Plant Upgrade Minimizes Wastewater Discharge into Ocean, Maximizes Production of Recycled Water

Projects

Plant Upgrade Minimizes Wastewater Discharge into Ocean, Maximizes Production of Recycled Water

Project Name

Eastern Treatment Plant Tertiary Upgrade

Location

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Client

Melbourne Water Corporation

Melbourne Water Corporation’s Eastern Treatment Plant (ETP) processes 40 percent of Melbourne’s wastewater each day and serves 1.6 million people. It is the second-largest wastewater treatment plant in Australia and the largest activated sludge plant in the Southern Hemisphere.

The ETP produced chlorinated secondary effluent, which was discharged via a 56-km pipeline into the ocean. The discharge point at Boags Rocks was through a nearshore outfall, and the discharge was apparent to beach users and surfers.

Class A Recycled Water

In 2006, the Victorian Government announced that the ETP-treated effluent discharge was to be upgraded to reduce its environmental impact. The Eastern Tertiary Alliance (ETA), including Melbourne Water and Black & Veatch, was subsequently formed to deliver the plant upgrade.

Black & Veatch selected a process train of ozonation, media filtration, ultraviolet irradiation and chlorination that provided significant improvements to the quality of discharge into the environment.

The process also produces Class A recycled water that can be used by the community. This has avoided the significant costs of extending the nearshore outfall.