Pulgul Sewage Treatment Plant

Pulgul STP

Council is continuing a program to ensure there is sufficient sewage treatment capacity to cater for the region’s population growth.

Following initial Community Consultation, Council resolved to:

  • Upgrade Pulgul Sewage Treatment Plant
  • Replace the existing ocean outfall with a new one offshore from the Marina
  • Develop a Recycled Water Strategy

Wide Bay Water (a business unit of Council), is moving ahead with plans to upgrade the Pulgul Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and expand its recycled water reuse scheme to ensure it can meet the needs of a growing city.

Detailed design and regulatory approvals for the Pulgul STP upgrade and ocean outfall pipeline are underway with a two-year construction period to follow.

Initial investigations have covered planning aspects of the project. View the reports here:

In 2019 Council undertook a community and stakeholder engagement process to inform the Hervey Bay sewage treatment plant upgrade selection process. After many Community Panels, workshops, online surveys, feedback forms and interviews, key stakeholders and the wider community chose the option to upgrade Pulgul STP, increase the recycled water scheme and build a new ocean outfall. This option was endorsed by Council at the end of 2019.

The next steps include finalising the design and preparing for construction after further community consultation. 

Scope of works

To increase treatment capacity by an additional 5,000,000 litres per day to treat the sewage generated by the additional 10,000 equivalent dwellings.

  1. Site Selection Study(PDF, 216KB) – Consultants KBR were engaged to undertake a study that identified the issues and opportunities that exist at existing treatment sites as well as the management of effluent. A report summarising the outcomes and recommended option was tabled at Council’s October 2018 Ordinary Meeting.
  2. Initial Stakeholder Engagement – Was undertaken in accordance with the Stakeholder Engagement Strategy tabled at Council’s October 2018 Ordinary Meeting.
  3. Recycled Water Strategy – Development of a recycled water strategy taking into consideration that beneficial reuse is the most desirable option for recycled water and that nutrient discharge amounts are limited.
  4. Concept Design – Preparation of concept designs for the project. These concept designs will support the applications for statutory approvals for the project.
  5. Further Stakeholder Engagement – will be undertaken to inform the community of the final plans leading up to finalising the detailed design and before the construction phases of the project.
  6. Detailed Design – The detailed design will provide the necessary documentation to prepare tender documents for the physical delivery of the works.
  7. Approvals – These ensure all the regulatory requirements are met to construct and maintain the new and upgraded infrastructure.
  8. Procurement – The procurement phase will involve the invitations to tender for the construction phase.
  9. Construction – the physical construction and commissioning of the necessary civil, mechanical, electrical, and control systems required to deliver the scope of the project.   

Project time frames

TIMEFRAMES DATE STATUS
Community consultation Completed Completed
Review community feedback on site selection Completed Completed
Recycle Water Strategy Completed Completed
Concept Design Completed Completed
Detailed Design and approvals July 2025/December 2026 Commenced
Procurement, Construction and Commissioning December 2026/July 2030 Not commenced

Note: Project timeframes are high level estimates and will change as the project scope is refined.

Contact us

For further information please contact the WBWengagement@frasercoast.qld.gov.au or speak to a project team member on 1300 79 49 29

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