Sewage: From liability to asset, the Shoalhaven REMS project. A review after twenty years of initial operation Australia's largest regional wastewater recycling scheme: greatly reducing effluent discharge to sensitive waterways and increasing dairy farm productivity

An overview of the REclaimed Water Management Scheme (REMS), Stages 1A & 1B undertaken by Shoalhaven Water, the water utility of Shoalhaven City Council, NSW, Australia, after its first twenty years of operation. REMS is one of the largest recycled effluent projects undertaken by a local government in Australia. REMS utilises tertiary treated reclaimed sewage water from the urban centres and utilises it, in lieu of potable water, for agricultural and sports field irrigation, while diverting discharge away from sensitive waterways. The REMS project was initiated to address three primary issues: public outcry over sewage discharge into sensitive Bay/River/ Ocean environments including Jervis Bay and the Shoalhaven River; assisting the dairy industry though providing resistance to drought; upgrading the sewerage system to enable development and address the demands of a greatly increased population. This paper places the scheme in the context of an integrated water utility and local government body, engaging stakeholders in extensive consultation, and embarking on a large project designed to have significant environmental and economic outcomes, culminating in an integrated multi-plant capture, treatment and distribution system. The project is focussed upon agricultural use of recycled water that has wide public support, and benefits to both the dairy farmers and oyster farmers of the region. The paper examines REMS’ success, its future expanded capabilities, and its application as a scalable model elsewhere.