The next phase of the new state-of-the-art Mardi Water Treatment Plant has been locked in with the contract being awarded to Abergeldie Contractors Pty Ltd.

The $82.5 million project will not only provide a significant boost to jobs but will help secure the region’s water future by providing up to 160 million litres of drinking water every day.

The NSW Government provided $6.85 million through the Safe and Secure Water Program along with over $75 million from Central Coast Council.

Director of Water and Sewer Jamie Loader said it was time we brought the plant into the 21st century.

“The Mardi Water Treatment Plant typically provides around half of all drinking water to the Central Coast, future proofing this asset and ensuring it can continue to deliver safe and secure water to our customers is a key priority.

“Early works have already been completed to prepare the plant for this major upgrade including remediation of the sludge lagoons, upgrade of lagoon inlet structures and clearing of the south-western lagoon for the first time since it was constructed in 1982.

“This will provide a reservoir to capture any untreated water during testing and commissioning of the new processes,” Mr Loader said.

Desludging of the lagoon commenced in November 2019 and was completed in May 2023, removing over 30,000m3 of sludge from the lagoon.

Central Coast Council Administrator, Rik Hart congratulated Abergeldie Contractors Pty Ltd on being awarded the contract.

“Mardi Water Treatment Plant was built in 1982 with the last major upgrade of the facility completed 10 years after that. It’s time that we give this asset a significant makeover, allowing it to cater for future growth and climate related risks.

“Once finished, Mardi Water Treatment Plant will be able to treat up to the equivalent of 64 Olympic-sized swimming pools, providing drinking water for over 210,000 homes and businesses across the Central Coast region and the lower Hunter,” Mr Hart said.

Following detailed design, construction will commence in 2024 with an expected completion in late 2025 – weather permitting.

The NSW Government’s $1 billion Safe and Secure Water Program is supporting more than $1 billion worth of projects across the state, with more than 250 in various stages of delivery.