The New South Wales Government and Armidale Regional Council have invested $1.2 million into an upgrade for Armidale’s sewage treatment plant, enabling design works to get underway.
The work will complete the design to upgrade the more than 80-year-old plant, constructing a modern state-of-the-art facility capable of improving effluent quality and supporting the town’s future growth.
The current infrastructure is past its use by date and can no longer keep up with demand which is why the current trickling filter plant will be replaced with a high-tech plant fit for the 21st century.
It is designed to be more user friendly for the operators, require less maintenance and, more importantly, will better protect the environment by treating sewage to a much higher standard.
The project is being co-funded by the New South Wales Government’s Safe and Secure Water Program and Armidale Regional Council with both contributing $617,226 each.
Once the design work is complete, the project will be shovel ready.
New South Wales Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) Executive Director Infrastructure Development, Lisa Hingerty, said that this money will help Armidale complete the design work that will help secure an upgraded and improved facility that boosts its wastewater services ensuring the infrastructure can meet the future needs of this thriving regional centre.
“While the existing plant has served the community for many years, its infrastructure is outdated, and no longer meets contemporary sewage standards,” Ms Hingerty said.
“The upgrade will achieve better environmental outcomes thanks to new technology that will consistently produce higher quality effluent.”
Armidale Regional Council Mayor, Sam Coupland, said that Council is pleased to have the State Government’s support to enable the fast tracking of the project to tender ready phase.
“Construction of a new advanced sewage treatment plant will lock in the infrastructure we need for today and for the future,” Mr Coupland said.
“It’s been more than 80 years since the plant was built and there’s now better ways to treat sewage, so this money is absolutely critical in enabling us to treat wastewater to the highest possible standard for the benefit of our community and the environment.”
Image: Taras Vyshnya/shutterstock.com
