Overview
Karumba wastewater treatment plant in Queensland, Australia, serves 592 people with secondary treatment. It discharges 153.11 megaliters annually near the Gulf of Carpentaria coast.
The Karumba wastewater treatment plant is located in the small coastal town of Karumba, Queensland, Australia, within the Carpentaria Shire. It serves a population of approximately 592 residents, making it a small-scale municipal facility. The plant provides secondary treatment, which is the standard biological treatment process for removing organic matter and suspended solids. As a facility in Australia, it operates under state and national environmental regulations, including the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Queensland) and the National Water Quality Management Strategy. For small coastal communities, secondary treatment is typical to protect sensitive marine environments. The treated effluent is discharged into the local environment near the Gulf of Carpentaria, a large, shallow sea that supports diverse marine life, including prawn fisheries and migratory shorebirds. The plant's coastal location requires careful management to minimize nutrient and pathogen impacts on the gulf's ecosystems.
Environmental context
The plant discharges into the Gulf of Carpentaria, a major tropical marine basin that receives drainage from several Queensland rivers. The gulf supports important commercial fisheries, particularly for prawns and barramundi, and provides critical habitat for migratory waders and marine turtles. The coastal wetlands and seagrass beds in the region are ecologically sensitive, requiring effective wastewater treatment to prevent eutrophication and maintain water quality.
Frequently asked questions
The plant is located on Allen Howie Way in Karumba, Carpentaria Shire, Queensland, Australia, near the Gulf of Carpentaria coast.
The plant serves approximately 592 residents of the Karumba community.
The plant provides secondary treatment and discharges treated effluent into the local environment near the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The plant operates under Queensland's Environmental Protection Act 1994 and Australia's National Water Quality Management Strategy, which set standards for effluent quality to protect coastal waters.
For small coastal communities like Karumba, secondary treatment is standard to reduce organic matter and pathogens before discharge into sensitive marine environments.
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