Technical Tours
Post-conference technical tours will be available Thursday 19 March. They have been selected to complement the Ozwater ‘09 technical sessions and workshops. They will take you to some of the world’s most innovative and interesting water, wastewater and industrial waste technologies. Experienced professionals will be on site to answer your specific questions.
Comfortable clothing is recommended for all tours and enclosed footwear is essential. Safety boots must be worn on Tour 4. All tours are limited to 30 delegates.
The organisers reserve the right to cancel any tours if deemed necessary and issue refunds.
Tour 1: Wild West, 0900-1600
1. Altona Sewage Treatment Plant
City West Water is in the process of upgrading the Altona Treatment Plant (ATP) to make sure it can meet more stringent EPA licence requirements. Outcomes of the upgrade will help reduce the volume of treated effluent discharged to Port Phillip Bay.
2. Hoppers Crossing Sewage Pumping Station
Melbourne Water is now saving more than 100 million litres of drinking water each year through changes to the operation of its Hoppers Crossing Pumping Station. The recycled water now being used at the Pumping Station comes from the Western Treatment Plant via a pipeline recently built by City West Water.
3. Western Treatment Plant
Melbourne Water’s Western Treatment Plant provides an essential public health service, treating about 52% of Melbourne’s sewage, or about 485 million litres a day. The plant is a world leader in environmentally friendly sewage treatment and is one of the world’s most significant wetlands. Areas of the plant have been declared a wetland of international significance under the Ramsar Convention.
Tour 2: Inner Sanctum, 0900 – 1430
Be surprised by the smart ways water is being re-used at various locations in inner Melbourne including stormwater, greywater and sewage recycling for open space irrigation and internal water use in commercial and residential buildings.
1. Royal Park
This park includes a new native wetland habitat which acts as a natural filter for the area's stormwater system, delivering cleaned, reclaimed water to reticulate the Royal Park Golf Course and sports ovals in the northern area of the Park. The wetland consists of two linked ponds. The ‘treatment wetland’ acts as a natural filter, with banks densely covered by native Australian plants that treat and clean stormwater through natural biological processes. The processed clean water then goes to the ‘storage wetland’ which is used to irrigate areas of Royal Park in summer, while the remainder flows through to Port Phillip Bay.
2. Melbourne Zoo
Currently, about 90% of the zoo’s storm water is recovered from the property for reuse. Wash downs from animal husbandry are also collected and treated before reuse. Water from our water bodies and moats are periodically flushed into our water treatment facility and topped up with recycled water.
3. Eco House
The EcoHouse has been retro-fitted to harvest, conserve and recycle water. Key features include: harvesting and storing rainfall for flushing toilets and food garden beds; recycling the black-water grey-water through an EPA approved worm-farm system; using this water for sub-surface irrigation of the garden; a semi-formal floral display of low-water use, local native plants.
4. Inkerman Oasis
This award winning, 237 unit, 3-5 level, $50 million residential project in 6 buildings incorporates a range of ecologically sustainable design (both passive and active). The system will have the following benefits: reduction of potable water requirements of the project; reuse of grey water reduces sewer loadings going to the Bay; natural fertilisation of gardens from nutrients in the treated waste water ; first flush of stormwater containing the bulk of nutrient and gross pollutants is collected on-site; an estimated 14 tonnes of nitrogen and phosphates will be prevented from entering Port Phillip Bay per year.
Tour 3: Sewage Treatment and Odour Eater Eastern Tour, 0900 - 1600
1. Eastern Treatment Plant
Visit Melbourne Water’s 380 ML/d activated sludge plant and the trials of advanced treatment technology. The tour will include an overview of the plant odour management plan.
2. Visit to Mt Martha Treatment Plant
Visit South East Water’s recently upgraded 10 ML/d activated sludge plant including the plant odour biofi lter. The tour will include an overview of the plant odour management plan and upgrade considerations.
Tour 4: New Water Eastern Tour, 0900 – 1600
1. Tarago Treatment Plant
The Tarago Water Treatment Plant is a 70 ML/d DAFF plant with UV disinfection and is the fi rst of the major water supply augmentations to address Melbourne’s increasing demand. The plant includes one of the largest concrete treated water storages to be built. This plant tour will provide an overview of the investigations and challenges with management of the catchment.
2. Reticulation System Replacement Site
This part of the tour includes visiting a site undergoing reticulation system replacement by ‘us’ Utility Services through pipe lining and sites undergoing service pipe lining. There will be an overview of the role of pipeline rehabilitation in managing water quality and maintaining service standards.
Costs and Inclusions
The cost to attend a technical tour is $95 for AWA members and $115 for non members. The cost includes return coach transfers from MCEC and a lunch box. Technical tours are available to Ozwater delegates only.