Upgrades underway for SA Water’s SE wastewater plants

SA Water’s $4 million upgrade to three wastewater treatment plants in the South East is underway, with significant progress already being made at its Millicent, Mount Burr and Nangwarry facilities.

The utility has engaged contractor York Civil to improve the concrete tanks used for treating wastewater from the towns of Millicent, Mount Burr and Nangwarry.

Anerobic bacteria thrive without oxygen in the concrete tanks and digest solid waste, so the wastewater can then be thoroughly cleansed by downstream aerobic processes, before being released or recycled for non-potable purposes, such as irrigation.

SA Water’s General Manager of Assets, Operation and Delivery, Mark Gobbie said maintenance to the tanks will extend their service life.

"The modernisation process for these treatment tanks will further secure the reliability of the wastewater treatment plants serving the three towns," Mark said.

The upgrade work at Millicent has been underway since February this year and Nangwarry in March, with the Mount Burr program coming on stream in May.

York Civil and SA Water have mobilised a total of 40 employees to deliver the works, with the first stages finishing across all three sites at the end of July, and a second phase of work at Millicent currently planned for summer.

In order to complete the upgrades, the existing concrete treatment tanks at all three sites have been temporarily taken offline, with SA Water using fabricated preliminary treatment units to treat the wastewater instead.

"Our customers are our top priority, and by using the specially-made tanks, we’re maintaining the same consistent, high standard of wastewater services for each community," Mark said.

"This has enabled us to seamlessly supply wastewater services, in the lead up to the works starting, throughout the project, and will help the transition back to the upgraded tanks in a few weeks’ time.

"Our wastewater facilities are the quiet workhorses of modern society, maintaining public health and protecting the environment, so it’s important we maximise their useful life."

Later this year, the program will continue in Naracoorte where a $2 million improvement project for concrete treatment tanks at the town’s wastewater treatment plant will begin.

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