The Ballarat North Water Reclamation Project
The Ballarat North Water Reclamation Project
is an exciting project. As a central component of Central
Highlands Water's SmartCycle® initiative and an
important option in our Long Term Water Resource Options
Paper: "Securing Ballarat and District's Future
Water Supply", this project will provide significant
benefits for the region, particularly in terms of the
environment and potable water resources, whilst ensuring
Central Highlands Water's ongoing regulatory compliance.
Latest information
Central Highlands Water has concluded
the transaction process and on the 21st May 2006 executed
a Design, Build and Operate Contract with United Water
International (UWI).
UWI commenced operation of the existing
WWTP on the 21st June 2006, and works on the new plant
are underway.
The new Treatment Plant will be commissioned
and commence operation late in 2007.
Background
The project is part of Central Highlands
Water's SmartCycle® initiative.
Central Highlands Water's previous tender
process has ended without agreement being reached with
any of the tenderers.
Central Highlands Water's Board has reaffirmed
its long term strategy of achieving reuse from the Ballarat
North Plant.
The overriding objective of the Strategy
is to ensure that Central Highlands Water is at all
times fully compliant with SEPP Waters of Victoria and
EPA licence conditions with respect to the treatment
of wastewater at its proposed Ballarat North Water Reclamation
Plant and any subsequent reuse of reclaimed water from
this site via sustainable reuse agreements.
Central Highlands Water plans to implement
the Strategy by developing a water reclamation plant
at the existing Ballarat North Wastewater Treatment
Plant that will provide reclaimed water at a quality
suitable for a range of potential reuse applications,
including urban, public and agricultural applications.
Central Highlands Water intends to initially
upgrade the Ballarat North Wastewater Treatment Plant
to tertiary standards, through a private industry partner,
whilst simultaneously exploring potential reuse customers
and applications. Once those customers and the required
Reclaimed Water standards have been identified, the
Ballarat North Water Reclamation Plant will be further
upgraded and servicing infrastructure (pump station,
pipelines etc) installed to enable Central Highlands
Water to develop a reuse scheme to service its reuse
customers.
What is the aim of the project?
Central Highlands Water is encouraging
private enterprises to become involved in this exciting
project, and to submit proposals to design, construct,
finance and operate this exciting community-commercial
venture. The enterprise is to be in operation in 2007.
Central Highlands Water is seeking to
form a long term relationship under a Design, Build
and Operate (DBO) contract with a private sector entity
(Promoter) who will become responsible initially for
the operation of the existing Ballarat North Wastewater
Treatment Plant and for the development and operation
of the Ballarat North water Reclamation Plant in accordance
with licence conditions set by the Environment Protection
Authority for the Plant. At the direction of Central
Highlands Water, the Promoter will subsequently become
responsible for the further upgrade of the Ballarat
North Water Reclamation Plant to provide higher standards
of Reclaimed water, and for the development and operation
of the reuse scheme infrastructure servicing Central
Highlands Water's Reclaimed Water customers.
Central Highlands Water has received approval
from the Minister for Water and from the Treasurer to
proceed with the Project and to develop a DBO contract
under the provision of the State Government's Partnerships
Victoria Policy. This approval is subject to Tenderers
bettering Central Highlands Water's Project PSC.
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