Part 1B of Shoalhaven Water’s Reclaimed Water Management Scheme is expected to be completed mid-2019, and will have huge benefit for the region’s dairy fams, golf courses and sporting fields.
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The project, known as REMS is one of the largest and more complex water recycling schemes undertaken by a regional water authority.
The first stage, titled 1A, was commissioned in January 2002, and currently irrigates 14 dairy farms, a golf course and several sporting fields around the Shoalhaven with reclaimed water.
As part of the $110 million second stage, 1B, both Nowra and Bomaderry waterwaste treatment plants will be upgraded to maximise the availability of reclaimed water for the irrigation of public areas and farmland.
The upgrades of the Nowra and Bomaderry treatment plants are approximately 75 per cent complete, according to Shoalhaven Water asset planning and development section manager Robert Horner.
“All buildings and process structures are complete with mechanical and electrical fit-out progressing well, internal roadworks have [also] commence,” Mr Horner said.
“Once the fit-out is complete the new treatment plants will enter into commissioning phase, which includes operation and testing, prior to handing over the facilities to council.”
A key element of the project is a pipeline under the Shoalhaven River, which will supply reclaimed water from the Bomaderry Wastewater Treatment Plant to the Nowra Wastewater Treatment Plant and REMS irrigation areas.
Mr Horner said the planned route of the pipeline had to be slightly altered, due to “geotechnical constraints”.
“Council tendered the transfer main component of the project as a concept, with the successful contractor required to undertake further investigations and develop a final design,” Mr Horner said.
“Those investigations revealed some geotechnical constraints that required the transfer main route to be altered, [though] not significantly.”
Eventually, the reclaimed water from Nowra and Bomaderry treatment plants will be available for reuse on dairy farms, golf courses and playing fields.
“This reclaimed water will supplement that currently produced by the four treatment plants already delivering reclaimed water for irrigation at St Georges Basin, Huskisson/Vincentia, Callala and Culburra,” Mr Horner said.
“The delivery of the reclaimed water from Nowra and Bomaderry will almost double the volume available for beneficial reuse and significantly reduce the current discharges to the Shoalhaven River.”
Mr Horner said the reclaimed water would also be much higher quality to that currently produced. The new treatment plants will also provide additional capacity to cater for future development growth in the area.
REMS 1B will almost double the allocated irrigation area to more than 600 hectares, including dairy farms, golf courses, sporting fields and other recreation areas.
Since the first stage of REMS commenced in 2002, approximately 24 billion litres, of reclaimed water produced by the scheme has been reused.
Madeline Crittenden
Madeline Crittenden is a journalist for Fairfax Media at the South Coast Register.
Madeline Crittenden is a journalist for Fairfax Media at the South Coast Register.
