Project summary
The Coolum Sewage Treatment plant serves the catchments between North Marcoola and South Peregian and includes the suburbs of Coolum Beach, Mt Coolum, Yaroomba, Coolum Ridges and Peregian Springs.
The purpose of this project is to demonstrate the use of wetlands as a cost effective approach to effluent management. The demonstration wetlands will be used to polish effluent from the existing treatment process to reduce impacts on the receiving waters. Increasing the standard of treatment provided will result in a healthier river for the community and will provide a wetland habitat for native flora and fauna.
Information gathered on the performance of the demonstration wetland will be used to design low cost, environmentally sustainable treatment solutions for the future augmentation of the Coolum STP. This augmentation is required to increase the capacity of the treatment plant from 6 to 9 million litres/day, which will cater for anticipated growth in the region.
Investigations have identified that some components of the existing treatment plant are at the end of their life and require replacement before the demonstration project is complete. These include replacement of the inlet works as well as the PLC and SCADA system for the entire site.
Fast facts
| Location |
Marsh Road, Coolum. |
| Commencement dates |
- Demonstration Wetlands:September 2012.
- Design and Construction of Inlet works: August 2012.
- Design and installation of PLC & SCADA works: July 2012.
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| Completion dates |
Demonstration wetlands - Construction will be complete in July 2013 with establishment and maturation of the wetland expected to take two years. The performance of the wetland will be monitored continuously for a period of up to five years to determine the configuration of the full scale wetland.
Design and Construction of the Inlet works – Commissioning will be complete in February 2014.
PLC and SCADA works – Commissioning will be complete in April 2013.
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Benefits
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The Demonstration Wetland Project will;
- Improve the level of treatment at the Coolum STP.
- Assess wetland treatment performance.
- Reduce the impact on the environment and improve the quality of water discharged to the Maroochy River.
- Provide site specific data for the design of full scale wetlands for the new Sewage Treatment Plant.
- Facilitate the development of environmentally friendly, cost efficient treatment options.
The Inlet works and PLC & SCADA upgrades will;
- Facilitate the reliable treatment of incoming flows until the configuration of the future upgrade is determined and implemented.
- Minimise the frequency of overflows in the network.
- Provide more reliable operation and control of all mechanical and electrical equipment on site.
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| Supplier |
Demonstration Wetlands – TBA.
Inlet Works – EPCM contract with CH2M Hill.
PLC and SCADA upgrade – Automation IT.
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| Funding |
$7.7 M |
More information
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us.
Project background
The Coolum Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) was originally constructed in 1984 and was last augmented in 1997 with the construction of a new bioreactor, additional clarifiers and a new solids handling facility. Operating information indicates the treatment plant is approaching its design capacity and requires an upgrade to meet anticipated population growth.
Unitywater has identified that the use of wetlands together with existing treatment processes may provide a cost effective, environmentally sustainable augmentation solution. To investigate this further Unitywater has consulted with the Department of Environment and Heritage and the Sunshine Coast Regional Council and identified the need for a demonstration wetland project to prove the viability of this treatment technology.
Concept Plan of the proposed Demonstration Wetland
Project details
The purpose of the demonstration wetland project is to provide information for the design and construction of future Coolum STP augmentation. The demonstration wetland project has four phases:
1. Wetland construction and commissioning.
2. Wetland establishment and monitoring period.
3. Mature Wetland monitoring period and performance assessment.
4. Use of data to support the design of the Treatment Plant Augmentation.
The construction phase is expected to commence in September 2012 and be completed in July2013. At the completion of the construction phase the immature tube stock need time to grow into fully mature plants that can be used for the effluent treatment process. The establishment phase is expected to take approximately two years before the plants reach maturity. Once the wetlands are mature their nutrient removal performance will be monitored for a period of up to three years and the information used to design the augmentation of the Coolum STP.
At the conclusion of the demonstration project Unitywater plan to work in partnership with Sunshine Coast Regional Council to develop full scale wetlands that could rehabilitate up to 165,000 m2 of disused cane land beside the existing treatment plant. The future augmentation of the Coolum STP and planned treatment wetlands are expected to provide the following benefits for the environment and the local community:
1. Reduced discharge of nutrients to the Maroochy River;
2. Increased capacity to cater for population growth in the area until 2031;
3. Reduced capital and operating costs by using natural treatment processes;
4. Creation of a sustainable environmental sanctuary for indigenous flora and fauna;
5. Creation of a community asset that demonstrates environmental sustainability;
6. Ongoing supply high quality effluent to recycled water customers.
Inlet Works and PLC & SCADA Upgrade Project details
Planning investigations have identified that the existing inlet works are at the end of their serviceable life, and the systems hydraulic capacity limits the transfer of sewage from the network. The construction of the new inlet works will provide capacity for the future upgrade and minimise the frequency of overflows in the network.
The existing PLC and SCADA system requires replacement to improve the control of all mechanical and electrical equipment on site. This system will be designed to be compatible with the future upgrade of the Coolum STP.
Map of the Coolum Sewage Treatment Plant Catchment