Melbourne Water has turned the first sod of the A$711m ($462m) Western Treatment Plant resource recovery and re-use complex in Victoria, Australia.
According to the Victorian government-owned company, the upgradation of the Western Treatment Plant will improve the durability of the sewerage system.
It will also advance resource recovery and aid in Melbourne Water’s path to net zero by enhancing the site’s solids treatment process.
The new investment in the Western Treatment Plant will transform it into a modern facility that will help reduce greenhouse emissions and contribute towards Melbourne’s raising sewerage requirements, said Melbourne Water.
Located in Werribee, the Western Treatment Plant resource recovery and re-use complex is a joint partnership initiative between Melbourne Water and John Holland Group.
Currently, the Western Treatment Plant handles 200 billion litres of sewage every year. The capacity will be increased by almost 50% after the completion of the project.
The upgradation is expected to take three years for its completion, with full operation scheduled in 2029.
Melbourne Water managing director Nerina Di Lorenzo said: “The Resource Recovery and Re-Use Complex is a major milestone in the transformation of the Western Treatment Plant and will enable rapid evolution of the site to meet the needs of the next decade and beyond.”
The resource recovery and re-use complex consists of four projects. The projects will introduce new preliminary and primary treatment processes along with better solids handling and anaerobic digestion processes.
Besides, the resource recovery and re-use complex will have a new receiving facility to receive and treat tankered waste from customers and a new liquid food waste facility to receive waste from industrial customers.
