Matamata Tertiary Membrane Plant Upgrade

Matamata-Piako District Council manages the Wastewater in the district through state-of-the-art treatment plants, to ensure wastewater is collected, treated and disposed of appropriately for the health and wellbeing of the community. The provision of reliable wastewater treatment is a fundamental service for the community. Council wanted to ensure they could deliver that service during wet weather periods, with minimal impact to the environment. The council faced the challenge of operating an ageing tertiary membrane treatment plant at its Matamata Wastewater Treatment Facility. Before the upgrade, the plant was at risk of not being able to meet capacity during peak wet weather events, which resulted in occasional overflows to the nearby environment. The plant built 8 years ago, was operating with reused ZeeWeed500c membranes from the Tuakau Water Treatment Plant. The council was looking for a solution that not only replaced the old membranes but ensured they could reliably meet increasing capacity requirements and futureproof the plant for additional growth. The solution also had to be cost-effective for the ratepayers.

This paper outlines, how Matamata-Piako District Council, in collaboration with SUEZ Australia & New Zealand (SUEZ), planned and executed the membrane plant upgrade. The paper also describes the engineering challenges faced, and plant optimisation and automation implemented as part of the project.

With the installation of the new ZeeWeed500d membranes (within the same footprint) and the implemented plant optimisations, the upgrade doubled the plant capacity, and reduced power consumption and operational labor requirement. It also provided the council with an overall more reliable and higher performing plant eliminating environmental discharge risk to the nearby river.