Australia Commissions Water Treatment Plant

Australia has commissioned a A$82m ($79m) water treatment plant at Bootawa, New South Wales.

The plant, which is located near the Bootawa Dam in the Manning-Great Lakes, is capable of processing up to 60 million litres of water per day and, after further upgrading, will treat up to 75 megalitres.

The new plant is designed to overcome the long-term problems with the water supply of Manning, where quality has been affected by elevated iron and manganese levels, and the presence of algae and dirty water after rain in the catchment.

The plant uses a microfiltration process to filter water drawn into the dam from the Manning River, before it makes its way into the reticulation system.

Water from the new plant will be distributed from Coopernook, in the north, to Tarbuck Bay, south of Forster.

Construction of the plant started in 2007.