TasWater lifts the lid on sewage plant

Launceston’s Ti Tree Bend Sewage Treatment Plant is undergoing significant maintenance work over the next few days with TasWater lifting the lid on one of the plant’s two digesters.

The aim of the maintenance is to improve the plant’s overall performance and reduce the emission of odour.

TasWater CEO Michael Brewster said a blockage in one of the plant’s two digesters is having a significant impact on the operation of the plant.

“It is important for the work to be completed before the busy Christmas period.”

The digesters, built in the 1970s, are a key piece of infrastructure used to break down organic matter into gas and sludge.

“The poor performance of the digesters has been identified as a cause of odour related problems at Ti Tree Bend as they are discharging partially digested (and therefore more odorous) sludge into the drying lagoons,” Mr. Brewster said.

The 70-tonne digester lid was lifted off by crane overnight to the make the most of good weather conditions.

Contractors and TasWater crews will now work around the clock to empty the digester and undertake any maintenance and repairs before the lid is replaced.

It is expected the work will take at least four days to complete.

TasWater is putting into place several processes to help minimise the risk of any smell affecting nearby areas and residents while the work is taking place.

“We expect there to be some odour following the lifting of the digester lid but we are confident that we have adequate measures in place to contain any odour to a localised area,” Mr Brewster said.

A similar project was undertaken at the Newnham Sewage Treatment Plant last year without a single odour complaint.

Residents can expect to see a significant increase in activity in and around Ti Tree Bend over the next few days with crews working 24/7 to ensure the work is completed as quickly as possible.

The work is being carried out at a cost of approximately $400,000 with 90 per cent of the total spend going to local firms.

Mr Brewster said there had been a marked decrease in the number of odour complaints relating to sewage treatment plants across the state over the past 12 months.

TasWater has already introduced a number of measures to reduce odour omissions from the TiTree Bend site and is finalising plans for a significant upgrade to the plant to optimise the its performance and help address on-going odour problems.

TasWater thanks the community for its patience during this maintenance period and should odour in your area become a problem, you should report it to TasWater on 13 6992.
TasWater