Overview
Subiaco wastewater treatment plant serves the City of Perth, Western Australia, with a population equivalent of 420,859. It is located near the Swan River estuary and operates under Australian national and state regulations.
Subiaco wastewater treatment plant is a major facility serving the City of Perth in Western Australia, handling wastewater from a population equivalent of over 420,000. The plant is situated in Crawley, near the University of Western Australia, and plays a key role in the region's urban water cycle. As a large agglomeration exceeding 100,000 people, the plant is expected to meet stringent treatment standards under Australian water quality guidelines. Facilities of this scale typically employ advanced secondary or tertiary treatment to protect sensitive receiving environments. The plant discharges treated effluent into the Swan River estuary, which flows into the Indian Ocean via Fremantle Harbour. This estuarine environment supports diverse aquatic life and is an important ecological corridor for migratory birds and fish species.
Environmental context
The plant's treated effluent enters the Swan River estuary, a dynamic water body that connects to the Indian Ocean. This estuary is ecologically sensitive, supporting seagrass beds, fish nurseries, and migratory waterbirds. Downstream, the Swan River meets the ocean at Fremantle, where coastal processes influence water quality and marine habitats.
Frequently asked questions
The Subiaco wastewater treatment plant is located in Crawley, a suburb of the City of Perth, Western Australia, near the University of Western Australia on Stirling Highway.
The plant serves a population equivalent of 420,859 people, making it a large-scale facility within the Perth metropolitan area.
The plant discharges treated effluent into the Swan River estuary, which flows through Perth and eventually reaches the Indian Ocean at Fremantle.
The plant operates under Australian water quality regulations, including the National Water Quality Management Strategy and state-level environmental protection laws administered by the Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.
For large agglomerations like Subiaco, Australian guidelines typically require advanced secondary or tertiary treatment to reduce nutrients and pathogens before discharge into sensitive estuarine environments.
Nearby plants