Key benefits include:
- improvements to the quality of surface water run-off into local waterway
- improvements to water quality and aquatic life in Kangaroo River and Lake Yarrunga
- eliminating the need for on-site wastewater treatment and pump out operations
- helping local tourism and recreational activities which are significant contributors to the local economy
- providing beneficial reuse of highly treated wastewater for local agricultural irrigation purposes
The scheme is designed to service the permanent population of Kangaroo Valley and also meet the demands of the peak holiday population with a capacity of up to 1,400 people.
The overall sewerage scheme comprises the following elements:
- an underground pipe network throughout the village with mains pipes being laid within public land
- a pressure pump and tank unit on individual private properties
- a modern, fully enclosed water reclamation facility on dairy farming land about 2km east of Kangaroo Valley
- a storage facility and irrigation system to service the dairy farming land with the highly treated reclaimed water
- a diversion system to direct excess reclaimed water to Kangaroo River during high rainfall periods
The Kangaroo Valley Sewerage Scheme was constructed through a funding partnership between Shoalhaven Water and the NSW State Government. State Government funding is provided through the NSW Office of Water's Country Towns Water Supply and Sewerage Program and the Sydney Catchment Authority's Accelerated Sewerage Program.
The scheme was opened by Hon. Katrina Hodgkinson, MP on 18 November 2013.
In 2014, Shoalhaven Water was a finalist at the Australian Engineering Excellence Awards for the category of Engineering for Regional Communities. The Kangaroo Valley Sewerage Scheme was recognised as a project that demonstrates a strong benefit to the community of Kangaroo Valley in the economy, the environment and as a resource developed to assist the growth and lifestyle of the Valley.