Australian Water Management Review Vol. 1 2014 | Page 147
Image 1. EOne pot/tank ready to be installed
Image 2. Installed pot/tank with alarm control panel
efficient system that Sydney Water owns and
maintains
• potential cost savings for property owners with
regular pump-out and maintenance costs
• fewer potential odours from on-site systems and
pump-out trucks
• cleaner waterways and local environment
• reduced public health risks from leaking on-site
systems
• the removal of dampness and seepage
• the opportunity to reuse existing on-site systems
to collect stormwater and/or greywater
• a potential increase in property values.
Cowan
Location and setting
Cowan is located in the Hornsby Shire Local
Government Area on the northern fringe of
Sydney. The village is situated on the Hawkesbury
escarpment surrounded by several national parks.
Major features of the area include the Muogamarra
Nature Reserve, the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
and the Berowra Valley Regional Park.
Figure 1. Typical on-property pump installation
Wastewater equipment has been installed on 217
properties and residents are now connecting to the
system.
How it Works
• A pressure sewerage system was installed
at Cowan. The system works by collecting
wastewater in a small tank installed on each
property. A pump located inside the tank grinds
the wastewater into a slurry and pumps it through
a network of pipes to a wastewater treatment plant.
(See Image 1, Image 2, Figure 1 and Figure 2)
• The pressure sewerage system transports
wastewater from properties into newly installed
reticulation and transfer mains along the Pacific
Highway. Wastewater travelling through the
transfer main goes via the chemical dosing unit
(CDU) at Berowra Truckstop. Wastewater then
flows down to the existing system at Gully Road
via a gravity wastewater main. Wastewater is then
transferred to the Hornsby Heights Wastewater
Treatment Plant for treatment.
Figure 2. Cross section view of the collection/pump unit
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