Gippsland Water factory
To help with expansion plans of the Paperlinx (Australian Paper) mill in the Latrobe Valley, the Bracks government has committed $50 million towards a $150 million water recycling plant.
The Morwell plant will recycle domestic and industrial water using basic treatment to take the smell out of the water before it is released. The stink from the open channel it flows through to the outfall sewer at Dutson Downs was creating major problems.
This project will see 25% of all wastewater generated in Gippsland, made available for use by local industry – including of course, Paperlinx – and agriculture. That amounts to about 13 million litres of treated wastewater per day (the proposed pulpmill will use about 65-70 million litres a day). The rest will be discharged to the ocean via the Delray Beach outfall.
Gippsland Water said the factory design will incorporate renewable energies. It hopes that a minimum of 65% of the energy needed for the treatment will be generated on site.
Jill / Gippsland Water 25.8.05