Taroona Waste Water Treatment Plant Solution

Taroona Waste Water Treatment Plant Solution: Southern Water announces stage one of regional sewage management plan
Southern Water today announced plans to construct a new $5.2 million wastewater pump station and pipeline system at Taroona to replace an ageing wastewater treatment plant. The current plant does not meet modern treatment plant requirements – it often causes odour problems and at times no longer complies with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) licensing conditions.
Currently sewage is treated at the Taroona treatment plant. When the new pump station and pipeline is built, sewage will instead be pumped to the Self’s Point facility via the Sandy Bay pipe network, where it can be treated to a much higher environmental standard.
Southern Water’s CEO, Mr Mike Paine, said this solution demonstrated the benefits of the water reforms in delivering a more efficient regional approach to water and wastewater solutions.
Mr Paine said that he anticipated that the announcement would be welcomed by neighbours and recreational users who have been experiencing odours emanating from the plant for a number of years. He said Southern Water’s investigations had revealed that the river outfall pipe from the existing plant did not reach far beyond the low tide level, which had contributed to the problem.
“Over the past twelve months we’ve been carrying out a thorough assessment of our water and wastewater infrastructure and identifying areas which require urgent attention,” Mr Paine said.
“Studies undertaken by the Kingborough Council highlighted the need for further upgrades to the plant to ensure compliance with EPA standards. However, with the advantages of a regional approach, our investigations revealed that the construction of a new pump station, pipelines and the utilisation of spare capacity at Self’s Point, was a considerably lower cost and much more efficient than upgrading the existing facility. This approach will ensure a better long term solution for the whole community,” Mr Paine said.
The Taroona site is located on the foreshore of the Derwent River at Crayfish Point and is directly adjacent to a marine research centre and a community foreshore walking track. Future options for the site will be considered once pump station designs are finalised.
Details of the pump station draft design and pipeline routes will be made available to the public once plans are completed. Construction is expected to take place in 2011 and take approximately nine months, subject to approval periods from the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources, Kingborough and Hobart councils and the Department of Primary Industries and Water. Southern Water is working with key stakeholders including Kingborough Council, Hobart City Councils, schools and the community on minimising disruption through the construction period.
Southern Water