A $3 billion program of wastewater infrastructure upgrades is set to support Sydney’s fast-growing communities in the south west and protect the city’s iconic beaches.
The Malabar System Investment Program, estimated at $3 billion over the next ten years, will reduce the volume of wastewater that needs to be treated and discharged via the Malabar deep ocean outfall.
The Malabar Wastewater Treatment System was identified as the likely source of debris balls that washed up on beaches across Sydney, the South Coast and Central Coast in late 2024 and early 2025.
It currently services almost two million people between Fairfield, Campbelltown and Liverpool in the West to Malabar in the east, making it one of the largest wastewater systems in Australia.
Staged upgrades over the coming decade will improve the performance of the Malabar system to support population growth in Sydney’s south west and reduce the likelihood of debris balls forming again.
The program will be delivered across key facilities in the Malabar system, including Glenfield, Liverpool and Fairfield Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs).
For the first stage of the multi-billion program, Sydney Water is partnering with the Malabar System Alliance (Acciona Construction, Acciona Agua, SMEC) to deliver major upgrades to the Glenfield and Liverpool WRRFs.
Work will include refurbishing and expanding primary treatment processes and a new secondary treatment process at Liverpool WRRF, with on-site works to begin in coming months.
In the short-term, Sydney Water is continuing to work with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and the independent Wastewater Expert Panel on limiting further debris ball incidents.
Sydney Water has increased cleaning and inspection of ocean outfall screens, is tightening trade-waste controls for high-risk customers, and is expanding its fats, oils and grease education campaign to reduce problematic material from entering the network.
NSW Minister for Water, Rose Jackson, said, “Sydney is a rapidly growing city and no one wants to see debris balls washing up on our beautiful beaches again – but the truth is our wastewater system needs an upgrade to keep pace with the population.
“For too long, a lack of investment in essential infrastructure in Western Sydney has been a handbrake on our housing goals. We can’t undo that overnight, but we’re getting on with the job of clearing this backlog,” Jackson said.
“This is a major plan to deliver critical wastewater system upgrades in a sensible, staged way, ensuring that major investments are funded over time and Sydney Water users don’t face sudden bill shock.
“Our government is laser-focused on delivering the critical infrastructure our city needs to continue to grow, without privatising our essential assets.”
Sydney Water CEO, Darren Cleary, said that appointing the Malabar System Alliance is a significant step towards improving the long-term performance and resilience of the critical wastewater asset and reducing the increasing strain on the ageing coastal plant.
“We understand the seriousness of recent debris ball incidents and the need to ensure our network is equipped for Sydney’s growing population,” Cleary said.
“This program of works is a clear demonstration of our commitment to building a more resilient system over the coming decade and to protecting our beaches, which are so important to Sydney’s way of life.”
