Hahndorf Wastewater Treatment Plant, South Australia - Operational Facility

Hahndorf wastewater treatment plant is located on Mount Barker Road in Hahndorf, within the Mount Barker District Council area of South Australia. The plant serves a population of around 10,052 and has a designed capacity of 1.00 million liters per day, indicating it is a small to medium-scale facility. As an Australian wastewater treatment plant, it operates under the regulatory framework of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) South Australia, which issues licenses for wastewater discharges. The plant is expected to meet state and national guidelines for effluent quality, including the Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for Fresh and Marine Water Quality. The plant discharges treated wastewater into the local watershed, which ultimately drains into the Murray-Darling Basin, one of Australia's most significant river systems. The basin supports diverse aquatic ecosystems and is a critical water resource for agriculture and communities. The plant's operations help protect downstream water quality in this ecologically sensitive region.

The plant's treated effluent likely enters a local watercourse that flows into the Murray-Darling Basin, a vast river system draining into the Southern Ocean via the Murray Mouth. This basin supports a range of aquatic habitats, including wetlands and floodplains, and is home to species such as the Murray cod and platypus. Protecting water quality in this basin is crucial for maintaining biodiversity and supporting agricultural and recreational uses downstream.