Urunga Sewage Treatment Plant
- $20 million
- Bellingen Shire Council/NSW Public Works
- Urunga, NSW
- Treatment Plant
- Design & Construct
Overview
The Urunga Sewage Treatment plant upgrade has significantly increased treatment capacity for the Bellingen Shire community, supporting future growth and improved servicing of surrounding coastal townships.
Located approximately 410km north of Sydney, the existing plant services the township of Urunga.
The upgrade forms Stage 1 of the council’s Sewering Coastal Villages program, enabling future connections for Raleigh, Mylestom and Repton, and catering for additional future loads.
Scope
The works included:
- construction of a second 5,000 Equivalent Persons (EP) IDEA reactor
- new inlet works facility
- new chemical dosing facilities
- two sludge lagoons, mechanical sludge dewatering system and sludge storage facility
- associated electrical system replacement
- associated pipework, drainage and treatment facilities for 10,000 EP
- approximately 10,000m³ of earthworks
- 2,000m³ of FRP concrete works
- installation of approximately 3,000m of pipework
Innovation
During delivery, a number of practical improvements were implemented to enhance cost efficiency and constructability.
These included:
- using spray seal in place of asphalt on low traffic access roads
- incorporating HDPE lining in place of concrete, and
- the use of an earthen batter wall in place of a concrete retaining wall.
Outcomes
The upgrade has increased the plant’s intake capacity from 5,000 to 10,000 EP, providing a more robust treatment solution for the Urunga community and enabling future connections with nearby coastal communities.
The project demonstrates Leed’s capability in delivering complex water treatment infrastructure projects while working in a live sewage treatment plant environment.
