Sewage sludge dumped off Newcastle beaches

HUNTER Water is among the last few utilities in the developed world to dump sewage sludge in the ocean, a practice that has raised serious health and environmental concerns.The utility dumped 4273 tonnes of sludge from its Burwood Beach sewage treatment plant last year at an ocean outfall between Merewether and Dudley beaches.Concerns have been raised about its effects on beaches and public health.The Herald has obtained a Hunter Water study into the health risks of effluent and sludge discharges to the ocean from the Burwood Beach plant.The study found an elevated risk of illness to humans at beaches, during infrequent and adverse conditions, from ingesting pathogens that cause gastrointestinal illness.It found a low risk to recreational beach users in "median conditions".The findings have prompted the utility to commission another more comprehensive study into the health risks of discharges to the ocean.Hunter Water discharges treated effluent to the ocean, which remains a common practice in the industry, but it is rare for utilities to dump sludge, another byproduct of treating sewage, in the sea.Simon Fane, who represents the Hunter Community Environment Centre on a reference group for the Burwood Beach plant, said the United States and European Union outlawed dumping sludge in the ocean decades ago."If the people of the Hunter knew about this, I think they would be concerned," Dr Fane said."Hunter Water told the reference group it was the only utility in Australia to still dump sludge in the ocean," Dr Fane said.Hunter Water was the only utility in NSW to dump sludge in the ocean, the Department of Environment and Climate Change confirmed. A Hunter Water statement said the sludge was treated to a secondary level and discharging it to the ocean was "currently the most sustainable solution for the community".The statement said the disposal method had caused "minimal environmental impact". But Total Environment Centre water campaigner Leigh Martin said the sludge was "nasty material".Mr Martin criticised Hunter Water for "continuing this 1950s approach to disposing of sewage"."It represents a disturbing old mind-set that seems to be affecting Hunter Water and its approach to water management," Mr Martin said.Hunter Water recycled 5143 tonnes of sludge in the past year from its other plants, including Belmont, but dumped 4273 tonnes of sludge from its Burwood Beach plant about 1.5 kilometres offshore, a spokesman said.An urban water specialist at Sydney's University of Technology, Dr Fane said sludge had been known to cause changes in offshore fish and invertebrate communities in other locations.Hunter Water's statement said the sludge, also known as biosolids, was "treated to a higher standard than many other ocean plants elsewhere in Australia and disposed of via an ocean outfall well out to sea".Dr Fane said the outfall was "a relatively short distance and relatively shallow at a depth of 22 metres".Hunter Water said it had done a "comprehensive environmental monitoring program associated with the discharge of biosolids to the ocean since 1993"."That program, which is independently reviewed, shows there is minimal impact on the environment," the statement said.