Jurien Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant

Due to the rapid population growth in the Jurien Bay area DM Civil was engaged to double the capacity of the existing Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) by constructing a new primary pond, secondary pond and subsequent infiltration ponds.

  • Client:

    Water Corporation

  • Location:

    Jurien Bay, WA

  • Construction Period:

    Oct 14 - Apr 15

  • Key Elements:

    • Bulk earthworks
    • Pond construction
    • Clay liner installation
    • Inlet and scour pipework
    • Commissioning

Project overview

This additional system works in isolation from the existing ponds allowing thorough maintenance to be carried out on either system where necessary.

The project involved detailed earthworks for the construction of the clay lined primary and secondary ponds. The construction and compaction of this layer was critical and had to be done under very specific moisture conditions in order to gain the high level of compaction that the specification demanded.

A large element of the works involved construction of a variety of concrete structures. These structures included spillways connecting each pond for emergency overflow, a sullage discharge facility for the sullage trucks to release their load into and a flume to measure the rate of flow through the system.

Several additions to the original scope of works were made throughout construction. Having a strong project team meant we could deliver the project on time and maintain our excellent standards.

Significant achievements and benefits

With concrete experience in the construction of WWTP’s we were able to provide Water Corporation with the assurance that we would deliver a clay lined pond with the correct permeability requirements. Our capabilities were demonstrated through leak tests.

We recognised the need for the existing ponds to allow for emergency overflow. With the current design there was no contingency in place in case of a blockage or significant weather event. We gained access to the ponds by the construction of clay dams in conjunction with diverting the live sewer into our new system. This made it possible to construct concrete spillways between ponds to allow for emergency overflow.

Due to the location of the site and the season in which the works were undertaken we experienced some very unfavourable weather conditions. With the flexibility in our construction methods and programme we were able to deal with these issues in an effective manner without neglecting our safety and quality standards.

During the final stages of construction, leak testing of the clay lined ponds and the decommissioning of the existing infiltration pond required pumping of over 10,000 kilolitres of fluid between ponds for various purposes. We achieved this with our specialist pumping system capable of achieving an 80L/s flow rate. The efficient management of these fluids was vital in delivering the project within the short timeframe required.

Throughout construction we supported the local community where possible by utilising local subcontractors and suppliers for materials, transport, machinery and accommodation.

Download the Jurien Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant project report

Download Project Report (1 MB, pdf)