DRACE wins Melbourne recycling design contract

City West Water, the water supply company for Melbourne, Australia, has awarded Spanish contractor DRACE medioambiente, in joint venture with Tedagua, an Aus$ 36.5 million (US$ 30.4 million) design contract for a water recycling system.

The 9,000 m³/d system, at the Altona purification plant, will produce two types of regenerated water with different levels of quality, one for agricultural use (3,100 m³/d) and the other for industry (5,900 m³/d). The system employs membrane technology with ultrafiltration and a reverse-osmosis installation.

The contract has an 18-month design and construction phase, together with a five-year operation and maintenance period beginning in December 2010.