Project Overview
The Gippsland Water Factory is an innovative wastewater treatment and recycling system servicing a population base of over 55,000.
The main treatment plant, located at Maryvale, treats up to 35 million litres of wastewater daily from over 19,000 properties in nine towns, and Australian Paper’s Maryvale mill. The system also includes 78 kilometres of pipeline, three pump stations and five upgraded pump stations.
The Gippsland Water Factory can produce about eight million litres of high quality recycled water each day that is sold to Australian Paper for use at its Maryvale mill. This can free up about three billion litres (1,200 Olympic-size swimming pools) of fresh water each year for use in Gippsland. These uses may be for environmental flows in local rivers, drinking, or to support further growth in the area.
The wastewater treatment plant is the first of its kind in Australia, as it uses ground-breaking technology in its processes. It is also believed the Gippsland Water Factory was the first treatment plant in the world to combine anaerobic pre-treatment with membrane bioreactor processing to effectively treat kraft pulp mill wastewater.
The Gippsland Water Factory delivers a range of benefits to the Gippsland region, including addressing the odour previously generated in the open channel section of the Regional Outfall Sewer (ROS).
The Gippsland Water Factory is also home to the Vortex Centre - Gippsland Water’s new water educational resource. The facility features interactive displays, touch-screens and videos, with a focus on water conservation and sustainable water management; highlighting water as a precious resource.
The Gippsland Water Factory project was delivered by a project alliance, a group of participants working collaboratively and sharing equal responsibility for the project's design, construction and commissioning. The alliance partners were Gippsland Water, Transfield Services Limited, CH2M HILL and Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Why did we need the Gippsland Water Factory?
The ‘ROS’
The Regional Outfall Sewer (ROS) was built in the 1950s and was a source of community concern and complaints. Starting in Morwell, the ROS transported untreated wastewater for 87 kilometres through to the Duston Downs treatment facility. The final 41 kilometres of this journey was along an open channel.
While it was extremely effective in transferring wastewater for more than 50 years, untreated wastewater travelling in an open channel for this distance was no longer acceptable in Australia. The Gippsland Water factory was needed to treat this wastewater before it entered the ROS.
Odour
Removing raw sewage from the open channel section of the ROS was a key driver for the Gippsland Water Factory.
In 1997, the Environment Protection Authority placed a pollution abatement notice on Gippsland Water due to complaints about the odour emitted from the open channel section of the ROS.
The Gippsland Water Factory’s Maryvale treatment plant treats wastewater generated in the Latrobe Valley and Rosedale before it enters the ROS ensuring it is free of the organics that caused the odour.
Sale and Fulham’s wastewater no longer flows into the ROS. It is piped separately to Dutson Downs via a new pipeline constructed as part of the Gippsland Water Factory project.
Asset life
In addition to the odour issue in the open channel section, there was a capacity issue in the piped section of the ROS. With growth continuing in Gippsland, it was expected the piped section of the ROS would have eventually had insufficient capacity to cope during peak wet weather periods.
The Gippsland Water Factory addresses this issue by recycling about eight million litres of the wastewater it treats each day and selling it to Australian Paper for use in its industrial processes at its Maryvale Mill. This recycled water is piped directly to Australian Paper which is contracted to buy the water, which means it does not need to travel down the ROS.
The condition of the pipe section of the ROS was also an area of concern that was addressed by the Gippsland Water Factory. The organics in the wastewater that previously travelled down the ROS were causing corrosion in the pipe. Treating the wastewater at Gippsland Water Factory first ensures only highly treated wastewater, free of the organics that cause corrosion, travels down the ROS.
Saving three billion litres of fresh water every year for use in Gippsland!
By recycling eight million litres of wastewater a day and selling it to Australian Paper for use in its industrial processes, the Gippsland Water Factory will free-up fresh water in the Latrobe/Moondarra system. About three billion litres (1,200 Olympic-size swimming pools) of fresh water will be saved each year for use in Gippsland; these uses may be for environmental flows in Gippsland rivers, drinking, or to support further growth in the area.