Bonalbo Sewerage Treatment Plant | Secondary Treatment Facility in New South Wales

Bonalbo Sewerage Treatment Plant is a municipal wastewater facility located in Bonalbo, a small town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The plant serves a population of 606 and operates under secondary treatment, which is appropriate for a small community. The plant is operational and discharges an annual volume of 156.75 megalitres of treated effluent. As a secondary treatment plant, Bonalbo STP provides biological treatment to reduce organic matter and suspended solids. In Australia, wastewater treatment plants are regulated under state-based environmental protection frameworks, with New South Wales operating under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997. Plants of this scale typically require a license from the NSW Environment Protection Authority, which sets discharge limits to protect receiving waters. The treated effluent from Bonalbo STP is discharged into the local catchment, which ultimately drains into the Richmond River system. The Richmond River flows eastward into the Tasman Sea near Ballina. The river supports diverse aquatic life and is an important waterway for the region's ecology and agriculture. The plant's location inland and its small population served reduce its environmental risk profile.

The plant discharges into the Richmond River catchment, which flows into the Tasman Sea. The Richmond River is a major coastal river in northern New South Wales, supporting diverse aquatic ecosystems including fish, waterbirds, and riparian vegetation. The river's estuary is ecologically sensitive, providing habitat for migratory shorebirds and marine species. The plant's secondary treatment helps protect downstream water quality.