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Parkes Water Treatment Plant |
Integrated Water Cycle Management Plan
Last modified: March 7, 2006 - 3:27 PM
The Parkes Integrated Water Cycle Management Plan is a key business tool that has been designed to ensure Parkes Council can provide secure, reliable and sustainable urban water systems into the future. It involves the planning of water supply, sewerage and stormwater services in an integrated way to ensure water is used efficiently.
Challenges faced by Parkes Shire CouncilThe continuing drought ensures that water management remains high on the
agenda of governments and communities across Australia. In Parkes, some
unique urban water cycle issues and challenges are being faced. These include: - Water restrictions have been in place since 2002.
- The Lachlan groundwater aquifer has been subject to considerable drawdown n recent years which has fuelled uncertainty about the sustainability of the current levels of total extractions.
- Endeavour and Beargamil Dams are empty and not able to provide drinking water for town supply.
- Parkes customers receive water of unreliable quality. Some drinking water is untreated.
- The current water supply system does not have capacity and flexibility to accommodate the variations of water quality of water sourced from dams, the ground and the river and to meet drinking water guidelines (NHMRC) and aesthetic expectations (taste, smell and softness).
- The Lachlan Valley is currently experiencing the worst drought on record with high security licence reduced by 50% as Wyangala Dam is currently only at 12% capacity.
- Restricted licensed access to the Lachlan River water is increasing pressure on the groundwater sources in the catchment.
- The Parkes sewage treatment plant is currently producing poor quality effluent and discharging it to the golf course and local waterways. It is also the source of odour complaints which are expected to increase as development continues to approach the current plant site.
- The Peak Hill sewage treatment plant produces effluent that is currently used by the Peak Hill Mine. This situation is soon to change and is likely to mean the discharge of poor quality effluent to the environment.
- Parkes is located a considerable distance from all of its water sources which means that the transfer of water continues to be an expensive operating proposition.
Parkes Shire remains optimistic about its future and needs to ensure that it can accommodate the future demands on the urban water systems. A subsequent study identified a set of potential actions that could be implemented to address these issues including the need for: - A review of the secure yield of the existing water supply sources;
- Demand management measures to reduce existing water demands and create surplus for growth and other uses;
- Examination of the potential to upgrade the water treatment plant (WTP) in order for bore water to meet appropriate
standards; - Exploration of further alternative water supply sources including surface water, alternative groundwater sources and rainwater tanks;
- Sewage treatment plant (STP) upgrades to reduce nutrient and faecal coliform discharges to local waterways and the environment;
- Effluent and stormwater reuse as alternative water sources for non potable uses;
- Data collection and management programs for water demand, sewage flows, and water quality.
The ultimate viability and appropriateness of these and other options were explored as part of the development of the IWCM plan. A copy of the summary report is available for download at the end of this page.
Contact details
Kent Boyd
02 6861 2343 (ph)
02 6862 3946 (fax)
council@parkes.nsw.gov.au
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