Securing Drouin’s water supply
The new $55 million wastewater treatment plant for Drouin was commissioned last week.
The Gippsland Water project will cater for the continuing growth of the town.
Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh officially marked the occasion with the unveiling of a plaque during a brief on-site ceremony.
The new major facility in Settlement Rd was a “flagship project” of Gippsland Water to upgrade the town’s wastewater treatment capacity with the plant built in the early 1970s as part of the the introduction of a sewerage system for Drouin.
The previous plant had reached maximum capacity and struggled to handle peak flows during heavy rain.
Mr McIntosh said the facility would “set up Drouin to cater for its massive population growth” and meet the demands of people to have essential services provided.
Detailed design work for the project began more than four years ago with construction getting underway in 2020.
The plant also features innovative renewable technology that will contribute towards Victoria’s goal to halve emissions by 2030.
Included in that is an innovative floating solar panel array on the treatment lagoons to be installed over the next year to supply energy for the plant.
Gippsland Water acting manager director Simon Aquilina said the commissioning was an exciting day for the water authority and the Drouin community.
He said it would serve the town for many years and release high quality water that would protect the community and public health.
As an added feature there are plans to also build a bird viewing area overlooking the lagoons for visitors to appreciate the many breeds of birds and other wildlife varieties found in the Drouin area.
Design work for the wheelchair accessible viewing platform is already underway and it is expected to be available for public use next February.
Entry will be from Settlement Rd west of the main entrance to the wastewater treatment plant.