Site Name: Waste Water Treatment Plant - Artificial Wetland
Address: Mary River Road, Cooroy.
Directions: Take Mary River Road west of the Cooroy township. Cross Cooroy Creek and turn right opposite the tennis court.
Description: The Constructed Wetlands forms the last stage of the treatment process of the Cooroy Wastewater Treatment Plant. The wetlands removes the nutrients, nitrogen, and phosphorus to low levels. If these nutrients weren't taken up by the plants in the wetlands they would cause algal blooms in Cooroy Creek downstream. The wetlands also produce a very clear water at the outlet.
Birds: Water birds, finches and mannikins. A full list of the birds recorded from this site is available within the Noosa Bird Trail bird species checklist here.
Signage: Look for Queensland Bird Trails logo sign.
Parking: Parking area available behind Johnson Park.
Condition: This site is suitable for all levels of fitness.
Facilities: Table. Public toilet near Old Butter factory on western side of Cooroy.
GPS: Elevation 101m 26° 24' 46.4 " S 152° 54' 25.1 " E

History: The first stage of the Cooroy Wetlands system was constructed by Noosa Council in 1995 as an environmentally sound, low cost option to improve wastewater effluent quality discharging to Cooroy Creek from Cooroy Sewerage Treatment Plant. A series of deep and shallow marsh basins utilise macrophyte plant growth to remove pollutants via a complexity of biological, physical and chemical processes. Problems with flow design, plant disease and waterbirds seriously affected the viability of the project in the first years. Following advice from CSIRO scientists and US wetland engineers, staff constructed Stage 2 of the project incorporating many design changes and a different planting regime. This proved to be very successful, and in 2002 alterations were undertaken on the initial Stage 1 to incorporate the same design improvements. The wetlands now cover an area of 5.3 hectares and there is provision for a future third stage. Capital cost to date is about $450,000 and ongoing maintenance and operation costs are about $50,000 per year. Predominant propagated plant species in the system are Phragmites australis, Lepironia articulata, and Baumea, however many other local wetland species such as Philydrum lanuginosum (Frog's mouth), have naturally propagated and successfully adapted to the nutrient-rich effluent and are assisting in the polishing process. The wetlands is now host to a diversity of natural birdlife of some 94 species. Background testing has confirmed that the water quality of Cooroy Creek has improved significantly since wetlands establishment. The wetlands have been visited by many environmental and scientific professionals from Qld and interstate and it has been the subject of research studies by staff of the School of Environmental Studies from Griffith University. In 2000 Cooroy Wetlands won the ESI Environmental Innovation Award for SE Qld for implementing the most effective processes for wastewater treatment. Remarkably, water quality levels of Cooroy's treated effluent now approach those of the state of the art, multimillion dollar Noosa Heads BNR Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is recognised as among the best in the world. The Cooroy Wetlands is being developed, operated and maintained by a small but dedicated team of Noosa Council Sewerage engineering staff.

Author : Steve Portch - Sewerage Operations Manager, Noosa Council 2003