Delivering sustainable wastewater treatment services for Western Sydney

GHD_Project_Upper_South_Creek_Advanced_Water_Recycling_Centre_2024

At a glance

The Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC) is a greenfield water recycling project servicing the new Western Sydney Aerotropolis region and beyond. This flagship facility aims to deliver sustainable wastewater treatment services for current and future residents and businesses of Western Sydney and establish pathways for future expansion to a regional bioresource hub. The project lays the groundwork for the creation of a new global benchmark for circular economy ecosystems and sustainable water infrastructure solutions.

The Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre is a greenfield water recycling project servicing Sydney’s new Western Sydney Aerotropolis region and beyond. This flagship facility lays the groundwork for the creation of a new global benchmark for circular economy ecosystems and sustainable water infrastructure solutions.

The challenge

The Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC) in Kemps Creek is a foundational element in the development of the new Western Sydney Aerotropolis region and aims to support the evolving needs of the Western Sydney region. The facility is expected to receive wastewater from businesses and homes and treat it to produce high-quality treated water, renewable energy and biosolids for beneficial use. The foundation plant is expected to treat up to 35 ML of wastewater per day with allowance for future capacity augmentation. 

Our response

GHD led the detailed design in a joint venture with Jacobs as part of a consortium with John Holland Group and TRILITY for Sydney Water. The collaboration represents advanced technical expertise in engineering, precinct planning and wastewater treatment. Our solution for the foundation plant is aligned with Sydney Water’s city-shaping circular economy ambitions for Western Sydney and lays the groundwork for a national and global benchmark in circular economy ecosystems.

The facility includes the following main infrastructure:

  • Preliminary treatment with two-stage screening and grit removal
  • Biological nutrient removal bioreactor
  • Membrane bioreactor for solids separation
  • Advanced water treatment plant (AWTP) with reverse osmosis (RO) water purification
  • Biosolids stabilisation via anaerobic digestion of water and sewage with energy recovery and staged/future delivery of cogeneration
  • 4MW solar farm
  • Landscape-led design to seamlessly connect the operational precinct with greenspace area bordering with the South Creek nature corridor

The stage 1 wastewater treatment facility solution enables an effective pathway to upgrade and expand the stage 2 plant to optimise its energy recovery potential and enhance long-term circular economy opportunities. The stage 1 AWRC provides a pathway to achieve 50 per cent energy self-sufficiency by 2035.

Sustainability was a core principle driving the solution development to meet and exceed Sydney Water’s high sustainability standards. In line with Sydney Water’s 2030 net zero targets, the Upper South Creek AWRC is set to be one of the first to seek an ISC 2.1 Gold Rating.

Working closely with Sydney Water and John Holland, our team collaborated with the Dharug Traditional Custodians and the project’s broader Aboriginal Stakeholder Advisory Group, as well as specialist town planning and urban design teams, to provide a solution that enables social value-based outcomes for the area and is respectful of the existing heritage values. 

The impact

The Upper South Creek ARWC is set to become the most significant water recycling project in Australia in many decades. This transformational project will deliver innovative servicing solutions to enable significant growth and development in the Western Sydney region through sustainable and integrated water management solutions. The essential wastewater services, along with high-quality treated water, aims to support the evolving needs of the community and enhance the liveability of the Western Sydney region.