IPWEAQ 2016 Excellence Awards Winners
Date: 29-Jun-2017
IPWEA Queensland presented its Excellence Awards at the Queensland State Conference and Gala Dinner held in Brisbane this week. We congratulate all award nominees and particularly the winners of the Queensland Water Directorate sponsored water projects awards:
Water Innovation - Gordonbrook Water Treatment Plant Upgrade
The Gordonbrook Water Treatment Plant (Kingaroy) upgrade was undertaken in response to major challenges including poor raw water quality and high THM production leading to a number of water quality incidents and a space-constrained site meaning the need for innovative solutions. After evaluating available options, council elected to support a solution which includes Lamella plate clarifiers, DAFF and an innovative underdrain system.
The solution responds to long-held community concerns about water quality and aside from delivering necessary quality improvements, substantial savings have been delivered through reduced chemical costs. The plant allows council to use a more cost effective raw water source and through improved pumping and telemetry, provide a more secure water supply to customers. The upgrade also provides capacity to meet the future needs of the township of Nanango, providing the option of saving further costs by decommissioning another plant.
It is a fantastic example of options analysis leading to long term capital efficiencies and improved levels of service.
Water projects over $10 million - Kingaroy Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade – Australia’s first Nereda® Treatment Plant
Kingaroy’s existing sewage treatment plant had been a long-standing concern for council and regulators and the solution chosen after extensive evaluation is an Australian first, being keenly observed by the broader industry.
The Nereda Technology ultimately saves capital and operations and maintenance costs including reduced energy consumption and improved water quality for safe irrigation of local sporting fields. Nereda “trains” bacteria to clump into granular structures that simultaneously perform a full bioreactor function, developing anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic compartments within each granule, to facilitate simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and biological phosphorous removal.
The solution provides more than environmental benefits, with the discharge from the plant being upstream from the town’s water storage dam. The project has supported many local contractors, and saved council an anticipated $1M in capital on alternative solutions, as well as a further $0.9M per annum in operating costs.
Water, waste water, sewerage and drought management projects $5 million to $10 million - Alfred Street pump station upgrade
The Alfred Street sewage pump station is Logan City’s largest, transporting waste from approximately 200,000 people in Logan’s northern suburbs to the Loganholme Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The pump station had become inefficient and uneconomical to operate, posing safety risks to operators, and the solution delivered by the Logan Water Infrastructure Alliance (a public/ private sector enterprise comprising Council, Downer, Cardno and WSP Parsons Brinkerhoff) has seen a major upgrade with around $1M in savings by reusing existing components. This business model successfully brings together a team of highly experienced planners, engineers, constructors, and other professionals.
Through innovative modelling and planning solutions, the pump station now has an optimal electrical switchboard and power supply configuration with modern control options, more reliable and safer low-voltage submersible pumps with standby arrangements and improved pump access for maintenance. It allows council to successfully respond to major population and economic growth and significantly supported local contractors.
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