Additional water quality safeguards have been completed at a northern Tasmanian water treatment plant.

The Bracknell Water Treatment Plant now has an ultraviolet (UV) disinfection treatment facility on-site which will add an additional layer of treatment.

TasWater Senior Project Manager Dheeraj Rajan said the UV disinfection does not affect the taste, colour or odour of the water, but adds an additional layer of protection, further reducing the risk of harmful microbes entering the water supply.

“These facilities will also be built at Scottsdale, Bridport, Deloraine, Westbury, St Helens, Longford, Glen Huon and Smithton.” Mr Rajan said.

“It will further safeguard the quality of water at these small water treatment plants.

“We are pleased to announce that the facility is now online at Bracknell, with more soon to be complete.”

TRILITY are the main contractor carrying out the works.

“The treatment will not slow down the water treatment process, and just means that water will pass through a UV light as it leaves the treatment plant,” Mr Rajan said.

TasWater’s priority is that water is safe to drink, and UV treatment helps ensures we can continue to do so and meet modern drinking water standards.

The project features a containerised plant being installed at five of the nine locations, while at the remaining sites the plants are being built within a steel framed building, which will be connected to the existing water treatment plant at each site.

“At each site a large amount of preparation work is being conducted to ensure the existing plants can be fitted out properly with the UV capabilities,” Mr Rajan said.

“In addition, we will also be installing feed pumps and tanks at some of the locations so the new treatment facilities can be connected and operate effectively.”

The remaining ultraviolet (UV) disinfection treatment facilities will be completed in the new year.