First sod turned on $110m upgrade of Nowra and Bomaderry sewage treatment plants

Engineering firm UGL Limited will commence work this month on a $110 million contract by Shoalhaven City Council as part of Stage 1B of the Council's Reclaimed Water Management Scheme (REMS). 

The REMS 1B project aims to maximise the use of reclaimed water and supply high quality irrigation water to the region's farmers, sporting facilities and gold courses. 

As the first sod was turned, Director of Shoalhaven Water, Carmel Krogh said, “The scheme is one of the largest of its kind in regional Australia and will allow for further capacity for our growing community as well as include modern technology to meet new environmental standards and compliance with the NSW Environmental Protection Authority.”

First sod is turned  on largest Shoalhaven Water Project 7 Oct 2016 - Image courtesty of Shoalhaven City Council

UGL was named as the preferred tenderer for REMS 1B works in late July 2016, and contract documents signed by the Shoalhaven Council and UGL in August 2016. Preliminary site works are now underway. 

Construction is expected to take two years, with the scope of works to include:

• Work Package 1.1 - Major upgrading of the Bomaderry sewage treatment plant (STP)
• Work Package 1.2 - Major upgrading of the Nowra sewage treatment plant (STP)
• Work package 2.1 - A reclaimed water transfer main under the Shoalhaven River connecting Bomaderry STP to Nowra STP

Speaking with the South Coast Register, UGL Executive General Manager for Engineering and Construction John Greaves said the REMS project was an important strategic step for the company, with plans underway to design the piepline.  

"We already have a number of concepts and have to go through a number of feasibility studies and designs to understand how do it it and if it is feasible,” he said.

“We have an amazing group of engineers working on both sides and will take a collaborative approach and look at any issues we encounter and work through them.

“We have some unknown conditions like working under a live waterway, the size of the pipe etc. There are a lot of factors.”

A separate contract for REMS 1B Work package 2.2 - a reclaimed water transfer main from Nowra STP to the REMS supply network -  has recently progressed from the Request for Tender stage with submissions closing on 30 August 2016. 

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