Toowoomba City Council - poo sorting and other failures cost ratepayers another $430,000 ...

Excerpt from Toowoomba City Council Committee Meeting minutes of 16/17 October 2007:

1. The upgraded Wetalla Water Reclamation Facility has been constructed, commissioned, and is now operational. The alliance contract used to deliver the project has now commenced the two year operational support phase which continues through to November 2008.

2. The upgraded facility is a state of the art water reclamation plant with many features that will be of particular interest to water industry practitioners.

3. The upgraded facility is a significant and important addition to Council's infrastructure.

4. For this project the alliance contract delivery process has been successful. This success is unlikely to have occurred without the broad range of expertise that resides collectively within Council."

Only problem is some of the technology doesn't work.

Read on.

Subsequent to commissioning completion, significant issues with biosolids handling have occurred which will necessitate additional project expenditure to correct. Other issues relating to the efficiency of the reclaimed effluent system as well as electrical and control systems have also been identified.
...

The biosolids outloading system at the southern end of the solar drying halls consisted of a horizontal and an inclined screw conveyor system that discharged dried biosolids to the storage hopper.

Following commissioning completion it became apparent that the screw conveyor system was not suited to the range of dried biosolid solids contents that would be experienced during the course of a year. At the drier end of the range (greater than 35% solids) the biosolids in the screw conveyors pasted together eventually clogging the conveyors.

A decision was made to replace the screw conveyors with conventional belt conveyors, with ribbing provided on the inclined belt conveyor to assist in the transport of the dried biosolids.
...

The solar drying halls were intended to process all of the biosolids produced at the Wetalla Facility. Having now operated the upgraded facility for all year conditions it has become apparent that for at least the winter months the halls can only process a portion of the biosolids, the rest of the biosolids having to be removed off site without the benefit of further drying. This result is a great disappointment for all involved in the project.

The poorer than expected performance of the solar hall drying will have an adverse impact on operational costs due to the additional tonnage of biosolids to be transported.
...

The reclaimed effluent pumping system provides water for chlorination, process water throughout the plant, and water for irrigation. The type of pumps provided have found to be not capable of dealing with the small plastic particles in the liquid stream.
...

The additional funds required to complete the project to a satisfactory operational standard is estimated as $430,000.
...

See - Toowoomba City Council Committee Meeting - 16/17 October 2007.

A state of the art project with successful contract delivery process which doesn't work properly and will cost Toowoomba ratepayers an additional $430,000.

Isn't the recycled water process supposed to proven technology - and done all over the world?

Why the technology hiccups?

And where does the blame lie for the faulty technology?

With the contractors for trying technology they didn't know would work?

Or with the Council for suggesting technology they knew nothing about?

The reason for the Council's recommendation for spending the additional $430,000 seems to fly in the face of the comments in the Minutes:

Reasons for Recommendation

To enable the Wetalla Water Reclamation Facility Upgrading Project to be completed.

Thought the 'the alliance contract delivery process' had been 'successful' and the 'success' was unlikely to have occurred 'without the broad range of expertise that resides collectively within Council.'

Jumping the gun a bit perhaps.

Once again, the Toowoomba ratepayer is left with the bill ...