Northern Beaches Local Solutions

Sydney Water is upgrading the wastewater system in Brookvale, Curl Curl and Dee Why. The work will help improve water quality at local waterways and beaches by reducing the frequency of wet weather wastewater overflows.

Two projects are taking place in the area: the Northern Beaches local solutions and the Northern Beaches Storage Project (NBSP). Both are part of Sydney Water’s $560 million SewerFix Program to improve the wastewater system and protect public health and the environment. The work is being done by the SewerFix Wet Weather Alliance; a partnership between Sydney Water, Manidis Roberts, MWH Australia, Parsons Brinkerhoff and UGL Infrastructure.

The local solutions and the NBSP will work together to reduce the frequency of wet weather wastewater overflows in the area to no more than 20 spills in ten years. This target has been agreed with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) formerly the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. Without this work, by 2031, 18 overflows on the Northern Beaches could spill more than 20 times in ten years and some of these could spill up to 91 times in a ten-year period.

What are the Local Solutions?

The local solutions are projects to install new wastewater pipes and modify the wastewater system so it has more capacity. Most of the local solutions have already been built and the rest will be completed in 2011.

Local solutions have already been completed in:

• Beacon Hill – Samarai Place
• Collaroy – Anzac Reserve
• Cromer – South Creek Road
• Dee Why – Tor and Bix Roads
• Narraweena – Beverley Job Park
• Manly – East Esplanade
• Brookvale - Old Pittwater Road and Allenby Park
• Freshwater - Bennett and Brighton Streets
• North Curl Curl - Pitt and Abbott Roads

Sydney Water is currently finishing the last of the local solutions projects. This project involves building below-ground wastewater storage in Soldiers Avenue, Wyndora Avenue and Jacka Park, Freshwater. The new storage will help reduce wet weather wastewater overflows to Freshwater Beach. Sydney Water expects this work in Freshwater to be finished in December 2011, weather permitting.