can be used to achieve flow equalization. This is especially useful for combined sewer systems which produce peak dry-weather flows or peak wet-weather flows that are much higher than
3010-442: The first methane covers were installed in 1992. A water recycling disinfection plant was built at the Western Treatment Plant in 2004. This plant treats Class C recycled water to Class A standard which means this water is suitable for a greater number of uses. In 2010/11, about 29.972 billion litres of recycled water was supplied from the Western Treatment Plant. Of this, about 28.051 billion litres of recycled water (mostly Class C)
3080-605: The following aspects are included in the selection process: Odors, vector attraction, sludge transportation, sanitary risks, air contamination , soil and subsoil contamination, surface water pollution or groundwater contamination , devaluation of nearby areas, inconvenience to the nearby population. Odors emitted by sewage treatment are typically an indication of an anaerobic or septic condition. Early stages of processing will tend to produce foul-smelling gases, with hydrogen sulfide being most common in generating complaints. Large process plants in urban areas will often treat
3150-748: The frequency of tank cleaning caused by excessive accumulation of grit; and (3) protect moving mechanical equipment from abrasion and accompanying abnormal wear. The removal of grit is essential for equipment with closely machined metal surfaces such as comminutors, fine screens, centrifuges, heat exchangers, and high pressure diaphragm pumps. Grit chambers come in three types: horizontal grit chambers, aerated grit chambers, and vortex grit chambers. Vortex grit chambers include mechanically induced vortex, hydraulically induced vortex, and multi-tray vortex separators. Given that traditionally, grit removal systems have been designed to remove clean inorganic particles that are greater than 0.210 millimetres (0.0083 in), most of
3220-728: The heritage-listed Main Outfall Sewer. "Greening the Pipeline" is a project aimed to transform approximately the pipeline into a 40-metre (43 yd) wide parkland in Melbourne's western suburbs to connect its communities. The pilot stage will be a 100m section in Williams Landing . There are three modern lagoon systems at the Western Treatment Plant. A modern lagoon is typically made up of 10 large ponds , each of which can hold around 600 million litres of water. Sewage flows slowly through these ponds, allowing bacteria to break down
3290-420: The homes in the U.S. Sewage treatment often involves two main stages, called primary and secondary treatment, while advanced treatment also incorporates a tertiary treatment stage with polishing processes. Different types of sewage treatment may utilize some or all of the process steps listed below. Preliminary treatment (sometimes called pretreatment) removes coarse materials that can be easily collected from
3360-415: The latter is a broader term that can also refer to industrial wastewater treatment. The terms water recycling center or water reclamation plants are also in use as synonyms. The overall aim of treating sewage is to produce an effluent that can be discharged to the environment while causing as little water pollution as possible, or to produce an effluent that can be reused in a useful manner. This
3430-483: The main criteria for selection are: desired effluent quality, expected construction and operating costs, availability of land, energy requirements and sustainability aspects. In developing countries and in rural areas with low population densities, sewage is often treated by various on-site sanitation systems and not conveyed in sewers. These systems include septic tanks connected to drain fields , on-site sewage systems (OSS), vermifilter systems and many more. On
3500-421: The mixture of sewage and storm-water receives primary treatment only. Primary sedimentation tanks remove about 50–70% of the suspended solids, and 25–40% of the biological oxygen demand (BOD). The main processes involved in secondary sewage treatment are designed to remove as much of the solid material as possible. They use biological processes to digest and remove the remaining soluble material, especially
3570-784: The more modern Western Trunk Sewer. The Main Outfall Sewer has been listed on the Victorian Heritage Register for being "of historical and scientific (engineering) significance to the State of Victoria." The Federation Trail — a 23 km (14 mi) cycling and pedestrian trail — runs mostly alongside the Main Outfall Sewer. In 1996, a Port Phillip Bay Environmental Study by the CSIRO found that Port Phillip Bay could be damaged if nitrogen loads entering its waters continued to increase, and thus recommended
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#17327758789833640-400: The most important parameters in process selection are typically efficiency, reliability, and space requirements. In developing countries , they might be different and the focus might be more on construction and operating costs as well as process simplicity. Choosing the most suitable treatment process is complicated and requires expert inputs, often in the form of feasibility studies . This
3710-520: The odors with carbon reactors, a contact media with bio-slimes, small doses of chlorine , or circulating fluids to biologically capture and metabolize the noxious gases. Other methods of odor control exist, including addition of iron salts, hydrogen peroxide , calcium nitrate , etc. to manage hydrogen sulfide levels. The energy requirements vary with type of treatment process as well as sewage strength. For example, constructed wetlands and stabilization ponds have low energy requirements. In comparison,
3780-400: The organic fraction. This can be done with either suspended-growth or biofilm processes. The microorganisms that feed on the organic matter present in the sewage grow and multiply, constituting the biological solids, or biomass. These grow and group together in the form of flocs or biofilms and, in some specific processes, as granules. The biological floc or biofilm and remaining fine solids form
3850-512: The other hand, advanced and relatively expensive sewage treatment plants may include tertiary treatment with disinfection and possibly even a fourth treatment stage to remove micropollutants. At the global level, an estimated 52% of sewage is treated. However, sewage treatment rates are highly unequal for different countries around the world. For example, while high-income countries treat approximately 74% of their sewage, developing countries treat an average of just 4.2%. The treatment of sewage
3920-436: The population dynamics of biological treatment units. Urban residents in many parts of the world rely on on-site sanitation systems without sewers, such as septic tanks and pit latrines , and fecal sludge management in these cities is an enormous challenge. For sewage treatment the use of septic tanks and other on-site sewage facilities (OSSF) is widespread in some rural areas, for example serving up to 20 percent of
3990-429: The raw sewage before they damage or clog the pumps and sewage lines of primary treatment clarifiers . The influent in sewage water passes through a bar screen to remove all large objects like cans, rags, sticks, plastic packets, etc. carried in the sewage stream. This is most commonly done with an automated mechanically raked bar screen in modern plants serving large populations, while in smaller or less modern plants,
4060-460: The removal of organic micropollutants, such as pharmaceuticals. This has been implemented in full-scale for example in Sweden. A large number of sewage treatment technologies have been developed, mostly using biological treatment processes. Design engineers and decision makers need to take into account technical and economical criteria of each alternative when choosing a suitable technology. Often,
4130-475: The sewage (for example only the toilet wastewater ), or they only provide pre-treatment, like septic tanks. On the other hand, some systems are capable of providing a good performance, satisfactory for several applications. Many of these systems are based on natural treatment processes, requiring large areas, while others are more compact. In most cases, they are used in rural areas or in small to medium-sized communities. For example, waste stabilization ponds are
4200-535: The south-western boundary lies the 1550 ha Murtcaim Wildlife Area, containing one of the last unmodified areas of saltmarsh on Port Phillip. The sewage treatment lagoons, Lake Borrie , creeks, saltmarsh, and coast host large numbers of sedentary and migratory waterbirds and waders . It adjoins the Spit Nature Conservation Reserve and is one of the few wintering sites for the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot . Access to
4270-650: The treated sewage sludge might be termed biosolids and can be used as a fertilizer . Typical values for physical–chemical characteristics of raw sewage in developing countries have been published as follows: 180 g/person/d for total solids (or 1100 mg/L when expressed as a concentration), 50 g/person/d for BOD (300 mg/L), 100 g/person/d for COD (600 mg/L), 8 g/person/d for total nitrogen (45 mg/L), 4.5 g/person/d for ammonia-N (25 mg/L) and 1.0 g/person/d for total phosphorus (7 mg/L). The typical ranges for these values are: 120–220 g/person/d for total solids (or 700–1350 mg/L when expressed as
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#17327758789834340-486: The treatment plant, and can cause substantial damage and inefficiency in the process. Grit consists of sand , gravel , rocks, and other heavy materials. Preliminary treatment may include a sand or grit removal channel or chamber, where the velocity of the incoming sewage is reduced to allow the settlement of grit. Grit removal is necessary to (1) reduce formation of deposits in primary sedimentation tanks, aeration tanks, anaerobic digesters, pipes, channels, etc. (2) reduce
4410-450: The whole process being driven by gravitational flow, including tipping bucket flow distribution and the desludging of settlement tanks to drying beds. This is usually only practical in hilly terrain and in areas where the treatment plant is relatively remote from housing because of the difficulty in managing odors. In highly regulated developed countries, industrial wastewater usually receives at least pretreatment if not full treatment at
4480-414: Was also being dubbed "Marvellous Smellbourne" because of its primitive and unsanitary waste disposal methods. The majority of waste water from industries and homes, including chamber pots and overflowing cesspits , ran into street channels and open drains which emptied into rivers and creeks, turning them into open sewers. As a consequence, cholera and typhoid were rife. In 1888, a Royal Commission
4550-454: Was appointed to advise on a suitable system, while local engineer William Thwaites was ultimately responsible for the design and implementation of the system. At a time when most cities dumped their untreated wastes directly into rivers and the sea, Mansergh advised treatment of Melbourne's sewage by broad irrigation with a capacity large enough able to deal with the expansion in population expected over 50 years. The system he conceived and which
4620-402: Was constructed in 1892-4 and was a vital link in the sewerage system of Melbourne which, when it was constructed in the 1890s, was the largest civil engineering project ever undertaken in Victoria. The sewer was constructed by seven contractors employing 1300 workers and cost £240,748. The Main Outfall Sewer consists of a semicircular brick or concrete lined channel (in places arched over to form
4690-583: Was formed to come up with a solution to Melbourne's waste problems. The Commission's findings led to an ambitious plan for the construction of a sewerage system - a system of pipes, sewers and drains built underground to carry sewage from homes and factories to a sewage treatment farm . In 1892, the newly established Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) began buying land at Werribee , chosen for its low rainfall and suitable soils. Western Treatment Plant (then known as Werribee Farm) began operations in 1897. Eminent British engineer James Mansergh
4760-418: Was implemented in only slightly modified form began with a water closet at every property which delivered the sewage by gravity through a network of underground sewers of increasing diameter to a steam pumping station at Spotswood where it was forced up wrought iron rising mains to Brooklyn to begin its 25 kilometre journey along the Main Outfall Sewer to the sewage farm at Werribee. The Main Outfall Sewer
4830-614: Was used to irrigate 85 km of pasture for grazing 15,000 cattle and 40,000 sheep and manage soil salinity onsite, and to maintain the health of the Ramsar listed wetlands. A further 1.921 billion litres of recycled water (Class A) was supplied to Southern Rural Water and City West Water for offsite customers, such as the Werribee market garden area to grow vegetables , and to local councils to irrigate sports grounds , parks and gardens . The remaining treated effluent
4900-409: Was wastewater from portable toilets or fecal sludge that is brought to the sewage treatment plant in vacuum trucks ). Flow equalization basins require variable discharge control, typically include provisions for bypass and cleaning, and may also include aerators and odor control. In some larger plants, fat and grease are removed by passing the sewage through a small tank where skimmers collect
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