Hunter Water – Chemical Dosing and Odour Control

Hunter Water provides drinking water, wastewater, recycled water and stormwater services to a population of over 600,000 people in homes and businesses across the Lower Hunter. As an organisation, the company balances providing reliable, high-quality services while also remaining affordable for the community they serve. Our goal is to help them achieve this, and over eight years, we’ve helped identify and implement the most cost-effective ways of reducing odour complaints throughout Hunter Water’s wastewater catchments.

We developed simple tools that allowed Hunter Water to adjust existing practices and purchase off-the-shelf products to mitigate odour effectively. Our services included everything from sizing small odour control units and air induct vents to developing a strategic path for planning and managing odour issues. We provided guidance on instrumentation, conducted audits on existing systems, and created an odour inventory for every treatment plant.

One of our innovative solutions was assisting in developing an automated control system to enhance the efficiency and reduce the cost of chemical dosing in wastewater networks. We reduced Hunter Water’s chemical dosing units from 50 down to 15. We also pioneered the first magnesium hydroxide dosing unit in Hunter Water’s catchment, providing a sustainable and cost-effective solution.

With our tools and training, Hunter Water’s in-house team is well-equipped to manage odour issues independently. The Greater Newcastle community also benefits from reduced odour impacts, while keeping costs down for everyone.