Cronulla Wastewater Treatment Plant Odour Management Project

Sydney Water is about to start work on the odour management system at Cronulla Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).

This project will reduce the risk of odours impacting the surrounding community and ensure that the plant can continue to perform in line with environmental requirements.

The Odour Management Program Alliance, comprising Sydney Water, Abigroup and CH2MHill has been appointed to complete this work.

The Cronulla Odour Management Project includes:

• covering the odorous areas of the plant not covered at present
• refurbishing the existing infrastructure and protecting it from corrosion
• constructing a new Odour Treatment Facility (OTF) comprising four biotrickling filters and a discharge stack
• extracting, treating and dispersing the treated air via the stack.

Construction activities

Site establishment has started at the Plant. Construction work is expected to start in May 2012 and be completed in early 2014, weather permitting.

All work will be carried out within the boundaries of the Cronulla WWTP and, in most cases, will be obscured from view. Work hours are 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 1pm, Saturday.

Local residents may notice an increase in noise, vehicle movements and odour during the work. The Alliance will minimise these impacts where possible through construction staging plans. Appropriate safety and environmental controls will be maintained at all times.

Every effort will be made to minimise the impact on local residents and stakeholders.

Environmental management

Sydney Water has prepared a Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for the Cronulla WWTP Odour Management Project. The REF assessed the potential environmental impacts of the proposed work.

The REF was on public display in April 2011. Sydney Water prepared a Decisions Report in response to stakeholder and community submissions from the REF.

Community

Sydney Water will update the community and stakeholders on project progress during construction.