August 2006

Water Reuse Project Progress to Benefit Local Economy

Northern Territory local business will soon benefit from tenders, valued at several million dollars, recently released by the Power and Water Corporation to complete the infrastructure for the Water Reuse in the Alice project.

Power and Water’s Project Manager Mark Skinner said that work and tenders valued at over $8 million have been let or advertised since the project began in 2003.

Once complete, the project will fulfil Power and Water’s commitment to the community to cease dry weather overflows to Ilparpa Swamp and to recycle precious water rather than let it go to waste.

“Recently a tender was advertised for the buildings and civil works for a Dissolved Air Flotation Plant, capable of processing six megalitres per day,” said Mr Skinner.

“These buildings, which have been specially designed by local Alice Springs architect Brendan Meeney, will house the specialised mechanical and electrical equipment, which will treat the water from the ponds to a standard suitable for underground storage.

“Once treated, a small pumping station at the existing waste stabilisation site will pump the water via a pipeline to the Arid Zone Research Institute (AZRI).

“The other tender recently advertised is for construction of the Soil Aquifer Treatment basins at AZRI. They will take treated water from the pipeline and spread it over a relatively small area to allow it to infiltrate into storage underground.”

The Water Reuse in the Alice project will see an end to treated water from our wastewater ponds overflowing into the Ilparpa Swamp during dry weather, and evaporating.

At this stage the treated water will be pumped from the underground storage aquifer and used for horticulture projects. Power and Water will also be looking at the opportunity for other potential customers along the length of the reuse pipeline to participate in the recycling of water.

The Department of Health and Community Services, which monitors mosquito numbers in Ilparpa Swamp, has reported that numbers are very low. Power and Water is continuing to manage this by pulse discharging water into St Mary’s Creek in accordance with the Ilparpa Swamp Management Plan. These discharges are the key to mosquito reduction since they are instrumental in breaking the breeding cycle of mosquitoes.