At the new Western Treatment Plant Resource Recovery & Reuse Complex, precision and material performance aren’t just about compliance—they’re about ensuring the asset’s legacy.
Treating over 200,000 million litres of sewage each year, the facility is the backbone of Melbourne’s water management network, and one of the world’s most environmentally sustainable treatment plants.
As Melbourne Water and John Holland lead the three-year development, every component—down to the handrails—must perform under continuous exposure to moisture, chemicals and high foot traffic for decades to come.
When Moddex was engaged to supply Tuffrail® TR25 systems for the primary sedimentation tanks in the first stage of the project, the focus was on long-term durability, compliance and lifecycle value. Moddex supplied anodised aluminium stanchions with powder-coated fittings, engineered to thrive in high-humidity, chemical-laden environments.
“On major infrastructure projects, material choice isn’t just about initial performance, but about lifecycle efficiency,” Moddex Sales Manager Rick Parbery said. “Anodised aluminium gives our clients predictable performance and cost stability over decades of operation.”
The anodising process forms a hard, stable oxide layer that resists pitting, chalking and fading, even under UV and chemical exposure. For Melbourne Water, that means lower maintenance costs and a longer asset lifespan which are key advantages in infrastructure expected to operate for half a century or more.
“Anodising converts the aluminium surface into a dense, integral layer of aluminium oxide – a material significantly harder and more wear-resistant than the base metal, comparable in hardness to most steel,” added Moddex Senior Solutions Engineer Alireza Mahdieh. “That gives the metal exceptional resistance to abrasion and chemical attack and is very ideal for water treatment environments.”
At Western Treatment Plant, and any water or wastewater treatment plant, where metalwork is constantly exposed to air rich in hydrogen sulphide and salt residues from recycled water processes, anodised aluminium’s non-reactive surface provides long-term protection that standard coatings can’t replicate.
Selecting materials that perform reliably in such a corrosive and moisture-rich setting is critical to safeguarding the Western Treatment Plant’s operational efficiency and environmental outcomes. The facility remains a global benchmark in sustainable wastewater treatment, and Moddex is proud to contribute to its next chapter. With several stages still to come, Moddex continues to deliver trusted access solutions engineered for strength, safety and enduring performance.
