A $10 million upgrade to the Melton Recycled Water Plant is expected to address the challenges of climate change and improve the plant’s sewerage sludge facility.
Western Water (WW) unveiled its corporate plan earlier this month, announcing it will invest $80 million in capital works, including upgrades to the Sunbury, Gisborne and Melton recycled-water plants.
WW says it hopes to work closely with local governments, developers and planning authorities to ensure water management is incorporated in planning of new communities.
WW’s corporate plan also anticipates a 12.3 per cent increase in household prices over five years
from 2018, and has cited population growth as the main driver of the price increase. It predicts the population to grow – mainly around Melton and Sunbury – by about 20 per cent by 2023.
A spokeswoman said WW had been working on a staged series of upgrades to the Melton plant for the past nine years, with more than $50 million invested over this period.
“This has included stage one and two upgrades to the main plant, the addition of the Class-A recycled water plant, which treats water to a standard high enough for household use, and the biogas co-generation facility, which burns waste gas to produce electricity,” she said.
The $10 million upgrade is stage three of the upgrades and will cost about $4.5 million this financial year. The upgrades to the plant’s bio-solids facility include a new building for equipment, new anaerobic digester and new biogas storage.
The spokeswoman said this would ensure WW could continue to provide “safe and effective” sewerage services to Melton’s growing population.
Water quality and sewerage services are not expected to be affected during the upgrades, which are due to start in early 2017 and be finished by mid-2018.
A community engagement reference group has been appointed and residents are being encouraged to get involved and have their say.
For details about the group, the upgrades or corporate plan, visit westernwater.com.au
