Central Coast Council has completed its second and longest temporary shutdown of Mardi Water Treatment Plant, marking a major milestone for the project.
The four-week plant shutdown was accomplished as scheduled, aided by the absence of heavy rainfall across July 2024.
The shutdown follows the first shutdown in April 2024 and will improve the safety of treated drinking water, durability of existing structures and increase flexibility and efficiency in operating the treatment plant.
Mardi Water Treatment Plant typically provides around half of all drinking water to the Central Coast. During the shutdowns, water production for the region was supported by Somersby Water Treatment Plant, existing network storages, and Central Coast Council’s shared water connection to Hunter Water.
Future-proofing of the asset is crucial to Council’s Water Security Plan and highlights water conservation as a shared responsibility between Council and its customers.
Central Coast Council said that as part of the major upgrades, Council informed the community that its water supply network would not always operate at full capacity.
Council also said that it still has plenty of work to do it moves through the next stages of the upgrade. The next phase of the Mardi Water Treatment Plant Upgrade will include shorter shutdowns between September 2024 and September 2025.
Works will involve completion of design work and continued progress towards construction of the 40mx50m dissolved air flotation concrete structure.
This $82.5 million project is being delivered by Central Coast Council in partnership with the New South Wales Government’s Restart Safe and Secure Water Program, which has contributed $6.85 million.
The $1 billion Safe and Secure Water Program is supporting more than 260 projects across regional New South Wales that are in various stages of delivery.
Featured image: Hao Ye/shutterstock.com
