New filtration and UV disinfection equipment will come online at Mayfield’s drinking water plant on Monday, in a seamless transition for the community.

Mayfield’s water comes from a 119m bore and under new drinking water quality assurance rules it needed extra filtration, UV disinfection and chlorination.

Infrastructure and Open Spaces Group Manager Neil McCann said although the water from the deep bore had been safe to drink, Council was required to meet new national rules.

“Over the past few months our contractors have built a new building to house the new filtration and UV equipment and it will be fully operational as part of the treatment plant on Monday.”

There will be no disruption to Mayfield’s water supply, which delivers drinking water to 68 households in the township.

Mr McCann said the project had been delivered on time and on budget by contractors ARC Projects.

“Our operations and maintenance contractor ACL will take over the running of the UV equipment after it has been commissioned. The instrumentation and control equipment at the plant talks remotely to Council and ACL, so it is monitored 24-7.”

Mr McCann said Council was spending about $10 million upgrading other water treatment plants around the district with UV and filtration equipment.

“At some plants we’ve had to construct new buildings to house the equipment and at others we’ll be able to extend existing buildings to accommodate the UV and filtration. All the work is on target to be complete by the end of this year.”

The Hinds water treatment plant needed a new building and that upgrade is nearly complete. Upgrade work at water plants at Argyle Park, Tinwald, Rakaia, Chertsey, Ashburton Domain and Bridge Street is under way.

Below: The interior of the new UV equipment building at the Mayfield Water Treatment Plant.