Published Thursday, 31 May, 2007 at 09:26 AM
Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure
The Honourable Anna Bligh
Deputy Premier praises SEQ residents for WaterWise take-up
31 May 2008
TUGUN: In releasing the latest Queensland Water Commission report Deputy Premier Anna Bligh today praised South East Queensland residents for playing their drought-battling part in taking-up the Government’s Home WaterWise program.
“The Home WaterWise program is a week ahead of the regulated schedule with 80,000 households having been retrofitted with water saving devices as at 30 April,” said Ms Bligh
The numbers are in the April monthly QWC report released today.
“This figure exceeds the demanding target of 75,000 Home WaterWise retrofits in ten months, which the Government set for the uptake of this service.
Ms Bligh said, while inspecting the $1.2 billion Gold Coast Desalination Plant, that in addition to exceeding the target, the Home WaterWise service has received a further 15,262 bookings for the period between 30 April and next week (3 June).
The April Report notes that in terms of overall progress on the South East Queensland Water Grid there is virtually no change to the status of projects reported last month.
There is one minor delay reported to a Brisbane City Council project – with the recycled water to Caltex Refinery delayed by a further two months.
The pressure and leakage programs have marginally improved with estimated water savings increasing from 14.43ML/day last month to 14.72 ML/day in this report.
She said good progress is being made with construction of pipelines making up the Water Grid.
“As at the end of April, the Report shows 18.5 kilometres of pipe was laid for the Southern Regional Water Pipeline project, and pipe was also laid at multiple points along the route of the Western Corridor Recycled Water project.
“However, as of yesterday (Wednesday), across the complete Grid more than 42.5km has been laid, and we are currently laying pipe at an average of more than 800m a day.”
On Tuesday, the Government also announced an acceleration and expansion of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project’s scope.
“This is about delivering more water and sooner – the revised scope bodes well for this critical part of the Grid with water now timed for Wivenhoe in October (2008) rather than December,” she said
The Queensland Water Commission’s modelling - which uses; current consumption, the introduction of purified recycled water and natural inflows to the dam based on the worst-ever year on record - continue to indicate dams will remain above 5% capacity in December 2008.
It is by then that the Gold Coast desalination plant and the major part of the Western Corridor project come on line.
“Last week’s regional consumption average was 149 litres per person per day. This is good, but we all need to find ways to save an extra 9 litres to reach Target 140.”
The Report also makes it clear the business and industry sectors continue to achieve water savings through the Business Water Efficiency Program (BWEP).
“The Report shows that during April the BWEP achieved estimated savings of 8.4 megalitres of water per day, which is more than double its target.”
She said that the pressure and leakage programs have marginally improved with estimated water savings increasing from 14.43ML/day last month to 14.72 ML/day in this report.
The Report is available on the QWC website www.qwc.qld.gov.au
Media contact: Deputy premier’s Office: 3224 6900
TUGUN: In releasing the latest Queensland Water Commission report Deputy Premier Anna Bligh today praised South East Queensland residents for playing their drought-battling part in taking-up the Government’s Home WaterWise program.
“The Home WaterWise program is a week ahead of the regulated schedule with 80,000 households having been retrofitted with water saving devices as at 30 April,” said Ms Bligh
The numbers are in the April monthly QWC report released today.
“This figure exceeds the demanding target of 75,000 Home WaterWise retrofits in ten months, which the Government set for the uptake of this service.
Ms Bligh said, while inspecting the $1.2 billion Gold Coast Desalination Plant, that in addition to exceeding the target, the Home WaterWise service has received a further 15,262 bookings for the period between 30 April and next week (3 June).
The April Report notes that in terms of overall progress on the South East Queensland Water Grid there is virtually no change to the status of projects reported last month.
There is one minor delay reported to a Brisbane City Council project – with the recycled water to Caltex Refinery delayed by a further two months.
The pressure and leakage programs have marginally improved with estimated water savings increasing from 14.43ML/day last month to 14.72 ML/day in this report.
She said good progress is being made with construction of pipelines making up the Water Grid.
“As at the end of April, the Report shows 18.5 kilometres of pipe was laid for the Southern Regional Water Pipeline project, and pipe was also laid at multiple points along the route of the Western Corridor Recycled Water project.
“However, as of yesterday (Wednesday), across the complete Grid more than 42.5km has been laid, and we are currently laying pipe at an average of more than 800m a day.”
On Tuesday, the Government also announced an acceleration and expansion of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project’s scope.
“This is about delivering more water and sooner – the revised scope bodes well for this critical part of the Grid with water now timed for Wivenhoe in October (2008) rather than December,” she said
The Queensland Water Commission’s modelling - which uses; current consumption, the introduction of purified recycled water and natural inflows to the dam based on the worst-ever year on record - continue to indicate dams will remain above 5% capacity in December 2008.
It is by then that the Gold Coast desalination plant and the major part of the Western Corridor project come on line.
“Last week’s regional consumption average was 149 litres per person per day. This is good, but we all need to find ways to save an extra 9 litres to reach Target 140.”
The Report also makes it clear the business and industry sectors continue to achieve water savings through the Business Water Efficiency Program (BWEP).
“The Report shows that during April the BWEP achieved estimated savings of 8.4 megalitres of water per day, which is more than double its target.”
She said that the pressure and leakage programs have marginally improved with estimated water savings increasing from 14.43ML/day last month to 14.72 ML/day in this report.
The Report is available on the QWC website www.qwc.qld.gov.au
Media contact: Deputy premier’s Office: 3224 6900