Community & Business
24 January, 2023
Plant upgrades improve Douglas sustainability
DOUGLAS Shire Council has added another layer in its sustainability with recent upgrades to the Port Douglas wastewater treatment plant set to lower its electricity use and improve the quality of water being filtered back out into the environment.
Council received close to $1 million from the Queensland Government’s Building Our Regions program to upgrade the aeration system in the sequencing batch reactors (SBR) at the plant.
Aeration is a critical process that reduces organic matter and harmful micro-organisms in wastewater so that it can be safely reused or returned to the environment.
Once the grey water is treated, Council uses the treated effluent for irrigation on golf courses in Port Douglas and releases the remainder into the Dickson Inlet.
Mayor Michael Kerr said new air diffuser grids would significantly improve the efficiency of the wastewater treatment process.
“The plant upgrade will improve the qual-ity of water released into our waterways,” he said.
“By installing a new aerator system, we will also significantly reduce our electricity use at the treatment plant which is council’s most energy-intensive site.
“As a Reef Guardian Council, council is proud to showcase another fantastic example of an environmentally sustainable investment in our region.”
The new air diffuser grids will provide a more uniform air flow through the wastewater as it passes through the SBR tanks. The works will also make the basins in the SBR more accessible for regular maintenance.
Council plans to use local contractors to assist with the cleanout of the basins, remove the old aeration manifolds and install the new system when work begins in May 2023.
