Fire & Water
Prioritising a clean and reliable water supply for a fire damaged catchment
THE BLACK SUMMER BUSHFIRES
As 2019 drew to a close, the first sparks of a horrifying bushfire season started to burn in the Bega Valley Shire. Three lives, 467 homes and 365,000 hectares of land were lost, destroyed or burned, leaving the community in a state of shock.
MOST OF THE BROGO DRINKING WATER CATCHMENT WAS IMPACTED
With a vast area left scarred by fire, the topsoil across most of the drinking water catchment was left exposed, leaving people in Bermagui, Cobargo, Quaama and the Wallaga Lake area with a looming concern.
THE BROGO BERMAGUI DRINKING WATER CATCHMENT
Supplying water to Bermagui, Cobargo, Quaama, Brogo and the Wallaga Lake area.
IMPACTED AREA FROM THE BLACK SUMMER BUSHFIRES
BUT CHANGE WAS ON ITS WAY
While it seemed the heat, smoke and ever-present threat of bushfires would never go away, in the early weeks of 2020, a change in the weather was brewing.
FROM A DRY AND BURNT LANDSCAPE
The Brogo-Bermagui catchment area went from being threatened by sweeping bushfires.
AND ENDURING A PROLONGED DROUGHT
Where water levels at the Brogo Dam dropped below 10%.
TO INUNDATION
The heavens opened and water levels rose 90% in 24 hours, taking the Brogo Dam to capacity.
IT WAS THE RAIN WE DESPERATELY NEEDED
And while the bushfires were reduced to smouldering pockets, we focused our attentions on the things we had lost and how as a community we begin to recover.
THE RAIN DIDN'T STOP
With no end to the rain, the Brogo Dam filled beyond capacity, flooding the spillway and inundating areas downstream.
FROM FIRE TO FLOOD
Still reeling from the bushfires, the Bega Valley Shire was plunged into the first of many floods. We had gone from one disaster declaration to another.
SO MUCH WATER
But not enough to drink. It was a situation that seemed ridiculous - we were in the middle of dealing with a natural disaster flood declaration and communities to the north were being told to restrict the amount of water they use.
01 / 05
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BUSHFIRES IN THE CATCHMENT HAD EXPOSED TOP SOILS
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WITH NO GROUND COVER, ASH AND TOPSOIL WASHED INTO THE DAM
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AND INTO THE BROGO RIVER WHICH SUPPLIES THE SHIRE'S NORTH WITH WATER
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THIS MADE THE WATER UNSAFE TO DRINK AND USE
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SO WE WERE FORCED TO CART WATER FROM OUR BEGA WATER SUPPLY.
BUT WE GOT BY (WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS)
The Australian Defence Force arrived at the perfect time and helped us to deliver a short-term solution for our customers.
They assisted with daily monitoring of water quality at the Brogo River and installed a mobile treatment system while we developed a temporary plant to reduce sediment levels.
SMART, SCIENTIFIC AND...
The technology used in our temporary settlement plant uses a process called flocculation, which introduces a static charge to raw water, causing sediment to clump for easy removal.
...SMALL
While it served a purpose, this tiny settlement plant needed to service customers in Bermagui, Cobargo, Quaama and Wallaga Lake with an average daily demand of 1,000,000 litres per day. This usually doubles in summer.
WE NEEDED SOMETHING BIGGER
We had already started planning for a bigger plant before the fires and floods and in 2017 we applied to the NSW Government's Safe & Secure Water Fund for a grant to build a bigger, better and permanent water treatment plant to replace the temporary facility.
THANKS NSW GOVERNMENT!
Our grant application was successful, with the NSW Government committing $10 million for a permanent water treatment plant to service the Brogo-Bermagui catchment. Together with a $2.5 million Council contribution, the project was fully funded and we were ready to get started with design of a multi-stage treatment facility.
WE CHOSE A COMBINED APPROACH OF FLOCCULATION, FILTRATION AND TREATMENT. HERE'S HOW IT WORKS
LET'S BUILD A WATER TREATMENT PLANT!
With our design approved and more boil water notices issued to local towns in the catchment thanks to back-to-back La Nina cycles, we jumped to it and started the process of building the water treatment facility our community needed. Contractors were sought, tenders were invited and evaluated and we appointed Laurie Curran Water Pty Ltd whose experience in building water treatment plants is highly regarded.
THE SITE WAS PREPARED
We extended to the current facility to minimise impact on the surrounding environment.
GRAVITY FEEDING THE SHIRE'S NORTH
The site was also chosen because it would gravity feed the town water system in the shire's north.
WE BUILT IT FROM THE INSIDE OUT
The first step was to build housing for the flocculator and filtration plant equipment.
BUILT TO LAST
This plant is built to withstand threats from future bushfires and with its combination of solar and generator power, it can even continue working offline in the case of an emergency.
TAKING SHAPE
The always present rain reminded us nearly every day about the importance of building this treatment plant.
NEW TANKS NEARLY READY
With a much bigger capacity, the new treatment plant can provide northern communities with three million litres of clean drinking water per day.
SOLAR GOING ON
The new treatment plant is mostly powered by the sun, drastically reducing our operating costs. We're working towards powering all of our water and sewerage treatment plants this way.
SWITCHING IT ON!
In December 2022, we finished construction of the new Brogo Bermagui water treatment plant. We have successfully conducted a testing phase and we are thrilled to introduce our new water treatment plant to the northern communities!
A RELIABLE SUPPLY OF TREATED AND FILTERED WATER FOR OUR CUSTOMERS
Our customers connected to the Brogo-Bermagui town water supply now have access to clean and clear water, regardless of weather and conditions. Drag the slider below to see the site transform from the works beginning in August 2021 until completion of works in March 2023. Most of what you see here is the tip of the iceberg, with a huge amount of work carried out beneath the ground.
COOL, CLEAR AND CLEAN DRINKING WATER
Thanks to Mother Nature and a little help from some clever technology. Enjoy!
