Wastewater's incredible circular journey

Sad but true: once you've emptied the sink or flushed the toilet, you probably never think about it again.

But take it from our Wollongong Water Resource Recovery Facility – its journey is far from over.

Every day, this facility treats around 60 million litres of wastewater (more than 24 Olympic-sized pools!). Instead of releasing it all back into the environment, it recycles up to 20 million litres and puts it to work across the Illawarra.

The circular economy in action

Communities from Wombarra to Windang and west to Dapto are seeing first-hand what the circular economy can mean to them.

BlueScope Steel uses recycled water for making iron and steel, cooling equipment and firefighting, while Port Kembla Coal Terminal uses hundreds of millions of litres each year to cut regular water use by 70%.

The benefits don't stop there. Wollongong City Council is keeping local sports fields green, and Wollongong Golf Club is irrigating the course. Plus, our facility uses recycled water for cleaning, chemical dilution and filter backwashes.

Recycled water matters more than ever

High-quality recovered wastewater is a valuable resource. We need more ways to produce and use it, and help conserve our precious drinking water – especially with hotter, dryer summers predicted.

Next time you pull the plug or flush the toilet, remember to wave, and wish your wastewater success on its journey.

All our facilities do their bit

Find out more about how we transform wastewater into recycled water.