Project overview
North East Water is upgrading our Bright-Porepunkah wastewater treatment plant and creating new infrastructure to support population growth in these communities and Wandiligong.
The works will:
- Improve wastewater treatment performance
- Reduce current pressures on system capacity
- Expand opportunities for recycled water use
- Deliver better outcomes for the environment with a new treated water release method.
Sewage from these neighbouring communities is currently treated in a lagoon-based wastewater treatment plant. The treated water output is supplied for use at Bright Golf Club or discharged via an infiltration basin where it flows indirectly to the Ovens River. This arrangement does not meet contemporary standards and a new release method is required.
Since April 2024 we have reviewed options that will allow high quality, environmentally sensitive, treated water to be returned to the environment and identified three potential discharge points on the Ovens River:
- Near Bright Country Golf Club, storing recycled water in summer for winter release when river flows are higher, at an indicative project cost of $8-15 million
- Downstream of the Ovens River’s confluence with the Buckland River, releasing recycled water year-round, at an indicative project cost of $15-19m
- Downstream of Feathertop Winery’s offtake, releasing recycled water year-round, at an indicative project cost of $17-22m.
Pipeline options
Community view
The community took the opportunity to engage with us on these options at Bright Market in April 2024. We also provided ‘have your say’ online access to enable the community to comment on the project and potential discharge locations.
The online poll indicated the community's clear preference for Option 3, returning treated water to the environment downstream of Feathertop Winery.
Next steps
Contractors are conducting site investigations along the proposed pipeline alignment in mid-2025. This work to identify the presence of any below-ground services, such as communications or energy cabling, is scheduled to take place in the road reserves adjacent to:
- Great Alpine Road – late June
- Station Street (West) – early July
- Station Street (East) and Back Porepunkah Road – late July
Contractors will not enter private property. You may also see some in-ground geotechnical investigations taking place adjacent to Back Porepunkah Road and near Bright-Porepunkah Wastewater Treatment Plant at these times.
FAQ
Have your say
Constructive feedback helps our decision-making.
