Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant performance upgrade
The Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant currently services about 12,860 people who live, work and holiday in Cabarita Beach, Bogangar, Hastings Point and Pottsville.
Ageing assets and population growth is putting pressure on the plant’s performance. While the plant is licensed by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to service about 18,000 people, it needs some improvement works now to ensure it can meet this licensed capacity into the future.
Community benefits
By upgrading the performance of the plant, we will be able to provide resilient and efficient wastewater services for current and future populations. The quality of treated wastewater will be higher, ensuring the plant continues to meet the conditions of its EPA licence.
Options for upgrading
An assessment of 5 upgrade options has been prepared by external consultant GHD. Please download the draft Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant Options Assessment for details on the options.
GHD has identified Option 4 as the preferred upgrade option. Option 4 involves:
- constructing a third extended aeration tank
- new inlet works and odour treatment system
- a 99kW solar array
- other complementary improvements
- renewal of existing components at the plant.
The GHD assessment names these benefits of Option 4:
- maintains the current plant’s operational philosophy with a familiar technology whilst increasing treatment capacity, reliability and redundancy
- relatively low technical risk in construction and commissioning
- relatively low energy consumption
- low maintenance
- reuses a large amount of existing infrastructure that has remaining life.
Have your say
In May and June 2024, Council sought community feedback on the draft Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant Options Assessment. Of the submissions received:
- 50% supported the proposed performance upgrade, with some specific issues raised
- 33% were neither for nor against, with some specific issues raised
- 17% were against the proposal.
What’s next?
To address issues raised, we are undertaking further studies, including a noise study.
Additionally, we are seeking a peer review of the Options Assessment, which the elected Council will consider before deciding on a preferred option.
Once the Council has determined a preferred option, we will finalise the concept design, review environmental factors, and determine planning and other government agency approvals. This is expected to take 12 months.
When these actions are complete and approvals are in place, the project will move to the detailed design stage and after that, construction will commence. This is expected to take an additional 2 years.
