The stipulation by the EPA (Environment Protection Agency) to allow Byron Shire Council to take the South Byron Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) offline and deliver the sewage to West Byron WWTP was that close to one hundred per cent of effluent generated by West Byron WWTP went to reuse.
Anyone that takes the time to view the BSC Water and Recycling (W&R) website will see the claims that farms are receiving reuse along with nurseries, parks and gardens, construction, sports, and toilets.
The sports allocations are 80 per cent. This is represented by a golf ball so one would assume 80 per cent of the reuse generated by West Byron goes to the Byron Bay golf course. This is farcical, the reuse is pumped into on the golf course and the lagoon which permanently flows through the causeway under Bangalow Road.
The other percentages of reuse sites are standpipe nine per cent, parks and gardens six per cent, nurseries three per cent and toilets two per cent – this conveniently adds up to one hundred per cent.
Which farms in Byron Bay are taking reuse? The first two farms in Mullumbimby that agreed to take reuse from the Mullumbimby plant are still shown as taking reuse, but those two farms have not taken reuse from the Mullumbimby plant for years so why is it still on the website that they are?
Also there is a statement that W&R is using the methane being generated by the plants in the anaerobic process with a pipe pictured going to an anaerobic digester.
The problem is the three anaerobic plants in South Byron, Brunswick Heads, and Mullumbimby, have been taken offline so what does this methane use refer to? West Byron, Ocean Shores, Brunswick Valley, and Bangalow are all aerobic plants.
I would also ask for an explanation of how Brunswick Valley STP continuously discharges more effluent than the influent coming into the plant.
For example, on 10/10/2022 inflow of 1,509.65 KL, reuse of 00.0 KL, and treated effluent of 1,847.55 KL. Then on 16/10/2022 Inflow of 1,433.69 KL, Reuse 00.0 KL and treated effluent 1,697.66 KL.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
