Coliban Water’s $9 million upgrade to the Rochester Water Reclamation Plant is complete in Victoria, with the plant now able to supply Class B recycled water to irrigation customers in the area.
Chief Operating Officer Neville Pearce said the upgrade meant the plant was now able to treat water to a higher standard, providing up to an additional 240 megalitres of recycled water for the local irrigation district.
“Previously the Rochester site only produced water to a Class C standard.
“This project has improved the treatment technology at Rochester, with the installation of membrane filtration technology, enabling the plant to produce Class B recycled water.
“This is additional capacity we can now supply locally to customers in the nearby Campaspe Irrigation District Scheme,” Mr Pearce said.
Prior to this project customers were supplied with approximately 1,200 megalitres of Class B recycled water per year from the Echuca Water Reclamation Plant.
Completed last month, the upgrade works also included the construction of a 10.2 kilometre transfer pipeline between the water reclamation plant and irrigation storage lagoons at Singer Road in Rochester.
“These lagoons will continue to store Class B water supplied from our Echuca site, as well as the additional 240 megalitres we are now able to produce at Rochester,” Mr Pearce said.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has strict guidelines in place for the supply and reuse of recycled water.
“All of the recycled water provided to our irrigation customers is diluted with raw water and used in accordance with the EPA guidelines in place,” Mr Pearce said.
