FIRST PURIFIED RECYCLED WATER TO TARONG
Published Saturday, 28 June, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Paul Lucas
The Western Corridor Recycled Water Project achieved a significant milestone today with the release of purified recycled water into the storage lake at Tarong Power Station.
Water sprayed into the lake after having been pumped close to 160 km from the Bundamba Advanced Water Treatment Plant.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Paul Lucas said the arrival of purified recycled water at Tarong continued the remarkable progress of the South East Queensland Water Grid.
“It’s a wonderful sight to see purified recycled water here at Tarong, taking the place of water from Wivenhoe Dam,” said Mr Lucas.
“We’re a couple of days early and this puts us on the home stretch for the $9 billion Water Grid, the finishing line is now well and truly in sight.
“The Bundamba Advanced Waste Water Treatment Plant is now supplying the Tarong North and Swanbank power stations with up to 41 million litres of purified recycled water each day.
“That means enough water for 290,000 people meeting Target 140 will stay in Wivenhoe Dam instead of being pumped to the power stations.
“Close to 320 km of pipe or nearly 71% of the 450km South East Queensland Water Grid is now in the ground.
“The Bligh Government is getting on with the job of not only providing the water needed to cope with South East Queensland’s worst drought on record, but also climate change and population growth for decades to come.
“Of course the real champions here are the tireless workers on the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project, so far they’ve clocked up more than five million hours.”
The Deputy Premier also announced that after recent progress in establishing regulatory and institutional arrangements, purified recycled water will undergo an extra 4 months of rigorous testing and approval before it is put into drinking water supplies.
The release of the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling, the new Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008 passed through Parliament in May and the establishment of the Office of the Water Supply Regulator from the start of next month have allowed the finalisation of guidelines for the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project.
“The Western Corridor Recycled Water Pipeline Project is the first scheme of its kind in Australia and the Queensland Government is breaking new ground in developing this safety regime,” said Mr Lucas.
“It is being overseen by the newly created Office of the Water Supply Regulator and an independent panel of experts headed by Professor Paul Greenfield, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland.
“Our advanced, 7 barrier treatment system will produce some of the world’s cleanest water and it will have a world leading testing and certification regime to match.
“There will be no shortcuts taken and the people of South East Queensland can rest assured this water will be proven safe to drink beyond any doubt.
“Under this extended testing regime, purified recycled water is scheduled to be pumped into Wivenhoe Dam in late February.
“The construction of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project remains on track, it will be capable of producing up to 131 ML a day at the end of October as planned.
“Water produced during this extended testing period will be pumped to the larger Tarong Power Station reducing the draw from it’s Boondoomba Dam.
“Taking this extra time will not affect our water security, our dams now hold twice as much water as they did in August last year.
“At just under 40 per cent combined dam levels, we have an extra two years supply under Target 140.”
Media contact: Matthew Klar 0437 435 223
Water sprayed into the lake after having been pumped close to 160 km from the Bundamba Advanced Water Treatment Plant.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Paul Lucas said the arrival of purified recycled water at Tarong continued the remarkable progress of the South East Queensland Water Grid.
“It’s a wonderful sight to see purified recycled water here at Tarong, taking the place of water from Wivenhoe Dam,” said Mr Lucas.
“We’re a couple of days early and this puts us on the home stretch for the $9 billion Water Grid, the finishing line is now well and truly in sight.
“The Bundamba Advanced Waste Water Treatment Plant is now supplying the Tarong North and Swanbank power stations with up to 41 million litres of purified recycled water each day.
“That means enough water for 290,000 people meeting Target 140 will stay in Wivenhoe Dam instead of being pumped to the power stations.
“Close to 320 km of pipe or nearly 71% of the 450km South East Queensland Water Grid is now in the ground.
“The Bligh Government is getting on with the job of not only providing the water needed to cope with South East Queensland’s worst drought on record, but also climate change and population growth for decades to come.
“Of course the real champions here are the tireless workers on the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project, so far they’ve clocked up more than five million hours.”
The Deputy Premier also announced that after recent progress in establishing regulatory and institutional arrangements, purified recycled water will undergo an extra 4 months of rigorous testing and approval before it is put into drinking water supplies.
The release of the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling, the new Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act 2008 passed through Parliament in May and the establishment of the Office of the Water Supply Regulator from the start of next month have allowed the finalisation of guidelines for the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project.
“The Western Corridor Recycled Water Pipeline Project is the first scheme of its kind in Australia and the Queensland Government is breaking new ground in developing this safety regime,” said Mr Lucas.
“It is being overseen by the newly created Office of the Water Supply Regulator and an independent panel of experts headed by Professor Paul Greenfield, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland.
“Our advanced, 7 barrier treatment system will produce some of the world’s cleanest water and it will have a world leading testing and certification regime to match.
“There will be no shortcuts taken and the people of South East Queensland can rest assured this water will be proven safe to drink beyond any doubt.
“Under this extended testing regime, purified recycled water is scheduled to be pumped into Wivenhoe Dam in late February.
“The construction of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project remains on track, it will be capable of producing up to 131 ML a day at the end of October as planned.
“Water produced during this extended testing period will be pumped to the larger Tarong Power Station reducing the draw from it’s Boondoomba Dam.
“Taking this extra time will not affect our water security, our dams now hold twice as much water as they did in August last year.
“At just under 40 per cent combined dam levels, we have an extra two years supply under Target 140.”
Media contact: Matthew Klar 0437 435 223