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Melbourne's water
storages are currently at:
Thomson: 21.4%
Cardinia: 34.9%
Upper Yarra: 66.6%
Sugarloaf: 61.9%
Silvan: 89.8%
Tarago: 58.3%
Yan Yean: 29.8%
Greenvale: 70.9%
Maroondah: 84.6%
O'Shannassy: 86.9%
Sewage from homes and factories
Sewage from our homes includes everything that goes down the kitchen, laundry and bathroom sink, as well as what you flush down the toilet.
Dirty water from businesses and factories is also discharged into the sewerage system. This is known as trade waste.
Most of the sewage from our homes and businesses flows via large underground sewer pipes to the Western or Eastern Treatment Plant, where it is treated to make it safe for release back into the environment. A small amount is treated at local treatment plants owned by the three metropolitan retail water businesses.
Sewerage is the system of sewers that transfers sewage to a treatment plant. The term sewerage also includes all the pumps, sewers, screens and equipment required to transfer sewage from homes and businesses to a sewage treatment plant.
Effluent is treated sewage. The purpose of sewage treatment is to remove solids, organic matter, nutrients and disease-causing organisms, leaving effluent that is suitable and safe for release back into the environment.