Riverina Water unveils $44M new Water Treatment Plant
Oct 26, 2021
A $44M project to ensure safe and reliable drinking water for a growing population over the next 30 years is complete.
Riverina Water’s new Water Treatment Plant has been officially opened by Chairperson Clr Greg Verdon and Member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr.
The state-of-the-art facility will allow Riverina Water to treat more water from the Murrumbidgee River and distribute across its 15,000sqm supply area.
“This is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure project,” Clr Verdon said.
“It is the single largest piece of infrastructure we have constructed and is one most significant projects for this entire region.
“The new water treatment plant will serve a growing population across the Wagga Wagga, Lockhart, Greater Hume and Federation council areas up to 2050.
“We have future-proofed drinking water supply for our region through a project that is 100% community funded.”
The new plant can output 55 megalitres a day, compared to 40 megalitres of the old plant, which was originally constructed in 1938.
It is designed to treat water from the Murrumbidgee River with turbidity levels seven-and-a-half times higher than the previous plant.
“By being able to treat more river water, we can responsibly manage our ground and surface water allocations into the future,” Riverina Water CEO Andrew Crakanthorp said.
“What is most impressive about the new water treatment plant is that it is a state-of-the-art facility. It can be operated remotely, has redundancy built in so it can operate all day, every day if needed and is fully automatic with continuous online monitoring.
“Importantly, this new plant is a symbol for industry and business that the southern Riverina’s advantage is a reliable supply of affordable water.”