Sydney Water has announced it has withdrawn an application to the Department of Planning and Infrastructure to increase the nutrient limits in discharges from the Brooklyn Wastewater Treatment Plant.

 

The announcement follows growing public concern over the quality of the plant’s discharges, with local residents concerned over the effects of changing discharge levels.

 

“While our water quality modelling predicts that raising the nutrient levels is unlikely to have adverse impacts on the health of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, we have listened to the concerns of our customers,” Sydney Water Managing Director Kevin Young ssaid.

 

“Our modification application to DP&I was a proposal, not a decision, and part of a robust process. After reviewing the submissions from the community we now have a deeper understanding of their concerns and have withdrawn our application.”

 

Sydney Water announced that the $1 million that would have otherwise been spent on discharge modification would instead be spent on upgrading the plant.