Ipswich City Council

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Sustainable Water Initiatives

Existing Infrastructure

Dams (Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine)

Ipswich Water sources its bulk water from Wivenhoe and Somerset Dam storages on the Brisbane River, which are owned and managed by SEQWater. This water flows naturally down the Brisbane River to the Mt Crosby Water Treatment Plant where it is treated to a standard fit for drinking. The Mt Crosby Treatment Plant is owned and operated by the Brisbane City Council (BCC) through its commercial business unit, Brisbane Water.

Ipswich Water distributes treated drinking water through our supply network to the homes and businesses of our many customers, with regular monitoring and testing to ensure consistent high quality.

Ipswich Water is involved in a number of activities aimed at greater effectiveness in managing our infrastructure, including programmed maintenance and minimising water loss through pressure reduction and leakage management.

New Initiatives

Southern Regional Water Pipeline

Ipswich City Council, in collaboration with other regional Councils, SEQWater and the State Government is working to manage and secure the region's current and future water supply.

Ipswich Water has been heavily involved at a regional level in planning sustainable infrastructure solutions for the long term future of regional water supplies.

With the assistance of Ipswich Water, the Southern Regional Water Pipeline (SRWP) is being constructed to help satisfy the long term water requirements of the City and surrounding councils. This reverseable flow pipeline runs from Mt Crosby (Brisbane) to the Gold Coast delivering water to where it is most needed. The SRWP Company Pty Ltd was formed in January 2006.

The pipeline will be the ‘water highway' connecting water sources across South East Queensland. It will take the combined water from Wivenhoe Dam, Hinze Dam, and the Tugun desalination plant to where it is most needed.

The $680+ million project was granted Significant Project Status by the Queensland Government in September 2005. The SRWP is a fundamental part of the Queensland Government's drought initiative and Government has committed more than $100 million dollars to it to date.

For more information, visit the Southern Regional Water Pipeline Alliance.

Western Corridor Recycled Water Project

The Western Corridor Recycled Water (WCRW) Project will be the largest project of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

The WCRWP is a water supply initiative of the Queensland Government in association with Brisbane and Ipswich City Councils to reclaim treated wastewater from six major wastewater treatment plants for sustainable urban and agricultural uses.

Ipswich Water has been instrumental in the development of the WCRWS and continues to be an active and supportive participant. We have provided high contributions and technical inputs into the Conceptual Model for Recycling in the Western Corridor, Options Evaluation and the subsequent Business Case for the Scheme. We have also provided significant support in locating efficient easements, establishing plant locations and site accommodation within the Ipswich region.

The Western Corridor Recycled Water Project's main objectives are to

supply a reliable water source to energy sector and urban demands;
provide options for supply of recycled water to agriculture;
reduce demand on regional bulk water supplies; and
minimise nutrient and wastewater discharge to waterways and Moreton Bay.

For more information, visit the Wester Corridor Recycled Water Project.

New dams and weirs

The Queensland Government has several projects underway aimed at expanding South East Queensland's bulk water supply. These initiatives have been identified under the South East Queensland Regional Water Supply Strategy developed by State Government and your local Councils. They include...

The raising of Mt Crosby Weir
Expansion of Hinze Dam (Stage 3)
The Government will work to deliver an expanded Hinze Dam with its owner, the Gold Coast City Council. The project involves undertaking a Stage Three upgrade of the Dam raising it by 18 metres by 2011. This will provide an additional 6,000 megalitres per annum of water for South East Queensland.
Traveston Crossing Dam
The Queensland Government will build the Traveston Crossing Dam and raise Borumba Dam in the Mary River catchment. If all three stages of the project are required and completed, they will potentially provide 150,000 megalitres of water per year.
Wyaralong Dam
Located on Teviot Brook, a tributary to the Logan River, 14km north-west of Beaudesert. The dam would boost regional water supplies, with most being used for urban and industrial purposes in Beaudesert Shire, Logan City and the Gold Coast. Together with Cedar Grove Weir, the Wyaralong Dam will provide 21,000 megalitres per annum.
Cedar Grove Weir
To be built 5km downstream of where the Teviot Brook meets the Logan River and has an anticipated yield of 4,000 megalitres per year.

For more information, visit the Department of Natural Resources and Water or call them on their dedicated Water Hotline on 1800 243 585.

Desalination

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Queensland Government and the Gold Coast City Council with provisions for the Gold Coast Desalination facility to be connected to the SEQ Water Grid, providing a network of two-way pipelines to connect all major bulk water sources in the region.

Presently, detailed design and preliminary works are underway with a target completion date of 30 November 2008.

For Ipswich City this means increased water security into the future within our region.

For more information, visit the Department of Natural Resources and Water or call them on their dedicated Water Hotline on 1800 243 585.

Home WaterWise initiatives

In light of current drought conditions and the prevailing water crisis, the Queensland Government has introduced a series of initiatives to bring greater water efficiency into the homes of Queenslanders.

Ipswich City Council, in conjunction with the State Government and other local councils has set up a program to fight the drought and make water conservation easy and affordable for our residents. It's called the Home WaterWise Service - a subsidised service seeing licensed plumbers visiting your home to provide a wide range of water efficient devices and providing valuable advice on water saving strategies.

Our City's target is 3,952 retrofits by 31 April 2007, with 75,000 retrofits being the goal regionally by April 2007. We estimate regional savings of 530 megalitres per year with CO2 reductions of 19 million kilograms per annum.

Further, the Queensland Government has also introduced the Home WaterWise Rebate Scheme and the Home Garden WaterWise Rebate Scheme designed to make Queensland homes and gardens more water efficient and sustainable for the future.

Both schemes offer householders cash rebates for the purchase of products, such as water-saving devices under the Home WaterWise Rebate Scheme and defined garden products under the Home Garden WaterWise Rebate Scheme. Click here to find out more.

Ipswich Water has been involved in supporting these programs and bringing greater awareness of them to our residents.

Recycled Water

Factors such as population growth, industrial expansion and climate change place a very strong focus on innovative and sustainable water management to ensure future supply for our City. In order to diversify our dependence on existing water supplies and reduce supply risks, we aim to maximise the use of recycled water where it is considered fit for purpose.

The availability and provision of high quality recycled water for industrial and commercial uses represents an opportunity for Ipswich Water for decreasing the City's demand for town water, as well as reducing the volume of treated water being reintroduced to the environment.

Ipswich Water will provide recycled water for a variety of customers in non-residential sectors including industrial, commercial and high-value open space, within nominated recycled water supply zones. Presently, recycled water zones exist at Springfield and Rosewood, and are planned for Carole Park, Bremer Business Park, Swanbank Enterprise Park, Ripley and Ipswich Central with water being sourced form Ipswich Water's Bundamba, Rosewood and Goodna wastewater centres.

Leakage reduction and pressure management

As part of a wider regional strategic plan, Ipswich Water has commenced work to ensure the responsible management of our precious water resources. This initiative seeks to reduce water wastage within our reticulated water network and ensure water pressure throughout the system adequately meets our customers' needs.

This project aims to save our valued water by repairing leaks in water mains and managing pressure to minimise further water loss. This means Council will ensure your system carries the water needed during peak times, while regulating pressure more appropriately in off-peak times, leading to reduced incidence of breaks and bursts.

The initiative is expected to generate a number of key community benefits:

reduced incidences of leaks and damage in water mains;
reduced interruptions to your water supply;
water conservation through decreased water consumption;
decreased greenhouse gas emissions (as less water is pumped throughout the City); and
reduced volumes of wastewater entering the sewer systems and thus less wastewater requiring treatment.

This program is designed to save up to 60 megalitres per day of town water regionally by 31 August 2008. Ipswich Water is currently undertaking the first testing phase, with a view to roll the program out into all divisions of Ipswich City.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fact Sheet - Leakage Reduction and Pressure Management

For more information, contact Ipswich Water.

More effective and efficient water management practices

Water Restrictions

Ipswich Water has been supporting our community and businesses and enforcing compliance with the various obligations under these restrictions. For residents, this has meant a greater focus on water conservation, supported by various initiatives and incentive schemes (see Water Conservation below).

For our non-residential customers, this support has come in the form of formal communications, targeted management workshops, comprehensive information kits including supporting resources such as the latest innovative research and case studies in various industries, further development of our website and access to technical staff.

Council playing its part

Council's water efficiency initiatives have led to a decrease of over 40 per cent in water consumption among all of its properties in the last financial year.

Council recently initiated a program aimed at saving water across its operations, including retrofitting its buildings for greater water efficiency, and the results are very positive.

The program includes current and future water saving initiatives ranging from reducing response times to water main breaks, to collaborating with five of the city's largest industrial users as they undertake water efficiency audits.

Council is also carrying out an audit of all of its own buildings and retrofitting them with high water efficiency devices such as dual flush toilets, appropriate tap fittings, waterless urinals and water saving shower heads.

Like everyone else, Council is affected by Level 6 Water Restrictions and is ensuring it complies with its regulatory obligations by the specified dates.

Water conservation

Conservation of precious water resources is fundamental to our sustainable water future. Water conservation decreases the demand on our City's bulk water sources (such as the dams) and thus decreases the amount of wastewater collected, treated and reintroduced to the environment.

Ipswich Water is taking several measures to promote greater water efficiency city-wide:

development of permanent water conservation measures;
offering a Water Conservation Rebate Scheme to promote installation of water efficient appliances and technology in homes;
appropriate enforcement and support of water restrictions, supported by building standards and other regulatory mechanisms;
public displays aimed at sustainable water usage education; and
other education and information campaigns.

We endeavour to continue promoting water conservation not simply as reactionary behaviour to current drought conditions, but as a sustainable way of life for the Ipswich community.

Already we are seeing tremendous support and positive results from our residents. We would like to thank you all for your efforts to date and look forward to continuing to work together in the development of a water smart city.

To find out more about water conservation, visit our conserving water pages.

Investigating alternative water sources

Purified Recycled Water

Premier Peter Beattie announced in January 2007 that purified recycled water will be added to South East Queensland's drinking supplies as part of a broader water security and supply plan.

Purified recycled water is expected to be available by December 2008 from the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme.

Purified recycled water is wastewater that has been treated to the highest standard through a 7-barrier treatment system.
This drinking-quality water is then blended into another water supply source such as a dam, flowing river or aquifer that provides an environmental buffer.
All water extracted from the water supply source that receives purified recycled water is treated at a drinking water treatment plant before distribution to consumers.

For more information and to get all the facts, visit the Queensland Water Commission or call them on 1300 789 906.

Greywater

Greywater is wastewater generated from the bath, shower, washbasin and laundry which can be diverted for use on lawns and gardens. Kitchen greywater is not suitable because grease and oil from the kitchen will clog the plumbing in your greywater systems.

Greywater is one option to save water around the house. Even in times of drought and water restrictions, greywater can be used to keep your garden and lawn green.

Ipswich Water promotes the safe and responsible use of greywater as a water conservation method in your home. Rebates for greywater systems are available under the Home Waterwise Rebate Scheme.

For more information and tips, visit our conserving water pages.

Further resources:

Department for Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation

Australian Water Association

SaveWater.com.au

Stormwater

Stormwater harvesting, when appropriately managed, presents an opportunity to capture urban stormwater runoff during periods of significant rainfall as an alternative water source for non-drinking purposes such as toilet flushing, irrigation, and refilling of ornamental lakes.

Urban stormwater requires treatment to ensure it is fit for the intended use because it can contain pollutants. A further challenge is presented by the need for large seasonal storages to hold water after it is captured until the time it is used.

Ipswich Water is currently investigating potential opportunities for capturing, treating and appropriately use storm water as a suitable alternative water source.

Groundwater

Groundwater, or bore water, is water held in underground storages within certain types of geological formations, such as porous sandstones or fractured rock. Groundwater extraction requires the drilling of bores or wells to access these underground aquifers. Presently, the Department of Natural Resources and Water acts as a regulatory body for this activity.

Given present drought conditions and an increasing focus on sustainable water practices, Ipswich Water is in the process of investigating options for alternative water sources.

We are examining the environmental impacts of groundwater use and the long-term use of aquifer water sources, both shallow and deep, and their viability as alternative water sources to decrease demand on potable water.

The Ipswich Aquifer Program consists on a number of phases with continuation of activities dependent upon findings of previous stages. Important factors involve the water quality and potential yield of the various borehole sites as well as their strategic location within Ipswich's alternative water source network.

To date, few successful underground sources have been located in the Ipswich City area.

For more information, please visit the Department of Natural Resources and Water, or contact Ipswich Water.

Last Updated 3 Apr 2008 |

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