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About

Overview of CWMS

The State Government provides full sewage collection, treatment and disposal services for metropolitan Adelaide and the major provincial cities, about 90% of the State's 'wastewater' population, while Local Government is responsible for effluent and some sewage collection, treatment and disposal services for other country towns.

Local Government currently operates 175 Community Wastewater Management Systems (CWMS) in 50 councils throughout the state.

Most CWMS in SA are owned and operated by the Local Authority (Councils) in which they are situated.

A CWMS is a system designed to collect, treat, re-use and/or dispose of primary treated effluent from septic tanks on individual properties.

The collection system is a network of pipes and pumping stations which transport the effluent from the septic tanks to the treatment site. In some cases (generally rare) no pumping stations are required where the collection system operates by gravity. An example of a typical town layout is shown below.

Typical town layout

The treatment system can be by either:

  • facultative (oxidation) lagoons where effluent is stored and treated by aerobic action. Mechanical aeration is sometimes installed to speed up the process and/or reduce the size of the lagoon system; or
  • mechanical treatment plants where aerobic action is undertaken in a series of aerated tanks.

The disposal system can be by either:

  • evaporation ponds; or
  • irrigation systems or other re-use (eg, wetlands).

Generally many of the older systems are lagoon systems (facultative lagoon and evaporation pond) whilst the newer systems tend to comprise mechanical treatment plants, a storage pond and an irrigation system onto parklands, golf courses or crops.

Announcements

State Government Funding Announcement - 2017/18 to 2026/27

A highlight from the April 2017 Council Best Practice Showcase and LGA Ordinary General Meeting, was the announcement by Minister for Regional Development, Hon Geoff Brock of the $47 million, 10 year extension to the state/local government Community Wastewater Management Schemes (CWMS) subsidy funding partnership.

This is a terrific outcome for our communities continuing the construction of much needed of community waste water management schemes in rural and remote communities throughout the state. CWMS projects have been well recognised for their ability to generate much needed regional employment through the construction phase and can open up new economic opportunities for these communities once completed.