Major Projects
Design of a Demonstration Water Purification Plant
While the Enlarged Cotter Dam and Murrumbidgee to Googong Water Transfer are vital projects that will increase our storage capacity, we need to further diversify our sources of water in ways that make us less dependent on rainfall in our local region. For this reason, two further ideas for the future are under serious consideration, the Tantangara Transfer and a Demonstration Water Purification Plant.
ACTEW Corporation is designing a Demonstration Water Purification Plant that would demonstrate advanced water treatment technology. Although this technology has been proven elsewhere, it is a fairly new concept for Canberra and we need to apply the highest possible level of scrutiny and planning before we proceed with the operation of this option. Having a design ready to go is important in case we need to look to this option in the future.
The design of the demonstration water purification plant will be completed by the end of 2008, and the ACT Government will then decide whether or not there is a need to build the plant. The demonstration water purification plant would be based at the Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre, southwest of Belconnen.
What is water purification?
Water purification involves processing wastewater through a multibarrier treatment system to produce high-quality drinking water. The advanced technologies used in this process include, micro/ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation/ultra-violet disinfection. The purified water produced can then be added to a natural supply source, such as a water supply reservoir, to supplement drinking water supplies. It is then further treated through the drinking water treatment plant before distribution to the city.
Why a demonstration plant?
The purpose of a demonstration water purification plant is to prove the reliability of the water purification process under real operational scenarios and develop a comprehensive water quality monitoring program.
The plant would also comprise a visitor education centre, where the community can learn how the water purification process produces water of drinking quality.
The demonstration water purification plant would have the capacity to produce up to eight megalitres of purified water a day. This water would NOT be added to our drinking water supply. However, the plant’s design will be flexible so that it can be made larger if a Water Purification Scheme for drinking purposes is necessary for the ACT region’s water security in the future.
Learn how you can have your say on water purification here.
Learn more about the proposed water purification processes here.
Learn more about the health and safety of water purification here.