Water sustainability project underway in Gippsland

The Gippsland region of Victoria is embarking on a new era in water sustainability with construction underway on the Gippsland Water Factory project.

This multimillion dollar water-recycling and environmental initiative will treat up to 35 million litres of Gippsland's domestic and industrial wastewater each day and provide around eight million litres of high-quality recycled water per day for use by local industry.

Chair of the Gippsland Water Factory Alliance Leadership Team, David Evans, said the Gippsland Water Factory is an innovative project and will be the first of its kind in Australia.

"In the current debate surrounding climate change and water shortages, the Gippsland region is pioneering a local solution which will provide lasting community benefits and set the standard in Victoria for industrial water reuse," said Evans.

Evans said the facility is also a long-awaited solution to the odours generated by the Regional Outfall Sewer (ROS), the region's main wastewater transportation system.

"This is much more than an infrastructure project — this is about creating a social and environmental legacy for future generations," Evans said.

Following a year of rigorous environmental, social, planning and design assessments in 2006, the Alliance began the construction phase of the project earlier this year. Evans said the construction period will continue until late 2008 and employ more than 300 people during this time.

"The public can follow the progress of this project, which is being captured via time-lapse photography with images uploaded to the Gippsland Water Factory website on a regular basis," Evans said.