Reuse water from Junee’s state-of-the-art Sewerage Treatment Plant is creating a vibrant wetland habitat.
Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke recently opened the new Plant, which will meet the needs of the growing Junee community for decades to come.
Ms Cooke said she was impressed by the wetland project which operators had created off their own bat to make use of the reuse water.
“At the Sewerage Treatment Plant we now have new equipment near a thriving natural habitat which is abundant with birds, reptiles and native plants,” Ms Cooke said.
“This space has been created by the operators because they saw an opportunity, which is a wonderful example of the innovation of Council staff.”
“Water is a precious resource and here in Junee not a drop is being wasted; it is being shared by community spaces and the environment.”
Waste Water Treatment Plant Operator Michael Summerell spearheaded the wetlands project.
“We decided that instead of putting our water back in to the creek, we would do a re-use project and put it back in to the town, on to golf courses, sporting fields, and we were able to keep watering our football fields during the drought,” Mr Summerell said.
“The second benefit was the amount of storage we had, so we realised we could improve the environment with tree planting and some other measures to enhance the environment including bird nesting boxes.”
“It’s been a benefit for the community and the environment in general, what was a waste product is now a usable habitat space. We’ve got a huge range of fauna here; lizards, turtles, birds and snakes of course at the site now.”
