Upgraded Bryn Estyn Water Treatment Plant ‘future-proofs’ Southern Tasmania’s water supply
TasWater is set to officially open its new $244 million water treatment plant in the Derwent Valley, which it says will “future-proof” Southern Tasmania’s water supply for decades to come.
Tasmania
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TasWater has lifted the veil on its new “once-in-a-generation” water treatment facility, which will service 200,000 people in Southern Tasmania and account for both the impacts of climate change and the demands of population growth.
The upgraded Bryn Estyn Water Treatment Plant at Plenty will officially open on Friday but it is already delivering water to customers in Greater Hobart, with the $244m project having been completed in July.
Able to treat 160 million litres of water from the River Derwent per day, the improved plant will decrease the likelihood of water restrictions being imposed on households when extreme weather events occur.
TasWater CEO George Theo said the opening of the new Bryn Estyn was “a landmark day for Southern Tasmania”.
“The upgrade of the Bryn Estyn water treatment plant ensures safe, clean drinking water will be available for generations of Tasmanians from Kempton to Snug, and New Norfolk to Sorell,” he said.
“And the plant has been designed for future population and economic growth in the region, with the potential to be expanded to treat another 40 million litres of water per day if required.”
TasWater general manager project delivery Tony Willmott described the project as the “jewel in the crown” of TasWater’s 10-year, $1.8bn capital investment program, expected to finish in 2025-26.
“As we walk around the plant, you can see the future-proofing, where they’ve installed connections, put new filters in for the future,” he said. “So it’ll be quite easy to upgrade this plant in the future, which is in another 20 years or so.”
Mr Willmott said the Bryn Estyn upgrade was the largest project ever undertaken by TasWater.
“It’s been one of the biggest projects in the last few decades here in Tassie,” he said. “It’s a once-in-a-generation project.”
The new Bryn Estyn provides about 60 per cent of Hobart’s drinking water, which also comes from kunanyi/Mount Wellington and Lake Fenton in Mount Field National Park.
From Bryn Estyn, water travels through 433km of mains and into 145 reservoir tanks before it reaches customers in the municipalities of Hobart, Glenorchy, Kingborough, Clarence, Brighton, Derwent Valley, Southern Midlands and Sorell.
It is Hobart’s greatest primary source of drinking water.
TasWater head of water and environment services Fran Smith said global warming had prompted the utility to increase its treatment capacity at Bryn Estyn so it could ensure it had “surety of supply for customers”.
“When you have extreme events [such as floods], you get a lot more run-off, a lot more dirt in the [Derwent River],” she said. “So it changes the way you need to treat [water].”
“And that was one of the limitations of the previous plant – you needed to, under those circumstances, do a lot more backwashing and cleaning. Whereas this plant will be able to handle a lot more flowthrough.
“Another consideration is the impact of climate [change] on our assets. And so the risk of flooding, the risk of being washed away, effectively.
“We’ve actually put electrical [equipment] higher [at Bryn Estyn] so it’s above flood zones. The pipes can cope with being underwater but the electrical parts can’t. So we’ve done that planning, as well.”
The treatment process at the new Bryn Estyn plant involves water being drawn out of the Derwent, which then undergoes a pre-filtration process using a clarifier.
It’s then subjected to ozone treatment before being put through a biological activated carbon filter. Finally, the water winds its way through UV units and then goes out to clear water storage prior to being delivered to customers.
Every litre of water treated at Bryn Estyn continued to meet the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, Ms Smith said.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the upgrade to the plant was “a step towards future-proofing water supply to Greater Hobart for the next half-century”.
“As Tasmania continues to experience population growth and increasing demand for safe and reliable drinking water, this project represents a significant commitment to meet those needs head-on,” he said.
Mr Rockliff said Bryn Estyn “stands as a testament to our commitment to ensuring a reliable water source”.
The upgrade project was delivered in partnership with UGL and CPB Contractors and directly employed 1500 people during construction and 500 indirectly.
About 12 shift operators work at the Bryn Estyn site. The original plant was built in 1962, with capacity upgrades completed in 1972 and 1992.
TasWater is jointly owned by the state’s 29 councils, with the state government also becoming a 10 per cent shareholder in the utility in 2019.
BRYN ESTYN WATER TREATMENT PLANT – FAST FACTS
- Originally built in 1962.
- Capacity upgrades in 1972, 1992, 2023.
- Latest upgrade worth $244m.
- Services 200,000 customers in Southern Tasmania.
- Provides about 60 per cent of Hobart’s drinking water.
- Treats 160 million litres of water per day.
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