Residents in Urbenville, Muli Muli, and Woodenbong in northern NSW have access to safer and more reliable drinking water with a $3.5 million infrastructure project to expand the Urbenville Water Treatment Plant now complete.
The upgrade was made possible through $1.42 million from the Australian Government’s National Water Grid Fund, $2 million from the NSW Government’s Drought Fund and $100,000 from Tenterfield Shire and Kyogle Councils.
The project will improve water quality and boost drought resilience across the three villages while increasing the plant’s service capacity, ensuring first-rate drinking water continues to flow well into the future.
Mayor of Tenterfield Shire Council, Bronwyn Petrie described the project’s completion as a landmark day for Urbenville, Muli Muli, and Woodenbong.
“It has been three years in the making, and we’ve had our fair share of setbacks, but we are now able to cut the ribbon on this incredible water treatment upgrade and deliver a secure water future for these communities,” the Mayor said.
“Thanks to crucial investments from the Australian and NSW Governments, the co-funding from Councils and a lot of hard work and collaboration, we have now crossed the finish line.”
Despite being built in 2010, the original plant was in desperate need of an upgrade with the original technology struggling to manage the increasingly variable raw water quality.
As part of the overhaul, two new clarifier lagoons have been built that will pre-treat the raw water sourced from Tooloom Creek, giving existing filters a leg up to keep producing high-quality drinking water even during low-quality periods.
A new bore and storage tanks have been brought online, providing a valuable back-up supply and lifeline for residents during drought conditions.
The existing jetty offtake structure has also been upgraded, and new cages have been installed to protect the pumps from excess river debris which can build up during wet weather.
“This upgrade to the Urbenville Water Treatment Plant is a gamechanger for the area, and another example of all levels of government coming together to achieve big things for the people of NSW,” said NSW Minister for Water, Rose Jackson.
“The last drought hit people in the region incredibly hard, which is why it was so important to get their water infrastructure upgraded and working to modern-day standards.
“It’s a fantastic result and will mean safe and secure water for generations to come.”
The completion is the crowning milestone of the three-year project, which will now support around 700 people across the region, locking in reliable and high-quality drinking water and helping residents weather a future drought.
This also marks the final project to complete construction under the National Water Grid’s NSW Connections package – which has seen 3 critical projects in Walcha, West Wyalong and now Urbenville delivered in NSW thanks to over $30 million in joint funding.
