Adding Recycled Water to the SEQ Water Supply

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Adding Recycled Water to the SEQ Water Supply

• Joseph Jeisman

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SEQ Water Supply

• The bulk of available urban water supply in SEQ
  comes from Wivenhoe, Somerset, North Pine, Hinze
  and Baroon Pocket Dams.
• Refer to map.

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The Situation

• Wivenhoe capacity - 1,165,240 ML current
  215,204 ML
• Somerset capacity - 379,850 ML current
  116,752 ML
• North Pine capacity - 214,960 ML current
  34,317 ML
• Source http//www.seqwater.com.au/content/standar
  d.asp?nameDamOperationsAndMaintenance

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Inflow into our dams between April 2006 and
December 2006 lowest recorded for that period of
the year at 38,923ML. Source http//statements.ca
binet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?i
d50056
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Current Water Usage in SEQ

• Total water usage 460,000 ML/a (about 450L per
  person per day)
• Rural usage about 150,000 ML/a
• Power 40,000 ML/a (Swanbank and Tarong)
• Domestic Usage about 2/3 of Urban
• Source NRM, South East Queensland Regional Water
  Supply Strategy, Stage 2 Interim Report, Nov.
  2005.

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Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme

• Refer to map http//www.westerncorridor.com.au/map
  .aspx?docId30
• Basically 3 AWT facilities will be constructed.
• 200 odd kms of pipes visiting the 3 AWT
  facilities, a number of existing WT facilities,
  Swanbank and Tarong power stations and Wivenhoe
  dam.
• Able to supply 210ML/day of which about 95ML/day
  will go to the power stations leaving about
  115ML/day (about 42,000ML/a) to potentially
  augment the water supply.
• Sources http//www.westerncorridor.com.au/home.as
  px?docId1
• http//www.qwc.qld.gov.au/Long-termstrategy

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Alternatives

• Recommissioning old dams (add 30-40ML/day)
• Demand reduction water restrictions, rebates
  for water saving technology etc.
• Pressure reduction and leakage management (add
  45-50ML/day)
• Tugun desalination plant (55-110ML/day)
• New dams (Wyaralong and Traveston Crossing)
• Raise existing dams
• SEQ Water grid
• Pray for rain

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For Adding Recycled Water to the SEQ Water Supply

• Mark Phoon

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Water Shortage

• How do we resolve this issue (if at all)?
• Demand side options
• Supply side options
• Both

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Supply Side Alternatives

• Construction of new dams
• Significant environmental concerns.
• Build more pipelines and other infrastructure
  projects
• Transporting water over long distances will
  involve prohibitive costs for pumping (Quiggin
  2005).
• A Kilolitre of water is currently delivered to
  urban consumers for around 70 cents.
• Will not be economically feasible a waste of
  time and money.

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Supply Side Alternatives

• Desalination
• Capital and operating costs will be significantly
  higher than for traditional sources.
• Suitable location of desalination plant.
• Technologies used (reverse osmosis) are energy
  intensive and therefore depend on energy costs.
• Estimates for supply of water from desalination
  are often around 1.50/KL (Quiggin 2005).

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Supply Side Alternatives

• Recycling
• Generally less energy-intensive than
  desalination.
• Perceived health and aesthetic concerns.
• In California, water supplies have been
  intentionally replenished with recycled water in
  Los Angeles county since the 1960s.
• Based on the results of the Health Effects Study
  (Nellor et al., 1984) and recommendations of the
  State of California Scientific Advisory Panel
  (Robeck, 1987), authorization was given to
  increase the annual quantity of recycled water
  used for replenishment (Khan and Roser, 2007).

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Supply Side Alternatives

• Recycling
• In Singapore, the Singapore Water Reclamation
  Study found NEWater to be well within current
  World Health Organization guidelines for drinking
  water quality
• Fish studies were undertaken to assess long-term
  chronic toxicity as well as estrogenic potential
  (reproductive and developmental).
• The results showed no evidence of estrogenic
  effects from exposure to NEWater.

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Conclusion

• Recycling is the best option given the
  alternatives.
• Does not depend primarily on rainfall and
  temperature.
• Is a sustainable and renewable source.

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Against Adding Recycled Water to the SEQ Water
Supply

• Arshad Ali

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Some Positives to Waste Water

• Can be brought online relatively quickly (before
  2008, which is when we would run dry if there is
  no more rain).
• Can use to replace the drinkable water that is
  going to the power station and some industry
  applications.
• Relatively cheap - 1.50/kL (current residential
  1.40/kL)

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Some negatives To a Murky Solution

• There are unresolved health issues with waste
  contaminated water.
• Treatment of waste water is generally very
  effective in removing harmful materials.
• However traces of endocrine disrupters
  remain.Big deal? The endocrine system regulates
  hormones which determines among other things your
  appearance as a male or female.
• Fish in polluted areas have been seen to change
  sex.

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Health Issues Continued

• Talk of filling dams with waste water, if drought
  continue potentially a large proportion of water
  will be ex-waste.
• Other nations have a small proportion of ex-waste
  water in their drinking water.
• Given that we are unsure about possible health
  impacts on humans shouldnt this be a method of
  last resort rather then our first option.

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No public referendum

• Public acceptance is a problem see the result
  in Toowoomba referendum.
• Beattie cancelled opportunity for public vote on
  the issue.

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Alternatives - Demand reduction

• Current system involves quantity controls (water
  restrictions) and subsidies for adopting
  water-efficient technologies.
• This strategy flies in the face of all economic
  principles that prices act as the most efficient
  form of rationing.
• Akin to Communism- top down decision making

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Alternatives Rural-Urban Trade

• Farmers get an allocation of water for
  irrigating.
• Temporary trades of these rights are typically at
  prices that are much lower than retail rates.
• Why not buy allocations back from the farmers,
  treat it and supply to urban users.
• In a desert nation rice and cotton is still
  grown, rise in prices will provide incentives for
  a movement to more water efficient crops and
  smart irrigation techniques.