$30m upgrade at Wodonga wastewater treatment plant
1 October 2021
North East Water has been given the greenlight to upgrade Wodonga’s wastewater treatment plant in a $30m project that will dramatically reduce the Corporation’s carbon footprint.
The investment will include construction of new infrastructure that will allow high strength waste to be diverted from existing treatment facilities and put through a more energy efficient process.
Chairperson, Cath Botta, said the upgrade will harness and capture biogas for conversion into renewable energy.
“The treatment plant will effectively be creating its own energy which can then be used to power the plant or be put back into the electricity grid to offset other North East Water sites”, Ms Botta said.
“The facility is currently responsible for a third of all emissions created by North East Water’s entire operations.
“With our pledge to be carbon neutral by 2050, this upgrade project will help achieve this goal.”
Ms Botta added, “The project will also help address Wodonga’s rapidly growing population.”
“The current treatment plant is 30 years old and is approaching capacity, so an upgrade is required to meet the city’s development growth.
“By diverting high strength wastewater flows from the existing facility, it will free capacity to cater for Wodonga’s growth for the next 20-30 years.
“This project, and the nearby three-megawatt solar farm project where 10,000 panels are now being installed, will see the site moving from a net user of electricity to a net exporter of renewable electricity.
“This is a huge step forward for our environment and we are excited to be part of a major inter-generational change for our community.”
For people who are interested in knowing more about the project, a community drop-in information session will be held at North East Water head office, 83 Thomas Mitchell Drive, Wodonga between 11am and 3pm on 21 October 2021.