A Victorian water agency is turning sewerage waste into organic compost. 

East Gippsland Water has secured an agreement with Gippsland Regional Organics that allows for around 1,300 tonnes of biosolids to be transported each year for recycling to the Gippsland Regional Organics facility, east of Sale.

East Gippsland Water produces around 1,000 tonnes of biosolids each year across 11 Water Recycling Plants and facilities, and store the biosolids across three locations; Bruces Track between Swan Reach and Kalimna West, Newmerella towards Corringle and Paynesville towards Forge Creek.

The biosolids are rich in organic matter and nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, making an excellent organic compost, enriching the soil, reducing the use of chemical fertilisers and reducing materials to landfill.

Gippsland Regional Organics treats around 180,000 tonnes of organic material per annum and produces around 60,000 tonnes of Australian certified compost each year. 

It feeds into their circular economy model by taking biosolids and waste from other facilities and transforming it for further use in a sustainable way.

Trials are also being undertaken for other local biosolids reuse to land options that may benefit farmers across East Gippsland, and investigations are underway for some more local composting options with East Gippsland Shire Council.

The first collection of biosolids from the Bruces Track Storage Facility took place in early November.