Work will begin next week on a major upgrade to the Hawks Nest Sewage Treatment Plant.
The $50 million overhaul will enable the plant to accommodate the large increases in population that are forecast to occur in the area over the coming decades.
MidCoast Council's Director of Infrastructure and Engineering Services, Rob Scott, said the upgrade would also resolve a number of current challenges.
"At the moment, the sewage treatment plant is operating at close to capacity during summer when visitors flock to the popular holiday destination," said Mr Scott.
"As a result, we're struggling to meet the requirements of our effluent discharge licence with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
"This project will increase the capacity of the plant considerably and help address both current and future demands."
Scheduled to be completed over a two-and-a-half year period, the project will be completed by Gongues Constructions and will begin with the decommissioning of the existing Pasveer channels at the site. A host of infrastructure will then be constructed, including new sludge lagoons, a new switch room, a new chemical dosing system and two new clarification tanks. The existing aeration tanks will also be extensively modified to process larger volumes of sewage.
Mr Scott said the upgrade would increase both the storage and treatment capacity of the plant.
Importantly, the plant will continue to operate as normal throughout construction and minimal disruption to the community is expected.
"Residents can expect to experience increased traffic in the area and some localised noise at times, but aside from that, the project should progress largely unnoticed," said Mr Scott.
Construction will take place between 7am-6pm weekdays and 8am-1pm on Saturdays. Council will notify residents if these hours change.
The project is expected to be completed in 2027.
