Coffs Harbour water reclamation plant recognised by IPWEA NSW

An innovative water reclamation plant in Coffs Harbour that meets the irrigation needs of the region, thereby conserving drinking water supplies, received the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia (IPWEA) NSW award for Recovering, Recycling and Reusing at an awards ceremony in May.

The $96m Coffs Harbour Water Reclamation Plant, which was jointly financed by Council and the NSW Department of Water and Energy, provides up to 21 megalitres of reclaimed water daily for irrigating crops and sporting fields and for dust suppression in the region. Local consultant GHD, a member of the Coffs Infrastructure Alliance, incorporated global experience into the team to design and build the plant.

"Together with a new Water Filtration Plant at nearby Karangi, also designed by GHD and delivered by the Alliance, the reclamation plant goes a long way to future-proofing the water supply for the Coffs region. In a region that is developing quickly, it is important that the design caters for population growth. With the imminent addition of on-site storage, the plant has been designed to serve up to 72,000 people," said Satyajit Datar, GHD Business Group Manager and member of the Alliance leadership team.

“The award recognises our approach to minimising environmental impact during construction and operation. The new reclamation plant is adjacent to the existing plant and incorporates the existing ponds and lagoons,” he added.

Currently, there are 44 users of the city’s reclaimed water including nurseries, sports ovals and complexes, golf courses, the race course, a school, six small primary producers, two hydroponics growers and 18 farms and banana plantations.