What we're doing
Design of a Demonstration Water Purification Plant
In October 2007, the ACT Government announced a range of new water supply projects for the ACT region, including the design of a Demonstration Water Purification Plant.
ACTEW has now completed the design, but construction has been deferred subject to the successful implementation of the other three water security projects. ACTEW will continue to monitor water storage levels, rainfall and inflows to determine whether water purification is required to help secure our future water supply.
Having the design for a plant ready means that the ACT is now prepared in case we need to look to water purification in future.
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 did ACTEW design a 'demonstration' plant?
The purpose of a demonstration water purification plant would be to prove the reliability of the water purification process under real operational scenarios and develop a comprehensive water quality monitoring program.
The plant could also comprise a visitor education centre, where the community would 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 would be flexible so that it could be made larger if a full Water Purification Scheme for drinking purposes became necessary for the ACT region's water security in the future.
Learn more about the water purification processes here.
Learn more about the health and safety of water purification here.