The commissioning of the new water treatment plant has been completed and is supplying clean safe drinking water, with the project now moving onto the Namoi River Pump station.

The proof of performance testing conducted in early October tested the plant running over the full range of flow rates, from a minimum of 22.5L/s up to 45L/s or approximately 4ML/day, enough to fill over 100 backyard swimming pools every day. Raw water sourced from the Manilla River, with varying quality parameters due to rainfall, was processed during performance testing. throughout the testing period the plant produced clean and safe drinking water meeting or exceeding the Australian drinking water guidelines.

With the treatment plant and Manilla River pump station now complete and commissioned, focus has moved to the Namoi River pump station at Chaffey Park, with the old pump shed being demolished, and the old pumps, switchboard and pipework being removed. The work at the Namoi River pump station will include;

• new switchboard;
• two new 55kW Raw Water Delivery pumps in a duty/standby arrangement;
• new suction pipelines;
• new irrigation pump for Chaffey Park;
• raw water monitoring equipment; and
• new building to house the equipment and pump well.

While a lot has been removed off the old pump station the existing pump dry well, constructed in the 1930s, will be retained and will continue to serve the residents for the decades to come with new pipework already installed at the base of the well and the new pumps to be installed over the coming months.