Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre

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Indicative diagram of how the centre will work, treating water to the highest standard and distributing it for agricultural use and environmental flows.

Sydney Water is building the Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC) in Kemps Creek and associated pipelines to support population and economic growth in Western Sydney.

Construction Information

Our delivery partner, John Holland, is building the AWRC, a treated water pipeline from Kemps Creek to the Nepean River at Wallacia and a brine water pipeline from Kemps Creek to our existing wastewater network at Lansdowne. The pipelines are built underground, mostly in road reserves and public spaces. Some sections of pipeline will need to be installed across private properties.

Construction is underway in parts of Badgerys Creek, Bonnyrigg, Bonnyrigg Heights, Cabramatta, Cabramatta West, Canley Heights, Canley Vale, Cecil Hills, Cecil Park, Elizabeth Hills, Fairfield, Green Valley, Kemps Creek, Lansdowne, Lansvale, Luddenham, Mount Pritchard, Mulgoa and Wallacia.

Our standard working hours are 7 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and 8 am to 1 pm Saturday. We will notify affected people in advance if we need to work outside these hours.

John Holland is working hard to minimise disturbance however some people may experience temporary traffic changes and construction impacts, mostly from machinery that will be used to dig trenches and lay pipes. Construction of the pipelines will occur until late 2025.

When completed in 2026, the AWRC will deliver sustainable wastewater services and high-quality recycled water to support a cooler, greener Western Parkland City, with a wide range of benefits for the entire community.

Community Benefits

Key benefits for the local community include:

  • efficient and cost-effective wastewater services
  • producing high-quality, recycled water for a range of potential reuses
  • potential to recycle organic waste to generate energy
  • protecting local waterways and aquatic ecosystems via environmental flows
  • producing biosolids for an alternative to chemical fertilisers in agriculture
  • enhancing biodiversity by greening Western Sydney with recycled water
  • supporting the vision for the Western Parkland City, to create quality places for the community, keep water resources in the catchment to support greening and reduce heat island effects
  • generating renewable energy within the AWRC
  • a centre that can respond to changes in demand as our community grows.

The AWRC is Sydney Water’s largest infrastructure investment in Western Sydney and when competed will provide a foundation for a circular economy hub in the Parkland City.

Planning Process

In 2021, Sydney Water prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to describe the project and assess its environmental and community impacts.

The EIS was submitted to the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) and put on public exhibition from 21 October to Wednesday 17 November 2021, giving the community an opportunity to review and make submissions on the findings presented in the document. DPE provided planning approval on 28 November 2022.

To learn more about the project’s planning process and approval, visit DPE’s Major Projects Planning Portal where you will find the below documentation:

Please visit this page regularly for updates as the project progresses through its construction phase.




Sydney Water is building the Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC) in Kemps Creek and associated pipelines to support population and economic growth in Western Sydney.

Construction Information

Our delivery partner, John Holland, is building the AWRC, a treated water pipeline from Kemps Creek to the Nepean River at Wallacia and a brine water pipeline from Kemps Creek to our existing wastewater network at Lansdowne. The pipelines are built underground, mostly in road reserves and public spaces. Some sections of pipeline will need to be installed across private properties.

Construction is underway in parts of Badgerys Creek, Bonnyrigg, Bonnyrigg Heights, Cabramatta, Cabramatta West, Canley Heights, Canley Vale, Cecil Hills, Cecil Park, Elizabeth Hills, Fairfield, Green Valley, Kemps Creek, Lansdowne, Lansvale, Luddenham, Mount Pritchard, Mulgoa and Wallacia.

Our standard working hours are 7 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and 8 am to 1 pm Saturday. We will notify affected people in advance if we need to work outside these hours.

John Holland is working hard to minimise disturbance however some people may experience temporary traffic changes and construction impacts, mostly from machinery that will be used to dig trenches and lay pipes. Construction of the pipelines will occur until late 2025.

When completed in 2026, the AWRC will deliver sustainable wastewater services and high-quality recycled water to support a cooler, greener Western Parkland City, with a wide range of benefits for the entire community.

Community Benefits

Key benefits for the local community include:

  • efficient and cost-effective wastewater services
  • producing high-quality, recycled water for a range of potential reuses
  • potential to recycle organic waste to generate energy
  • protecting local waterways and aquatic ecosystems via environmental flows
  • producing biosolids for an alternative to chemical fertilisers in agriculture
  • enhancing biodiversity by greening Western Sydney with recycled water
  • supporting the vision for the Western Parkland City, to create quality places for the community, keep water resources in the catchment to support greening and reduce heat island effects
  • generating renewable energy within the AWRC
  • a centre that can respond to changes in demand as our community grows.

The AWRC is Sydney Water’s largest infrastructure investment in Western Sydney and when competed will provide a foundation for a circular economy hub in the Parkland City.

Planning Process

In 2021, Sydney Water prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to describe the project and assess its environmental and community impacts.

The EIS was submitted to the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) and put on public exhibition from 21 October to Wednesday 17 November 2021, giving the community an opportunity to review and make submissions on the findings presented in the document. DPE provided planning approval on 28 November 2022.

To learn more about the project’s planning process and approval, visit DPE’s Major Projects Planning Portal where you will find the below documentation:

Please visit this page regularly for updates as the project progresses through its construction phase.




  • Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre and Pipelines

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    Survey and ground investigations in your area from November 2022

    Sydney Water is planning to construct the Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC) in Kemps Creek and associated pipelines to support predicted population and economic growth in Western Sydney, including designated growth areas known as South West Growth Area and Western Sydney Aerotropolis Growth Area.

    We need to survey the land, locate underground services and confirm ground conditions to inform the detailed design of the project. Our investigations will happen at the AWRC site off Clifton Avenue in Kemps Creek and along two pipeline corridors, from Kemps Creek to Wallacia in the west and from Kemps Creek to Lansdowne in the east.

    From November 2022 until early 2023, you may see us working in public spaces like footpaths, parks and road reserves. Our work hours are 7 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and 8 am to 1 pm on Saturdays. We will not work on public holidays.

    We will also need to enter a small number of private properties to complete our investigations. Our delivery partner, John Holland Group, will contact directly affected landowners and residents at least 14 days before work needs to happen on private property. We will work with you to confirm access arrangements and suitable times.

    To reduce traffic disruption and to ensure the safety of our workers and the community, we may need to work in some busy roads at night for short periods. We will provide advanced notice to nearby residents and will explain how we will reduce impacts from our work.

    To know more, please email us at uppersouthcreek@sydneywater.com.au or call our friendly community relations team on 1800 064 127.

    Thank you for your understanding during this work.

  • Upper South Creek AWRC Amendment Report open for comment

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    An Amendment Report to Sydney Water’s Upper South Creek AWRC Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is going on public exhibition on the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) website from Wednesday, 23 March until Tuesday, 5 April.

    The Amendment Report reflects seven minor amendments to the project that were made based on feedback from partners and stakeholders. They include minor realignments of the treated water and brine pipelines, and a change to the AWRC site boundary.

    DPE will consider any submissions received about the Amendment Report when making a decision about the project.

    Please note, Sydney Water’s Amendment Report is not a response to EIS submissions. A separate Submissions Report is currently being prepared by Sydney Water to address submissions received during last year’s EIS exhibition period.

    All Upper South Creek AWRC EIS documents are still available at the Upper South Creek Planning Portal page if you wish to review them.


  • Upper South Creek AWRC EIS Overview Brochure CALD

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    To support the exhibition of the Upper South Creek and AWRC Environmental Impact Statement, Sydney Water has developed a brochure that summarises the EIS.

    We have also translated the brochure into Arabic, Simplified Chinese and Vietnamese.

    The CALD versions are available to download on Sydney Water Talk

    • Read the brochure in Arabic here
    • Read the brochure in Simplified Chinese here
    • Read the brochure in Vietnamese here
  • Community Information Sessions

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    supporting image

    Sydney Water hosted two online information sessions during the exhibition period to help the community better understand the impacts outlined in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

    The sessions were held Friday, 29 October 2021 and Thursday, 4 November 2021 providing the community with an opportunity to meet with the project team, find out more about the project and ask questions.

  • NSW Department of Industry, Planning and Environment EIS Exhibition

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    NSW Department of Industry, Planning and Environment (DPIE) is currently exhibiting the Upper South Creek and AWRC Environmental Impact Statement for public comment. The EIS assesses the project’s impacts and outlines how they will be managed.

    Sydney Water has developed a brochure that summarises the EIS. You can read it here.

  • Culturally and Linguistically Diverse online community information sessions

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    Sydney Water held three culturally and linguistically diverse online community information sessions to allow members of the community to get an update on the project, ask questions, and tell us what they thought about the project.

    The three online sessions were held in Arabic, Vietnamese and Chinese.

    Details of these sessions:

    • Arabic: Friday, 16 July
    • Vietnamese: Friday, 23 July
    • Chinese: Saturday, 24 July
  • SYDNEY LOCKDOWN: Luddenham pop up stall postponed

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    We postponed the community pop up information session at Luddenham Village Café (3035 The Northern Road, Luddenham NSW 2745) that was scheduled for Saturday, 3 July due to the Sydney Lockdown.

  • Mulgoa and Cabramatta pop up stalls postponed due to COVID-19

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    With the safety of the community and our people top of mind, due to the evolving COVID-19 situation in Sydney, we postponed the following community pop up information sessions:

    • Saturday, 26 June at Settlers Café in Mulgoa
    • Tuesday, 29 June in Cabramatta Plaza
    • Thursday, 1 July in Cabramatta Plaza


  • Coming to a café, shop or hall near you

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    supporting image

    Sydney Water hosted multiple 'pop-up' information sessions between Saturday 5 June 2021 and Saturday 3rd July 2021, where the community were given the opportunity to come and meet the team and tell us what they thought about the proposed Advanced Water Recycling Centre’s design.

    The centre in Kemps Creek, just north of Elizabeth Drive, will provide essential wastewater services for West and South West Sydney for generations to come.

    To do this we also need to install two new pipes, one running 17km west and another 24km east.

    The 'pop-up' information sessions were critical in allowing us to minimise any potential disruptions in the neighbourhood.

    If you missed these sessions and still want to tell us what you think, email us at uppersouthcreek@sydneywater.com.au or call 1800 064 127.

  • Online information sessions

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    Sydney Water hosted four online information sessions to allow the community to hear more about the Upper South Creek project.

    Online session 1: Thursday 18 February 2021.

    This session was designed for community interested in the proposed Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre. This included community who live and work close to the future centre in Kemps Creek, near Mamre Road and Elizabeth Drive, and the surrounding suburbs of Badgerys Creek, Luddenham and Penrith.

    Online session 2: Friday 19 February 2021.

    This session was designed for community who live and work in Mulgoa, Wallacia and Warragamba.

    Online session 3: Monday 22 February 2021.

    This session was designed for community who live and work near the M7 and Western Sydney Parklands, Abbotsbury, Cecil Park, Cecil Hills and nearby suburbs.

    Online session 4: Tuesday 23 February 2021.

    This session was designed for community who live and work at Bonnyrigg, Bonnyrigg Heights, Busby, Cabramatta, Cabramatta West, Edensor Park, Fairfield, Lansdowne, Mount Prichard, and nearby suburbs.

Page last updated: 31 Jan 2025, 10:01 AM