Ipwich’s largest wastewater facility, responsible for handling the wastewater of over 133,000 people daily, has received a $30 million upgrade.
The Bundamba Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade was completed by Urban Utilities’ delivery partner Ventia and will support one of Queensland’s fastest growing cities.
Urban Utilities delivery manager, Vedran Maric, said the investment in the Bundamba Wastewater Treatment Plant would help future-proof the region.
“As the population grows so does the number of people taking showers, washing dishes, doing the laundry and flushing the loo – that all generates wastewater that needs to be treated once it goes down the drain, to protect our environment,” Mr Maric said.
“We have been busy maintaining the 3,400km pipe network in Ipswich but it’s also important we lay the foundations down for the future.
“The Bundamba Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade is an essential part of supporting the region as it grows.”
Mr Maric said the project involved renewing and upgrading several important pieces of infrastructure at the plant, including the inlet works where solids are screened out of wastewater.
“The inlet works are a vital part of the treatment process. The upgrade also included raising our critical equipment above the 2011 flood level to protect against future flooding,” Mr Maric said.
“Around 16 million litres – or six Olympic swimming pools – of wastewater is treated at our Bundamba plant every day so it took a lot of careful planning to ensure the plant remained operational while we completed this significant upgrade.”
Mr Maric said the project also included the installation of a new 50-tonne switchroom.
“To make the process as safe and efficient as possible we built the prefabricated switchroom – which weighs the same as about ten elephants – offsite and moved it into position with a 350-tonne crane,” Mr Maric said.
“Supporting local businesses and jobs, especially during the ongoing pandemic, was also a really important part of the project.
“We spent around $1.2 million at Ipswich businesses on materials alone, with everything from our pipes and concrete to our sand and gravel purchased locally.”
Ipswich Mayor, Teresa Harding, said she was pleased to see Urban Utilities supporting the local economy through the upgrade.
“Major projects like this are important economic drivers for the city as they support development and jobs,” Ms Harding said.
“With approximately 325,000 additional residents set to join Ipswich by 2041, now is the time to invest in our city’s infrastructure.”
