West Camden Water Recycling Plant Upgrade

Our delivery partner Downer|BMD has started work to install new underground electrical cables for the provision of alternate power supply to the WRP from the electrical substation south of Burragorang Rd.

The installation will take approximately 20 weeks to complete, weather permitting. The work will be done from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1 pm on Saturday.

This work will involve:

• installing 2.6 kms of new electrical cables
• investigating and surveying the area
• setting up site facilities
• using trenchless technology to install cables along Cawdor Road
• digging trenches along Sheathers Lane for cable installation
• backfilling and restoring the impacted area

Traffic changes

There will be changes to pedestrian and traffic conditions along the Cawdor Rd and sheathers Lane. Traffic controllers will manage movement around the work area to keep you safe. There won't be any impacts to bus services along the route and private driveways will be maintained.

Location of work

If you would like to know more, please contact us at WestCamdenWRP@sydneywater.com.au.

We have made some good progress lately on upgrades to the WRP site with the plant being in full operation!

The sludge lagoon near the Sheathers Lane side of the plant is currently emptied in preparation for its decommissioning. We are pumping the sludge from the pool, mixing in chemicals and store it in massive the Geotubes, where the liquid is squeezed out. Once the sludge is dry the tubes will be taken off site and disposed. You may have seen the tubes when driving by - they look like jumping cushions ( we wouldn't recommend that though)

Otherwise, earth works are in progress to build two of the four new Membrane Bioreactor Tanks in the location where the sludge lagoon currently is. Construction of the tanks is planned to start this month but that depends on the weather.

If you would like to know more, please contact us at WestCamdenWRP@sydneywater.com.au.

Geotubes at Sheathers Lane

Due to the recent Covid-19 restrictions and rain events, we need to extend our Saturday working hours to meet critical project milestones and ensure the plant will meet its increasing load.

From Saturday 5 March 2022 until 26 March 2022 our work hours will be 7 am to 5 pm Monday to Saturday.

We will not work on Sundays and Public Holidays.

During the work you may notice an increase in noise, vehicle, and construction equipment movement around the work site. All sheds and equipment will be stored within the Sydney Water site’s fenced area.

We know our work can be disruptive, so we’ll make every effort to reduce any impact this work may have on you.

If you would like to know more, please contact us at WestCamdenWRP@sydneywater.com.au.

As part of the decommissioning of the sludge lagoon, our contractor Downer/BMD will need to work on the weekend of 12 and 13 February 2022. The work will be done between 7am and 5pm.

Work is required to maintain levels of tank capacity with the use of a pump. This work will enable us to dredge the sludge to the dewatering zone at the south side of the site. The generator used for the work will be in an attenuator. This means the impact from noise will be minimal.

The map below shows our work area for the weekend. We are not anticipating any impacts on the community.

If you have any concerns please contact us at WestCamdenWRP@sydneywater.com.au.

During the upgrade of the West Camden Water Recycling Plant there will be a few disruptions. We will try to keep these to a minimum however some are unavoidable.

Below is a summary of what to expect.

If you have any concerns please contact us at WestCamdenWRP@sydneywater.com.au.

We wish you a safe and happy festive season, and a water wise new year!

We are now upgrading the West Camden Water Recycling Plant to accommodate the additional wastewater for our growing community. Our partner Downer|BMD has started decommissioning the sludge lagoon in late November.

Sludge is a by-product of wastewater treatment and generates odour in an open space. The work will generate temporary odours in and around the West Camden WRP. During the first week or two it is projected the odour will be higher and slowly reduce over the later months.

To decommission the existing lagoon, the sludge will need to be stirred and chemicals added in to make it as liquidly as possible. Once it is dry, it will be taken offsite to a suitable facility for disposal. This is what will cause the odour.

We are trying to minimise the odour impact on our customers and the community. If you are experiencing odour issues, you can help by contacting us on westcamdenWRP@sydneywater.com.au. The information you provide, combined with our operational data will help us make improvements.

We are all set to get started with the upgrade works of the West Camden WRP!

This work will involve:

• set up a site compound and storage areas, including access roads and temporary fencing
• remove vegetation within 15 metres of our work area
• High Voltage electrical and utility relocation works
• Construction and decommissioning of assets on site, which will be noisy at times
• earthworks and concrete works, which will have truck movements into site, including loading and disposal of spoil

We know our work can be disruptive, so we’ll make every effort to reduce any impact this work may have on you.

However you may experience:

• Noise - due to heavy machinery. This can include saw cutters, excavations, and rock breaking machines.
• Dust - due to the construction work. Mitigation measures will be in place to minimise impact to surrounding areas.
• Odour - due to decommissioning of the sludge lagoon. This will only be temporary.
• Traffic - Deliveries of materials and equipment will occur. Our traffic controllers will help traffic flow
  while keeping you safe.

Most of the construction activities will happen on the plant’s site at Ferguson Lane.

There will be some work along Cawdor Rd and Sheathers Lane when we install electrical cables to connect our assets to the substation. We will notify you before these works begin.

Our work hours

7 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday

8 am to 1 pm Saturday

We won't work on Sundays or Public Holidays

We are excited to announce that we have partnered with Downer and BMD Group to deliver the West Camden Water Recycling Plant (WRP) Amplification project. Together, we will upgrade the plant to double its the capacity, ensuring that population growth in the catchment is environmentally sustainable – both in the volumes we are able to treat and by producing high quality recycled water for agricultural and recreation use in the local area. The improved quality of the discharge water will benefit our waterways

Construction activities will start mid October.