As part of our work to continuously maintain, repair and upgrade our wastewater system, we are carrying out annual maintenance and repair works on the Leanyer Sanderson Waste Stabilisation Ponds.
We do this every dry season from May to October 2023, when there is less wastewater entering the system and treatment ponds than in the wet season.
About the works
A build-up of sludge at the bottom of ponds over many years reduces the treatment capacity and can lead to poorer water discharge quality and an increase in odour.
To make sure Pond 1 is in good working order, it needs to be desludged for maintenance.
Desludging is a periodic maintenance process where treatment ponds are emptied and dried out and the remaining sludge is removed.
The sludge will be dug out of the pond by an excavator and moved to a drying bed, where it will be covered with lime to reduce odour. The dry sludge parts look like garden soil.
The maintenance work at Pond 1 is due to be completed by October, and it will be returned to service before the wet season begins.
About the ponds
There are 10 ponds at the Leanyer Sanderson Waste Stabilisation Ponds treatment facility. It services households, schools, Royal Darwin Hospital and commercial premises in Darwin’s northern suburbs.
The wastewater in the ponds is mostly a mixture of waste from toilets, sinks, showers and washing machines.
The treatment process relies on sunlight and bacteria to separate particles that settle at the bottom of the pond, forming a ‘sludge’.
Once the treatment is complete, the wastewater either evaporates or, in accordance with strict licence conditions issued by the NT Environment Protection Authority, can be discharged into Buffalo Creek at an approved location about 7 km upstream from the mouth.
How residents can help
Most Territorians know that only the 3Ps should be flushed down the loo – pee, poo and (toilet) paper.
Unfortunately, we still remove hundreds of tonnes of bathroom products and other rubbish from our wastewater system, sewer network and ponds every year.
This rubbish can impact the environment and create excess waste at the ponds, restricting the natural treatment process and increasing the risk of odours impacting nearby residents.
To help stop any odours, remember to put your rubbish in the bin and only flush the 3Ps.
More information
You can get more information about:
- these works, by contacting us
- how the ponds work
- the three Ps.
