In 2023, Water Treatment Engineers NZ were involved in the Snells/Algies Water Treatment Plant upgrade. Watercare replaced their old filters and added a clarifier, significantly improving the plant’s ability to treat water.
The project went smoothly with preliminary design from Beca, HunterH2O; Detailed design, construction and pre/cold commissioning from Bellcon; equipment supply of filters/clarifier by Filtec, and software development by Horizon Technology Limited.
Water treatment engineers held multiple roles across the project, from design manager to project engineer, software development manager and commissioning engineer.
Project Background
Watercare identified a water quality risk to the Snells Water Treatment Plant. An existing project in progress to replace the previous AVG filters was expanded to include a temporary section of the plant to mitigate the risk to the aquifer. The temporary plant included coagulation and clarification as well as modifications to the AVG filters.
Project Objectives
The primary objectives of the project were to:
- Provide temporary treatment processes capable of treating water during a potential water quality event.
- Allow for future use of the AVG Filters for iron and manganese removal.
- Ensure the temporary plant was easily brought online and was removable from site.
- Deliver the project before the water quality risk began.
Role of Water Treatment Engineers NZ
Water Treatment Engineers played critical roles in the project as Design Project Manager, Project Engineer and Commissioning Engineer, working alongside the internal Watercare Projects, Operations and Commissioning Teams. Our responsibilities included:
- Collaborating with the Watercare Projects and Operations teams to ensure the project met the operational requirements within the limited timeframe.
- Managing the design process to ensure a robust design process was followed and the operational requirements were being met.
- Acting as a Project Engineer providing technical support and quality checks throughout the construction phase.
- Acting as a Commissioning Engineer alongside internal Watercare staff to carry out Hot Commissioning, troubleshooting and proving activities.
- Developing the software and graphics from the level 1 Functional Descriptions with the programmers.
- Developing an Operations Implementation Plan to provide details on how to operate the plant in various configurations.
- Developing Standard Operating Procedures and providing training to operators on the new equipment.
Project Outcomes and Successes
Thanks to the close collaboration between the contractors, project team, operations and commissioning team the new plant went from detailed design through to completing commissioning within 1 year. Key project outcomes included:
- Timely completion of the project prior to water quality risk with a smooth handover to operations.
- A collaborative design process ensured that operations were involved throughout the project and received a plant that worked for them.
- There was minimal disruption to the water treatment plant operations throughout the project despite the very small size of the site. Even during commissioning, the plant was only taken offline for short periods each day.
Conclusion
The Snells Water Treatment Plant AVG Upgrade project showcases Water Treatment Engineers’ ability to collaborate effectively with clients and stakeholders to deliver high-quality outcomes. By working closely with contractors and operations throughout the project, the commissioning and handover process was seamless.
