western treatment plant
The Western Treatment at Werribee is one of the world's largest sewage treatment plants. Covering 10,850 hectares, the plant treats more than half of Melbourne's sewage, or about 412 million litres a day. The plant is an acknowledged world leader in technical and environmental innovation, and its internationally recognised wetlands are a haven for thousands of birds.
What activities are available for my group?
- Guided tours of the Western Treatment Plant
- Educational activities for schools
- Maximum group size and minimum fee
- Excursion resources
Note: Western Treatment Plant tours are not suitable for Prep to Year 2 students. Consider instead tours of Yan Yean and Maroondah Reservoirs. For more information about these tours, visit Eco-Adventures.
Guided tours of the Western Treatment Plant
Western Treatment Plant tour
We provide guided tours for schools and community groups that have pre booked. These tours can be arranged for:
- Monday to Friday
- Between 10.00am - 4.00pm
Visitors will learn:
- how sewage is treated in harmony with nature
- how methane gas is used to produce electricity for the plant
- what we're doing to decrease the amount of nitrogen entering Port Phillip Bay from the plant
- what we're doing to increase water recycling.
Groups are required to supply a bus for the tour and ensure that the bus company has the appropriate public liability insurance policy ($10 million minimum) before the visit.
Costs
| Group Type | Tour Length (hours) | Cost per person (GST included) |
Minimum booking fee (GST Included) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years 3 - 9 | 1 | $3.60 | $180 |
| Years 10 - 12 | 2 | $7.20 | $180 |
| Seniors (eg Probus groups) | 2.5 | $9.00 (includes a morning tea) | $210 |
| TAFE, tertiary and community groups | 1-2 | $7.20 - $10.80 (depending on length) | $210 |
| International delegation - general interest tour only | 1.5 | $12.00 | $375 |
Educational Activities
Wetland Food Chain Game
Schools are able to book up to three of our 45 minute activities in addition to the guided tours.
| Activity | Year Level | Cost per person (GST inclusive) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery Centre guided session | Years 3 - 12 | $3.60 | Where does our drinking water come from? What goes on beneath our city? How is water recycled? What happens to rainwater after a storm? Take a guided tour of the water cycle story from the catchments to the coast and learn how we’re helping to create a sustainable future. |
| Living in a Catchment | Years 5 - 10 | $3.60 | What is a catchment? What’s in a catchment? What are the differences between the upper, middle and lower regions of a catchment? Students construct a giant jigsaw puzzle in teams to study the factors that affect water quality. |
| Stormwater Story | Years 3 - 6 | $3.60 | How does litter and rubbish end up in our rivers and creeks? Students actively take on roles in a journey down the Yarra River from catchment to coast, to see how humans impact on the quality of stormwater. |
| Wetland Food Chain Game | Years 3 - 6 | $3.60 | What happens to our food chain when there are too many predators? Students find out through this interactive game, which illustrates the food cycle and energy transfer in our special wetland environments. The game demonstrates the effects of pollution and predators on the transfer of energy between trophic levels. |
| What Goes Where? | Years 5 – 10 | $3.60 | Where should household wastes go? What can go onto the compost heap, the recycling bin, and in the bin? What should go into the sewerage and stormwater systems? In this interactive game, student teams actively debate the answer to these questions. |
Maximum group size and minimum fee
| Group Type | Maximum group size | Minimum booking fee (GST included) |
|---|---|---|
| Years 3 - 6 | 90 students | $180 |
| Years 7 - 12 | 90 students | $180 |
| TAFE, tertiary and community groups | 50 people | $210 |
| International delegation | 30 people | $375 |
Pre/Post Tour Activities
| Year level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Years 3-4 | What ends up at the Western Treatment Plant? (PDF, 836kb) |
| Years 5-6 | From past to present? (PDF, 1.5mb) |
| Years 7-8 | Micro-organisms at work (PDF, 1.2mb) |
| Years 9-10 | Cleaning up sewage (PDF, 1.4mb) |
Further resources
The Western Treatment Plant Explorer has information and resources designed to be used with a tour - whether it is the virtual or actual tour - of the Western Treatment Plant.
Thirty excursion resource activities are provided to help you plan the tour and to imbed it in your teaching program.