CH2M HILL-Thiess team to build Australia groundwater plant

Western Australia’s first full-scale groundwater replenishment plant will be built by a joint venture between CH2M HILL (Denver, CO) and Australia construction firm Theiss under a contract recently awarded by Western Australia’s Water Corporation. The companies will design, construct, and commission the Advanced Water Replenishment Plant (AWRP) in Perth, a project that follows a “groundwater replenishment trial” (GRT) conducted at the Beenyup wastewater treatment plant from 2010 through 2012. The AWRP will initially treat 14 billion liters of wastewater per year, with an option to expand the capacity to 28 billion liters in the future, and inject the treated water back into Perth’s underground aquifers. “The success of the GRT demonstrated the effectiveness of using advanced technologies and innovative solutions to treat water so it is suitable to replenish groundwater supplies,” said Chris Morris, CH2M HILL’s Australia and New Zealand regional manager.