Elsie Lange
Greater Western Water (GWW) has appointed a delivery partner to upgrade the Gisborne Recycled Water Plant (RWP) to meet the needs of the growing region.
A GWW statement said the new facility will be designed, constructed and operated by Comdain Infrastructure, part of the Service Stream Group, with works beginning in late 2022. GWW is investing about $35 million on the plant upgrade.
Built in the 1980s, the sewage plant treats wastewater from Gisborne, New Gisborne, Macedon and Mount Macedon, producing Class B recycled water used for local agriculture and recreation irrigation.
According to GWW, the remainder of the recycled water is released into Jackson’s Creek under an Environmental Protection Authority Victoria licence.
GWW growth and infrastructure general manager Amanda Smith said due to population growth, the plant is approaching its capacity and the upgrade is needed to better serve the community and protect the environment.
“The plant is a vital community asset treating community wastewater since the 1980s, but the region is growing and the local population is expected to increase by around 40 per cent by 2036,” Ms Smith said.
“We’re meeting this challenge by investing in the plant upgrade, to ensure we can manage the increasing volumes of wastewater by turning it into fit-for-purpose recycled water.
The plant currently has the capacity to treat close to two million litres per day and when the upgrade is completed, this will increase to 3.65 million litres per day.”
Ms Smith said the upgrade will improve the quality of recycled water and the plant’s energy efficiency by almost 40 per cent, with the new facility operational by 2025.
Details: yoursay.gww.com.au/GisborneRWP
