Published Sunday, 02 September, 2007 at 10:30 AM
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure
The Honourable Anna Bligh
WORKERS TOASTED WITH A TOP DROP
Embargo - 1030 AM, Sunday, September 2, 2007.
BUNDAMBA: Premier Peter Beattie and Deputy Premier Anna Bligh today lifted glasses of recycled water to toast the success of the first completed stage of the State Government’s $9 billion Water Grid.
Mr Beattie and Ms Bligh drank the purified recycled water during an open day at the Bundamba Advanced Water Treatment Plant, the first stage of the $2.4 billion Western Corridor Recycled Water Project to have been completed.
This week the Bundamba Advanced Water Treatment plant started delivering supplies to the Swanbank Power Station via a 7.3km pipeline.
Stage 1A of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project also involved building a 9.6km “triple” pipeline from the Goodna and Bundamba wastewater plants to the new Bundamba Advanced Water Treatment facility.
Mr Beattie said purified water would not be introduced into drinking supplies in the Wivenhoe Dam system until October 2008, when the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project was running at full steam, taking water from Bundamba and two other Advanced Water Treatment plants at Luggage Point and Gibson Island that are under construction in Brisbane.
“This is one of the most satisfying drinks of water I’ve ever had,” Mr Beattie said.
“Ten months ago, this was a paddock. Now we have a high-tech plant producing some of the best-grade recycled water in the world, which easily meets Australian drinking water standards.
“Out of the worst drought in this region’s history we have developed a long-term solution. This is Smart State at work.
“As well as securing our drinking supplies and driving power stations, it will eventually provide our farmers with a reliable water supply. Industry in this growth belt also will be able to access the recycled water.”
Ms Bligh used her taste of purified water to toast the 800-strong workforce who laboured long and hard to ensure the success of the project.
“Despite the recent rains, they met a timetable that some said was impossible. It’s a tremendous feat of engineering recognised around the world,” Ms Bligh said.
At full capacity, Stage 1A will produce 20 million litres of purified recycled water a day for Swanbank, freeing up Wivenhoe drinking water for more than 140,000 people.
At present, flows are reduced to about 13Ml because people in south-east Queensland are using less water than normal under Level 5 restrictions.
“On the upside, this water is of such quality it can be reused by Swanbank more times than the water that was being taken directly from Wivenhoe. This means further water savings in the order of 10 per cent - at least another million litres of drinking water a day for south-east Queenslanders,” Ms Bligh said.
When completed in October 2008, the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project will have the capacity to deliver 182ML a day to Swanbank and Tarong Power stations and into Wivenhoe Dam. Its ultimate capacity is 310Ml a day.
The Government also is investigating expanding the capacity of the Gold Coast Desalination Plant at Tugun, from 125Ml a day to just over 170Ml/day meaning more than half of SEQ’s water needs will come from sources that aren’t dependent on rainfall.
Media contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500
Deputy Premier’s office: Scott Dixon 0448 614 420
2 September 2007
BUNDAMBA: Premier Peter Beattie and Deputy Premier Anna Bligh today lifted glasses of recycled water to toast the success of the first completed stage of the State Government’s $9 billion Water Grid.
Mr Beattie and Ms Bligh drank the purified recycled water during an open day at the Bundamba Advanced Water Treatment Plant, the first stage of the $2.4 billion Western Corridor Recycled Water Project to have been completed.
This week the Bundamba Advanced Water Treatment plant started delivering supplies to the Swanbank Power Station via a 7.3km pipeline.
Stage 1A of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project also involved building a 9.6km “triple” pipeline from the Goodna and Bundamba wastewater plants to the new Bundamba Advanced Water Treatment facility.
Mr Beattie said purified water would not be introduced into drinking supplies in the Wivenhoe Dam system until October 2008, when the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project was running at full steam, taking water from Bundamba and two other Advanced Water Treatment plants at Luggage Point and Gibson Island that are under construction in Brisbane.
“This is one of the most satisfying drinks of water I’ve ever had,” Mr Beattie said.
“Ten months ago, this was a paddock. Now we have a high-tech plant producing some of the best-grade recycled water in the world, which easily meets Australian drinking water standards.
“Out of the worst drought in this region’s history we have developed a long-term solution. This is Smart State at work.
“As well as securing our drinking supplies and driving power stations, it will eventually provide our farmers with a reliable water supply. Industry in this growth belt also will be able to access the recycled water.”
Ms Bligh used her taste of purified water to toast the 800-strong workforce who laboured long and hard to ensure the success of the project.
“Despite the recent rains, they met a timetable that some said was impossible. It’s a tremendous feat of engineering recognised around the world,” Ms Bligh said.
At full capacity, Stage 1A will produce 20 million litres of purified recycled water a day for Swanbank, freeing up Wivenhoe drinking water for more than 140,000 people.
At present, flows are reduced to about 13Ml because people in south-east Queensland are using less water than normal under Level 5 restrictions.
“On the upside, this water is of such quality it can be reused by Swanbank more times than the water that was being taken directly from Wivenhoe. This means further water savings in the order of 10 per cent - at least another million litres of drinking water a day for south-east Queenslanders,” Ms Bligh said.
When completed in October 2008, the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project will have the capacity to deliver 182ML a day to Swanbank and Tarong Power stations and into Wivenhoe Dam. Its ultimate capacity is 310Ml a day.
The Government also is investigating expanding the capacity of the Gold Coast Desalination Plant at Tugun, from 125Ml a day to just over 170Ml/day meaning more than half of SEQ’s water needs will come from sources that aren’t dependent on rainfall.
Media contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500
Deputy Premier’s office: Scott Dixon 0448 614 420
2 September 2007