A $9.3 million project to expand Orange City Council's sewage treatment facilities has been completed.
The upgrade of the Orange Sewage Treatment Plant, located on the north-eastern side of the city, replaces the facility's ageing inlet works, which are the first stage of the treatment process when wastewater enters the plant.
It will meet the needs of a population of up to 60,000.
Orange Mayor Tony Mileto said the new state-of-the-art system would increase the plant's ability to process higher volumes of wastewater to a better standard as Orange's population grows.
"The sewage treatment facilities are now equipped to meet the future needs of our growing city, not only by increasing our treatment capacity, but also by improving energy efficiency and environmental outcomes," Cr Mileto said.
Infrastructure Policy Committee Chair Cr Jeff Whitton said the upgrade might be out of sight, but was a core component for the future.
"These types of projects are the bread and butter of ensuring we have the critical infrastructure in place," Cr Whitton said.
The new components include:
- Filtering screens which remove large particles from the sewerage greater than 5mm in size and withstand flows up to 1250 litres per second, which is more than double of the previous screens.
- A vortex grit removal system, which can remove sand and grit particles less than 5mm in size and is much more energy efficient than the previous aeration system.
- A pump station to improve the plant's hydraulics.
The upgrade will help improve the environmental impact of the plant by helping to reduce downstream nitrogen levels in Blackmans Swamp Creek.
The plant will also be able to screen greater volumes of stormwater produced during heavy rain, increasing from 900 litres per second to 2500 litres per second, which improves compliance with NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) regulations.
The project also included earthworks such as improved access roads and the construction of a 6.5-metre 'Dincel' retaining wall.
The upgrade was funded by Orange City Council through sewer charges.
