Wannon Water has nearly completed its $85 million Warrnambool sewage treatment plant upgrade, involving the installation of a new influent pump station.

Over the past six months, the utility has taken significant steps on what is its largest-ever infrastructure project, first completing the site’s pre-commissioning and wet commissioning. It then took a month to connect the plant to the existing network.

In process commissioning that followed, new tanks were seeded by transferring micro-organisms from the old sewage treatment plant to the new facility. Capacity has been steadily increased from 2 megalitres (ML) per day per tank to 5ML per day – with the old and new plants sharing 50 per cent of the load until the new facility is fully proven.

Warrnambool’s new sewage treatment plant will be able to process 12ML of sewage per day at full capacity, which Wannon Water said is key to meeting the growing needs of local homes, businesses and industry.

“It’s an absolutely vital project designed to meet future industrial and residential growth in our region and return huge economic benefits,” Wannon Water managing director Steven Waterhouse said.

The build has seen Wannon Water install a new influent pump station and screening facility (both of which are now operational), along with a new chemical dosing facility, odour control facility and two new treatment tanks.

While Wannon Water has based the upgrade on the existing plant’s proven technology, the utility has also incorporated new treatment technologies, latest design principles and additional allowance to support future needs.

The site is expected to be fully operational in the coming weeks. Wannon Water services more than 30 communities in south-west Victoria.

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