Bluff plant

The Bluff Treatment Plant operates automatically and is monitored and controlled through a radio link to staff at the Clifton plant.

Operators and laboratory staff visit the plant weekly to clean the plant and to sample the effluent to ensure it meets the discharge consent conditions. Maintenance crews are on call 24 hours a day and are alerted to plant malfunctions by alarms.

Bluff and Clifton plants have similar treatment processes with the exception of thick sludge, which is removed from the bottom of the Bluff tank for further treatment at Clifton.

Once the clear liquid has undergone a high-intensity ultra violet light process, the treated wastewater is discharged into Foveaux Straight, near Ocean Beach. Seawater 100m from the outfall is frequently sampled and tested to ensure it complies with the standards for recreational and shellfish gathering waters.