Treatment plant upgrades to remove iron and manganese

Water treatment company Degrémont Australia, a subsidiary of Suez Environnement, has signed a contract with the Power and Water Corporation (PWC) to design and construct upgrades to the Adelaide River Water Treatment Plant (WTP) for the production of drinking water.

The rural township of Adelaide River draws its drinking water supply from a number of bores that typically contain elevated iron and manganese concentrations. While the current water supply meets all Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, the mineral concentrations can lead to discoloured water that has an unpleasant taste and stains laundry.

Upgrades to the WTP will include the introduction of an Australia-first biological filtration system to provide for the removal of iron and manganese. The biological plant is a more reliable, sustainable and cost-effective method of treating bore water than the traditional physical-chemical reaction process.

“This project will deliver Australia’s first biological iron and manganese removal water filtration plant which, unlike traditional methods, requires no chemical use, making it more environmentally friendly as well as reducing operational expenditure,” said Degrémont Australia CEO Roch Cheroux. “The contract demonstrates our innovative approach to municipal water solutions and our expertise in providing reliable water services to projects of all sizes across Australia.”

Following the project’s commencement this month, the new Adelaide River water supply system will service the population of around 300 residents, supplying up to 1.1 ML of improved drinking water per day in peak demand.