Sydney Water has formed a landmark partnership with Suez and Acciona, to deliver the first stage of a new pre-treatment plant at Prospect, which aims to secure Greater Sydney’s drinking water supply during periods of extreme weather.
The Suez Acciona joint venture will manage the design and construction of the $838M project, which will have the capacity to treat up to 500 million litres per day. This new facility will serve as a crucial upstream component of the existing Prospect Water Filtration Plant located nearby. Sydney Water said that upgrades to the current filtration plant are planned for a second, later stage of the project.
Almost 85 per cent of Greater Sydney households, around 4.3 million people, receive their drinking water from the Prospect Water Filtration Plant, which takes in and treats water from Warragamba Dam, Upper Nepean Dam and Prospect Reservoir.
Sydney Water Executive General Manager of Infrastructure Delivery, Nicholle Sparkes ,said both the new facility and plant upgrade will ensure continuity of safe drinking water to customers as our climate changes and extreme weather events become more frequent.
“Sydney Water plays a key role in delivering world-class drinking water to our customers every time they turn on a tap, and this project will build more resilience in our network,” Ms Sparkes said.
Sydney Water Program Director, Caine Mertens, said the upgrade will increase treatment capacity to continue providing safe and reliable drinking water to millions of people during periods where raw water quality has been compromised.
“This can happen when extreme storms sweep through after bushfires or extended periods of drought for instance, causing poor water quality inflows to our dams – both of which we have seen in the past decade,” Mr Mertens said.
The Prospect Pre-Treatment Plant Augmentation and Upgrade Project includes three main components, including the new standalone Pre-Treatment Plant, an upgrade to the existing Prospect Water Filtration Plant, and the installation of a new tilting gate to help manage water flow into the Prospect Reservoir.
Construction of the new plant will commence early 2025.
Featured image: Sydney Water.
