Background
Western Sydney International Airport (WSA) is a landmark project being developed on a 1,780-hectare site to support Sydney’s growing aviation needs. From the outset, WSA placed a strong focus on sustainability and water management, setting site-specific water quality standards to protect local waterways and ensure safe, long-term airport operations.
The construction works presented significant challenges. Decades of historic land use left elevated salts, nutrients, and metals in the soil, while development of the site altered natural drainage patterns and increased the risk of sediment and pollutant runoff into nearby creeks. To address these issues, WSA implemented a comprehensive water management plan with detention basins and bio-retention systems to slow and treat stormwater before it leaves the site.
Supporting a 24/7 airport also required a secure, sustainable non-potable water supply. WSA needed a system capable of blending rainwater and municipal recycled water, each with variable flow rates and quality, into a consistent, compliant water source for toilets, irrigation, and cooling towers.
Objectives
The project aimed to deliver a reliable, fit-for-purpose water treatment solution to support round-the-clock airport operations. The system needed to:
- Treat both harvested rainwater and municipal recycled water to meet WSA’s strict reuse standards.
- Automatically adapt to changing flow rates and variable water quality.
- Provide a continuous, safe non-potable water supply for toilets, irrigation, and cooling towers across the 1,780-hectare precinct.
- Reduce reliance on mains water and help WSA achieve its sustainability and compliance targets.
Challenges
Designing a treatment system for WSA meant managing two separate water sources, harvested rainwater and municipal recycled water, each with fluctuating flow rates and changing quality. The system had to automatically adjust in real time to ensure every drop met WSA’s strict reuse standards.
Any lapse in treatment could disrupt critical airport services, from cooling towers and irrigation to toilet flushing across a high-capacity precinct designed for up to 10 million passengers annually. The solution also needed to be compact, fully automated, and capable of running continuously with redundancy to guarantee reliability.
Solution
Southland Filtration designed and delivered the final stage of water treatment for the airport’s non-potable water system. This prefabricated, skid-mounted solution was engineered to handle fluctuating flows and variable water quality while consistently meeting WSA’s reuse standards.
Our solution featured:
- Judo fine screen filtration to capture remaining sediment and suspended solids
- Healthshield UV disinfection to inactivate microorganisms without chemicals
- Duty/standby configuration to maintain operation even during maintenance
- Autofine automated backwashing to eliminate manual filter changes
By delivering this robust, fully automated system, we helped WSA achieve its water security and sustainability objectives while reducing dependence on mains water.
Outcome
The treatment system now provides a safe, reliable, and compliant non-potable water supply to support the airport’s operations 24/7. The automated design reduces lifecycle costs through minimal maintenance, while the duty/standby configuration ensures uninterrupted service even during system maintenance.
The compact, prefabricated design allowed for rapid installation and commissioning with minimal site disruption, and is future-ready, allowing easy upgrades as WSA expands to accommodate future growth.
In Summary
Southland Filtration delivered a custom, fully automated treatment solution that transforms variable water sources into a safe, reliable supply for Western Sydney International Airport. By enabling continuous operations, reducing mains water use, and supporting long-term sustainability targets, this system plays a vital role in the airport’s commitment to environmental stewardship and operational excellence.
Talk to us about your next project.
Find out how Southland Filtration can deliver automated, prefabricated solutions for rainwater and council water treatment tailored to your facility.
Call us to discuss your project at 1800 656 771 or click on the button below to speak to Michael Loomes-Sales Manager.
Southland Filtration is a leading Australian provider of commercial water filtration solutions. We’ve been helping businesses since 1995 with a focus on quality, custom solutions, and reliable service. We work with businesses and organisations in Australia and New Zealand to address their unique water challenges and maintain the highest standards.