The tender has been awarded for design and construction of the new $20.8 million water treatment plant for Bega and Tathra, which aims to provide secure drinking water to meet growing demand in the region.
The tender was awarded to Laurie Curran Water with construction set to begin in 2023.
New South Wales Minister for Lands and Water, Kevin Anderson, said the project, jointly funded with $15.2 million from the New South Wales Government’s Safe and Secure Program and $5.6 million from Bega Valley Shire Council, will deliver high-quality, filtered water to improve water security across the South Coast.
“Getting a builder on board who will spearhead the design and construction of the water treatment plant is an important milestone, enabling the project to be shovel ready by March 2023, which is great news for the region,” Mr Anderson said.
“Building a plant that is fit for the 21st century will deliver up to 9.5ML of top quality drinking water each day, catering for high demand particularly over the summer months and school holidays when tourism is booming.”
The project includes four new bores that are deeper and better designed to handle flooding.
In addition, Bega Valley Shire Council is funding the installation of 300kW solar panels to power the plant and pumps and reduce the region’s carbon footprint.
Bega Valley Shire Council’s Water and Sewerage Services Manager, Chris Best, said improving water quality and security for all residents is a priority.
“This is the next step of a plan to deliver treated and filtered water to all of our town water networks,” Mr Best said.
“Working closely with the New South Wales Government, we are now able to build a plant in Bega that will improve the water quality and adapt to increased demand and population growth over the next 25 years.
“Further collaboration with the New South Wales Government will deliver the Brogo-Bermagui water treatment plant next year and a Yellow Pinch facility in 2027. Add to this our Council-funded Bemboka plant and you get shire-wide improvements for town water customers.”
The Bega Water Treatment Plant provides water to approximately 8,000 customers in Bega, North Bega, Tarraganda, Kalaru, Tathra, Tathra River Estate and Mogareeka.
Design work will begin shortly with construction expected to start in early 2023 and be finished by September 2024.
This project is part of the more than one billion dollar Safe and Secure Water Program which has delivered 26 completed projects across regional New South Wales with funding for more than 200 other projects currently in various stages of delivery.