Works have commenced for the upgrade of the treatment of the bore water for the public toilets at William Fraser Reserve, Omaha Beach. The upgrade of the water bore is part of the larger William Fraser Reserve Toilet Renewal project.

This upgrade involves the construction of a new shed on a concrete pad for the plant room and installing treatment equipment to address the high alkaline, iron and salts content in the bore water. 

Equipment to be installed includes

• a backwash pre-filter for iron and sediment reduction

• ion exchange softening system

• new booster pump and backwash pump and controller

• UV disinfection unit.

The plant room shed will be big enough to allow Healthy Water to install an additional plant to treat the bore water to a potable standard at a later stage. The bore has been identified for a ‘New Welfare Water Site’ for the supply of potable water during severe drought conditions for the Omaha area. 

The existing water tank is being cleaned out as part of the works and a more secure locking system fitted.

Work began on the bore upgrade on18th May 2021 and will be completed by the end of June 2021.

The preliminary construction estimate for the William Fraser Reserve Toilet Renewal is $730,000, including a provisional sum allowance of $50,000 for improving the quality of the existing bore water supply. A project contingency of around $100,000 has been allowed for.

The tentative completion of the new toilet facility is October 2022, but this is subject to the local board approving the inclusion of the project in the 2021/2022 Risk Adjusted Programme which will be sought as part of the Community Facilities Work Programme.