Tamworth Regional Council: Tender for effluent reuse farm hoped to attract research partnerships

Tamworth Regional Council wants to put out a new tender for the contract at its effluent reuse farm for the first time in a decade in the hope it will attract research partnerships.

Effluent, which is liquid waste or sewage, is used at the farm to grow mostly lucern crops but the council wants other crops to be investigated.

Waste manager Dan Coe said the goal is to have a government agency, agricultural researchers or a university work hand-in-hand with the farm operations to look into opportunities for effluent reuse.

"The farm has certain unique characteristics, but there is a guaranteed water supply during drought with the effluent that's produced, so it is attractive to farmers," he said.

"One of the opportunities we see is to look at how we improve effluent farms in NSW and Australia which all have their own challenges with soil or environmental conditions.

"Council would like to look at other opportunities like the further treatment of effluent for use in the new industrial area [Tamworth Global Gateway Park]."

The tender contract stipulates that Tamworth Regional Council would retain ownership of the farm and be responsible for environmental monitoring and compliance with the Environmental Protection Authority licence.

It's a five year operating contract with the option of a five year extension.

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The council will supply a minimum of 3000ML of effluent to the farm each year, but retain the right to use 20 per cent of that if it needs.

A major wastewater upgrade in 2010 saw the effluent reuse farm established as the council looked for ways to cut costs associated with discharging water to the river.

The effluent reuse farm was developed to provide sustainable management of effluent from the Westdale Water Treatment Plant to be used in agricultural production.

The goal was to reuse 100 per cent of the effluent in a normal year.

The council decided not to extend the current agreement with Harley Hay in March, that agreement is due to expire in September 2021 but it will begin the process of retendering.