THE WATER Corporation has opened a new $37.2 million wastewater treatment scheme in Broome, with the treated effluent to be used for irrigation.
The project includes a Broome North treatment plant which has geosynthetic liners, a pump station and 9.9km of pipeline. It can service up to 13,000 people. Around a million litres of wastewater will initially be processed daily.
The geosynthetic liners prevent infiltration into the treatment ponds, protecting local water supplies.
The treated wastewater will be used to irrigate Rhodes grass, which has been recommended by environmental experts due to its high nutrient uptake.
The Rhodes grass may then in the future be harvested for stock feed for local farmers, assisting agriculture in the Broome area.