Located on the south east coast of New South Wales, Bega Valley Shire is in the process of upgrading its wastewater treatment systems. The Bega Valley Sewerage Program (BVSP) aims to meet environmental obligations and cater for population growth over a planning horizon of 20 years.
Commencing in 2003, the program involves upgrades to Council’s five existing sewage treatment plants. It also includes the introduction of five new sewerage schemes to previously unsewered villages, which were experiencing difficulties as a result of discharges from onsite systems in environmentally sensitive areas.
Council, through an alliance with TESIB (a Tenix Alliance business) formed BVSP, which will carry out the upgrades, providing healthy and environmentally sustainable outcomes.
The aims of the project are to:
- maintain Environment Protection Authority compliance and enhance environmental outcomes
- ensure Council has access to the latest technologies and/or innovations, and has the ability to introduce these to the sewerage systems at the appropriate time
- maintain/enhance service delivery standards
- ensure the community is well informed about the program, and has the opportunity to provide input.
BVSP Program Manager, Warwick Stone, said innovative technologies have been adopted for the sewerage schemes.
“Pressure sewerage systems are being installed in each of the five villages,” he said. “In four of the villages, state of the art Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) technology is being employed to ensure the highest treatment quality available. This will then enable the beneficial reuse of reclaimed water on community land.”
Council consulted with the community in a number of ways, including information sessions, newsletters for each town, advertising in local media, responding to resident inquiries and visiting every property in villages receiving the new systems.
“This has allowed any misinformation to be cleared up and the community has been able to form informed decisions and opinions about the scheme in their village,” Warwick Stone said.
In 2002, the New South Wales State Government agreed to contribute $24 million to the project. The total cost is expected to reach $58 million.
Upgrades at the Tathra and Tura Beach plants are already complete, with the first of the village schemes at Cobargo nearing completion. The entire program is due for completion in 2007.
For further information contact Warwick Stone on (02) 6491 6300.
