Sewage effluent plans for drinking water
Peninsula residents could be drinking sewage effluent if "sewer mining" plans proposed by Gosford Council proceed.
The council has been investigating plans to inject secondary effluent into groundwater at "Woy Woy borefield".
Residents may have no legal entitlement to be informed of the plans or to comment on them.
The otherwise secret plans were revealed in a submission made by Council to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) in March.
Peninsula News discovered the submission while researching groundwater studies on the internet.
The Council's submission, as part of IPART's Review for Recycled Water and Sewer Mining for the Metropolitan Areas, stated that it was investigating two "potential projects" for "aquifer storage recovery options" on the Peninsula.
One project involved "additional infiltration devices in Woy Woy to enhance infiltration" and the other involved a "Woy Woy sewer mining scheme from secondary effluent for groundwater injection at Woy Woy bore field".
Council's manager of assets management Ms Pam McCann confirmed last week that the groundwater injection plans existed but would not be implemented during the first stage of its "water recycling initiative".
She said the first stage would be a communications campaign, with a demonstration "water mining" plant built in Gosford.
"The water will be for non-drinking purposes such as golf club greens.
"There will be local reuse of effluent around Kincumber Treatment Works, once again for non drinking purposes," Ms McCann said.
She denied that the aquifer replenishment plans substantiated environmental concerns that rainfall would not be adequate to maintain water table levels and to avoid significant environmental consequences.
Ms McCann said that although groundwater replenishment would assist with minimising the effect of the extractions and provide increased buffers for the sustainability of the aquifer, council had resolved to progress with other options in the study.
She also confirmed that matters concerning the groundwater extraction borefield would be excluded from "extensive community consultation", because the borefield was the responsibility of the Department of Natural Resources.
Ms McCann said the main part of stage one would be to take identified options to the community and get feed back.
Stage two would be developed from outcomes of stage one.
"They are among many options we will be asking for feedback on. I think 31 options," Ms McCann said.
Ms McCann said that council would undertake a detailed community information campaign in the coming months aimed at keeping residents, fully informed at all times.
"As part of this campaign, council will be sharing available information on the aquifer and environmental impacts," Ms McCann said.
"Information will be shared through a variety of mediums including direct mail, media relations, a dedicated web page and briefings to interested parties such as environmental and community groups as well as local residents."
Lyle Stone, August 16