Organic Waste Recycling

14 Organic Waste Recycling: Technology and Management

1.3.3 Werribee Farm, Australia

The Werribee Farm was established at the inception of the Melbourne Sewerage

System and has been in operation since 1897. It is situated in an agricultural

area 33 km from Melbourne and has a frontage of 21 km to Port Phillip Bay. Of

the Melbourne sewage flow received at the Farm, 70 percent is municipal waste

with the remainder coming from trade and industrial wastes. Table 1.3 shows

the infrastructure and facilities for sewage treatment, and data of livestock being

raised at the Farm.

Figure 1.7 Sewage purification and waste recycling-Werribee Farm, Australia (Barnes 1978)

Figure 1.7 shows the sewage purification and waste recycling schemes in

operation at Werribee Farm, consisting of three treatment processes, namely

waste stabilization ponds (or lagooning), land filtration (or irrigation) and grass

filtration (or overland flow). Sewage is primarily treated by a series of waste

stabilization ponds. Sewage irrigation through land filtration and cattle grazing

DOMESTIC and INDUSTRIAL

SEWAGE FROM MELBOURNE

BROOKLYN PUMPING

STATION

MAIN OUTFALL SEWER

TO FARM

Livestock

Intermittent

irrigation and

grazing

PASTURES GRASS FILTRATION

SUMMER WINTER

PORT PHILLIP BAY

DRAINAGE SYSTEM

Overland

flow

Facultative

and aerobic

Anaerobic

unit

Continuous

irrigation

Waste stabilization ponds