Berri Barmera Wastewater Reuse Project

Partnership between the Berri Barmera Council, Hardy Wine Company and United Utilities Australia has developed the Berri Barmera Wastewater Reuse Project. It is being carried as a 25 year Build Own Operate project.

The project engages the construction of two new lagoon-based wastewater treatment plants at Berri. These will be situated at a new location close to the corner of Hoskin and Moritz Roads in Berri, and at the Council quarry site opposed to the Riverland Field Days land at Barmera.

Wastewater from Council STEDs schemes will be treated to Class B+ quality at both treatment plants and reused for irrigation at Berri and Barmera Golf Courses, the Riverland Field Days site and at Allan Glassey Park.

Winery wastewater will be reused to irrigate economically viable crops on or near the Council's wastewater treatment plant at Barmera. Such crops may comprise Arunda Donax ("ADX" or Giant Reed) that can be used in paper production and power generation. tests with ADX are at present underway. 

Achieve a 100% reuse of treated effluent is the decisive aim of the scheme. The total of approximately $14 million is invested in this scheme. The State Government has already dedicated $1 million in grants and an application for an extra $1 million of Federal Government funding is pending. The balance will be funded by the project applicants.

Construction is due to begin in the first quarter of 2007, with commissioning expected early in 2008.