Aldinga wastewater upgrade enables sustainable southern growth

SA Water will invest approximately $15 million to further increase the capacity of the Aldinga Wastewater Treatment Plant, to ensure water used by the area’s steadily growing population continues to be managed in a safe and sustainable manner.

The upgrade, which will begin this month and is expected to be complete in around mid-2019, builds upon the facility’s 2011 expansion, and will take the site’s total capacity to 3.2 million litres of wastewater inflow per day.

New infrastructure including wastewater inlet screens, a primary sedimentation tank and sludge storage facilities will be built within the treatment plant precinct, and a range of other works will be completed on some of the site’s existing assets to increase their functionality.

SA Water General Manager Asset Operations and Delivery Mark Gobbie said the treatment plant and local sewerage network both play an essential role in maintaining public health and sanitation by containing and treating sewage.

"Our wastewater facilities – such as Aldinga – are the quiet workhorses, maintaining public health, protecting the environment and stimulating the economy by delivering water for non-drinking purposes – so it’s vital they’re equipped for growth," Mark said.

"Once it’s been put to good use, our wastewater can have a productive second life as high-quality recycled water for use in our toilets and gardens, as well as for public and commercial irrigation.

"As well as enabling water-sensitive development, the plant’s recycling capabilities and supply scheme fosters the ongoing health of Gulf St Vincent, with only the clean, recycled water produced above demand and storage capacity being released to the ocean."

SA Water is the second-largest recycler of water in Australia, and has helped the state become smarter with water use to address the challenges of living in the driest state, on the driest inhabited continent on the planet.

Aldinga Wastewater Treatment Plant’s upgrades were staged to coincide with residential and commercial growth in the region, which is still continuing at a reduced but steady pace.

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