It all comes down to your waste and the cogeneration unit. Around 55 megalitres of wastewater arrives at Oxley Creek every day – the equivalent of 22 Olympic swimming pools.
The sewage enters the plant via our vast sewer pipe network. First, the solids are screened out, the wastewater then moves on to the bioreactors, which are like big ponds where bugs work to break down about 60 per cent of the nutrients. The next step is the digesters, where further nutrients are broken down. This process is anaerobic, meaning no oxygen is present. This is where the biogas is produced, which is mainly made up of methane gas. That methane then goes into the cogeneration units to drive an engine which generates power.