Water and Sewer Projects
Richmond Valley Council has started planning for new essential water and sewer infrastructure to support the thriving population, additional housing and employment growth happening in the region.
The projects include:
- Casino new Sewage Treatment Plant
- Evans Head Sewage Treatment Plant Stage 2
- Casino Water Treatment Plant upgrade
Casino new Sewage Treatment Plant
Casino’s Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) has served residents and businesses well but is coming to the end of its life and needs to be replaced.
Work is underway to design a new, modern, flood-resilient STP which will meet the needs of the Casino community and provide extra capacity for future growth. The new STP is expected to be built to the east of the existing STP.
Project status
Richmond Valley Council’s most important strategic priority is to provide a new sewage treatment plant and associated infrastructure in Casino to address the current plant’s limitations and to enable growth and development.
Council has committed significant internal and external resources to lead and support the development and delivery of the project. Around $4.67 million has been allocated from internal budget reserves to progress planning and design and the delivery team is pursuing the external funding which will be required for construction.
Progress summary
The project has progressed through the development phase. Ganden Pty Ltd were engaged by Council to complete the detailed design. Deliverables include:
- Design envelope
- Recycled water investigation
- Plant interfaces investigation
- Geotechnical review
- Flood modelling study review
Next steps
The next steps for the project include:
- Section 60 application (State Government approval for the STP)
- Recycled Water Management Plan
- Plan for the decommissioning and rehabilitation of existing STP
- Securing funding for construction.
Evans Head Sewage Treatment Plant Stage 2
Council commenced the detailed design phase of the Evans Head Sewage Treatment Plant Project – Stage 2 in November 2024 with NSW Public Works taking the design project lead.
Project status
The Evans Head Sewage Treatment Plant – Stage 2 will double the plant’s treatment capacity from 5500 EP (Equivalent Persons) to 11,000 EP. This will ensure the plant has resilience to cope with holiday loadings when the Evans Head population can double.
The Detailed Design is expected to be completed in March 2026, and the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) is expected to be completed by April 2026 to assess the potential environmental impacts to ensure compliance with environmental legislation. This will be submitted to Council for approval and endorsement.
Progress summary
- Coote Burchills Engineering has been engaged to provide project management support
- The project’s detailed design is expected to be completed by end of March 2026 by NSW Public Works
- Electrical Design to be peer reviewed by 360 Engineering Pty Ltd
- SSWP Detailed Design Deed closeout
Next steps
The next steps for the project includes:
- Finalisation of specification documentation
- Endorsement of Review of Environmental Factors
- Submission of the Section 60 Application (State government approval)
- Start of construction expected in 2026
Casino Water Treatment Plant Augmentation
Council received funding through the Safe and Secure Water Program to fund upgrades to the Casino Water Treatment Plant. Items under investigation – such as ultraviolet disinfection, pH correction dosing, various chemical dosing system upgrades, and additional filters – all have the aim of strengthening the treatment barriers against contamination, improving the quality of the water produced, and reducing the risks associated with the plant’s operations.
Several workshops have been conducted with NSW Health and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Council will continue to partner with these agencies as the project progresses through the next phases.
Progress summary:
- Funding Deed claim for Milestone 3 has been submitted
- Concept Design has been awarded to MJM Environmental
- DCCEEW requested additional scope to be included in Concept Design
Next steps
The next steps for the project include:
- Capacity and Water Quality Design Criteria
- UV Disinfection, PAC and Chlorine site selection
