An application for the building of a new $5 million sewage treatment plant on Hamilton's docks is currently being reviewed by the Planning Department.

The facility, proposals for which have been in the works since 1996, will replace the old Waste Water Pumping Station which is just yards from the planned building site, opposite Docksider's Bar on Front Street.

Until now, the City of Hamilton's existing facility has cut up solid waste into tiny particles before pumping it out into the sea.

But, with this new development, solid waste and grease will be able to be filtered out before discharge.

Corporation secretary Roger Sherratt called the proposed system "efficient'' and "using the latest technology''.

He added: "We've been working with the Planning Department for some time on this idea. We see it as something that is completely vital to the city.'' Mr. Sherratt explained that the existing plant, which services Hamilton and some of its surrounding area, has been in use for 18 years.

"The equipment used in it is irreplaceable,'' he said, "so we decided that a new one would be much more efficient.'' "This is what is called primary treatment and it will use a screening system with the latest technology. As a result, there will be no smell emanating from the plant,'' Mr. Sherratt added.

He explained that this particular location had been chosen because it was one of the few places that would allow the plant to be "gravity fed''.

He named a probable completion date as around late 2001.