The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has issued a Pollution Reduction Program to Sydney Water in order to reduce the likelihood of debris balls washing up on the state’s beaches.
The rollout of this program follows the identification of the water provider’s Malabar Wastewater Treatment System as the likely source of debris balls that have sporadically washed up on New South Wales beaches since October 2024.
The Pollution Reduction Program’s requirements on Sydney Water include:
- removing the build-up of fats, oils, and grease from a hard-to-access bulkhead area of the Deep Ocean Outfall;
- education campaigns for various groups including cafes and restaurants, to reduce the amount of fats, oils and grease entering the wastewater system;
- long-term upgrades at Glenfield and Liverpool treatment plants to take the load off Malabar;
- a system to capture debris overflowing from the sewer during severe wet weather events;
- a study into the formation and weathering of debris balls to make it easier to track them, and;
- consideration of artificial intelligence or other technology to monitor for the formation of debris balls.
NSW EPA Executive Director Operations Steve Beaman said these changes are a comprehensive response to the issue of debris balls.
“We’ve strengthened Sydney Water’s Environment Protection Licences following a statutory licence review last year which included extensive public consultation,” he said.
“Sydney Water is responsible for ensuring it doesn’t pollute our beautiful beaches, and this important work is a step towards that.
“Debris balls are a complex problem, and the EPA will continue to regulate Sydney Water to protect our precious natural environment.”
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