The Official Opening of the Quipolly Water Treatment Plant took place on Tuesday May 21, with the plant officially opened by LPSC Mayor Doug Hawkins OAM.
Speeches from the Mayor, the Member for New England Barnaby Joyce and the Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson were followed by a plaque unveiling, media conference and tour of the plant led by LPSC Water Services Manager Rod Batterham.
Cr Hawkins said ”The completion of the Quipolly Water Project is a landmark moment and I want to thank everyone involved who played their part in getting the project done.
“What we have now is a new state-of-the-art water treatment plant employing at least seven different treatment processes and we are extremely proud of this achievement, and this is a great example of local, state and federal government all working together closely to deliver the best possible outcome for our community.
“We had an ageing plant that needed replacing and the water quality was quite poor, particularly in Werris Creek, and the water quality in Quirindi was better, but it had its challenges as well."
The Quipolly Water Project has been delivered within budget thanks to tri-partisan funding of $15 million funding from the Australian Government, $10 million from the NSW Government, and $11.9 million funding from Liverpool Plains Shire Council.
With construction now over, locals and visitors in Quirindi and Werris Creek can enjoy improved drought resilience, water quality and reliability for decades to come.
The new infrastructure includes:
• A state-of-the-art water treatment plant near Quipolly Dam which can produce up to six million litres of high-quality water every day to cater for population growth and tourism
• A 20-kmwater pipeline from Quipolly Dam to Werris Creek and Quirindi to transfer treated water from the plant to homes and businesses
• A new 0.4ML water reservoir in Werris Creek for better supply storage
• A destratification system in Quipolly Dam
• Upgraded Dam Intake valves
While construction of the new plant commenced in late 2021, the entire project has been almost two decades in the making.
The plant includes several high-tech treatment processes that are used to remove contaminants from the water such as particles and algae to make it safer to drink.
Liverpool Plains Shire Council is also one of the first water utilities in regional NSW to innovatively use the cutting edge Hydroplus Fuse Gate spillway system that helps safeguard water infrastructure during flood events and enables the plant to capture and store flood water.
A community event will be held in future to allow the general public the chance to visit the new water treatment plant.
Image: L-R: Member for New England Barnaby Joyce, Mayor of Liverpool Plains Shire Council Doug Hawkins and Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson
Image courtesy of Liverpool Plains Shire Council
