Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre

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 is 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:

• Environmental Impact Statement
• Submissions Report
• Amendment Report
• Submission Report – Project Amendments
• Minister’s Conditions of Approval

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