The Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme is Australia's largest recycled water project, located in South East Queensland. It is a key part of the SEQ Water Grid being constructed by the Queensland Government in response to population growth, climate change and severe drought.
The A$2.5 billion project has seen three advanced water treatment plants constructed at Bundamba, Luggage Point and Gibson Island, which draw water from six existing wastewater treatment plants in the region to produce up to 232 million litres of purified recycled water daily. The water is distributed via a network of pipelines measuring more than 200 kilometres in length. Construction began on the Recycled Water Project in 2006 and completed in late 2008.[1] A$408 million of funding was provided by the Australian government via its Water Smart Australia Program.[2]
In Stage 1 of the project the scheme has provided an alternative water source for Swanbank Power Station and both Tarong Power Station and Tarong North Power Station. Supplies to Swanbank started in 2007 and supplies to Tarong and Tarong North started in June 2008.
The system has the capacity to provide water to other industrial users, agricultural users and to supplement drinking water supplies in Wivenhoe Dam. Testing of the pipeline to Wivenhoe Dam has been conducted, however in November 2008, Premier Anna Bligh declared that recycled water will not enter the dam unless levels drop to below 40%.[1] As of May 2009, the three power stations are the main customers of the recycled water, consuming 112 megalitres per day.[1]
Since coming online in August 2007, through to July 2010, the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme has supplied more than 37 billion litres of water into the SEQ Water Grid.
The Western Corridor is the area from Brisbane's south west suburbs towards the city of Ipswich. For many years the area has experienced significant growth with the development of Springfield, extension of the Centenary Highway and upgrade to the Ipswich Motorway necessary.