Sewerage Strategy - Overview

Coffs Harbour City Council and the State Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 1997 to develop a sewerage strategy for the provision of sewerage services to meet the city's future growth up to 2021. The Coffs Harbour Sewerage Strategy involved capital works estimated to cost about $250 million.

The Sewerage Strategy was implemented in two stages. Stage 1 was completed in 2007 - see details of the various Stage 1 projects.

Council also completed Stage 2 of the Sewerage Strategy in 2009. The Stage 2 projects were Coffs Harbour's $96m Water Reclamation Plant and the $60m Water Filtration Plant at Karangi.

The objectives of the Coffs Harbour Sewerage Strategy were to:

Safeguard public health;
Provide sewerage to present and future urban development;
Satisfy stringent environmental safeguards;
Protect the coastal environment and the Solitary Islands Marine Park;
Maximise the beneficial use of reclaimed water;
Ensure the strategy is affordable for the Coffs Harbour community; and
Stage implementation to take advantage of developing technology.

The purpose of the overall Sewerage Strategy is to:

Sewer the urban areas of Moonee Beach, Emerald Beach, Mullaway and Arrawarra.
Upgrade Coffs Harbour's Sewerage Treatment Plant to a Water Reclamation Plant therefore improving effluent quality and maximising the potential for reuse.
Upgrade the sewage reticulation systems in Sawtell, Woolgoolga and Coffs Harbour.
Upgrade the Woolgoolga Water Reclamation Plant.
Complete the sewerage system for Moonee Beach and Emerald Beach.
Construct a reclaimed water pipeline from Arrawarra to Sawtell linking all the water reclamation plants as well as a storage reservoir near Woolgoolga at Morgan's Road.
Replace the three existing shoreline outfalls at Willis Creek, Coffs Harbour and Sawtell with one properly-constructed Deep Sea Release to the south of the Solitary Islands Marine Park, 1.5km offshore and in at least 20 metres of water and discharge surplus reclaimed water.
Develop a long-term plan for reuse of reclaimed water.
Develop re-use projects to increase community confidence and develop best management practices for effluent re-use.

Further information

For more information, you can view Council Policies on Sewerage Services, or contact Council on 6648 4000.