Barwon Water - Golden Plains Shire SSOW

Barwon Water - Golden Plains Shire SSOW is a waste diversion project primarily located at the Black Rock Water Reclamation Plant in Connewarre, approximately 18km south of Geelong, Victoria. Registered in April 2025, the project focuses on processing organic waste sourced from the Golden Plains Shire region, which includes towns such as Bannockburn and Inverleigh. The project is a key component of the wider Regional Renewable Organics Network (RRON), a partnership between Barwon Water and local councils to transition the region towards a circular economy.

The project operates under the Source Separated Organic Waste (SSOW) methodology. This involves separating organic material, such as food scraps and garden waste (FOGO), at the point of generation (households and businesses) to prevent it from entering landfill. Instead, the waste is transported to a specialized facility where it undergoes enclosed composting or anaerobic digestion. These processes capture potential methane emissions and convert the waste into valuable by-products like nutrient-rich digestate, biochar, and biogas, which is used to generate renewable electricity. Uniquely, this specific project designation also includes a charity diversion activity, allowing for the redistribution of edible food to registered charities, further reducing waste volume.

The Golden Plains and greater Barwon region is characterized by its volcanic plains, featuring heavy clay and basalt soils that support extensive agriculture, particularly grazing and cropping. The area typically experiences moderate rainfall, although it is subject to a drying climate trend which drives the local focus on sustainable water and resource management.

An interesting feature of this project is its integration into a "closed-loop" system; the energy produced from the waste helps power the water reclamation plant, while the biochar and compost produced are returned to local soils to improve agricultural productivity and carbon sequestration.