nebo road water treatment plant - mackay council · the nebo road water treatment plant is located...
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Facts published by | Mackay Regional Council | © 2017
The water is treated to a high quality to ensure it is safe for human consumption.
As part of the treatment process the following chemicals are used to ensure safe reliable drinking water is provided:
• Aluminium chlorohydrate -coagulation, when added to the water it combines the dirt and bacteria particles so that they can be filtered
• Chlorine - disinfection, kills bacteria and viruses
• Sodium hydroxide - pH adjustment
• Poly electrolyte - coagulation/flocculation
• Potassium permanganate -iron/manganese removal
• Fluoride - health reasons, strengthens teeth and bones
The Nebo Road Water Treatment Plant is located approximately 3 km to the south-west of the Mackay CBD on land adjoining the Botanic Gardens. It is Mackay’s largest water treatment plant.
The plant recently underwent a $26 million upgrade, which was commissioned in 2011. The upgrade saw the plant capacity increase from 55ML/day to 75ML/day to cater to the predicted population growth for our region over the next 15 years.
As part of the upgrade the treatment plant’s waste handling facilities were improved. The treatment plant now uses a sludge thickener and centrifuge to dewater the contaminants removed from the water. The dewatered sludge is disposed of at the Hogan’s Pocket landfill.
The upgrade also included optimising the plant’s capabilities to treat water from different sources, including varying proportions of river water and bore water. An upgrade of the plant’s control system was also undertaken to enable operation from both onsite and remote locations.
The Nebo Road Water Treatment Plant treats raw water sourced from the Dumbleton Weir on the Pioneer River and water from groundwater bores located in close proximity to the plant. Approximately 95% of the water is sourced from the weir, which is owned by Sunwater, with the remaining 5% sourced from the bores, owned by Water Services.
At the plant, the water goes through a treatment process designed to remove contaminants.
Nebo Road Water Treatment Plant