A new exhibition at Newcastle Art Space aims to spark conversation about water use and the pressures on urban water systems. Titled 'Freshwater to Fatbergs', the show opens on Saturday, May 9, and runs until May 31.
The exhibition encourages smarter water use and highlights the impact of fats, oils and wipes on sewer systems. It also serves as a creative documentation of the former Tomago Water Treatment Plant, preserving its cultural and operational history.
In 2025, artists Todd Fuller, Edwina Richards and Isabel Gomez, along with curator Madeleine K. Snow, visited the soon-to-be-demolished delivery station and toured the Hunter Water site, including the heritage-listed Spray Basins built during World War II.
The 1960s delivery station, described by Snow as brutalist and utilitarian, treated Tomago groundwater and water from Grahamstown Dam. It has reached the end of its operational life and will be replaced with solar panels, according to Hunter Water's Rhys Blackmore.
The exhibition features artworks by more than 50 artists and provides an accessible entry point for the community to engage with complex water issues, including what happens beyond the tap and down the drain.
