Sludge Watch ==> Australia - sewage effluent recycling plan to protect Reef may be scuppered

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

Townsville Bulletin

Australia

May 16, 2006 Tuesday


Recycling funding set to go down the toilet
Tony Raggatt


THE State Government has backed a leading-edge sewage recycling scheme in 
Townsville and called on the Feds to cough up as well.
State Local Government and Planning Minister Desley Boyle announced a $21 
million contribution to an upgrade of the Cleveland Bay sewerage plant 
yesterday.
The scheme will allow the re-use of water from up to 20 million litres of 
sewage a day for irrigation and industry.
At present the partly-treated effluent is released into Cleveland Bay.
''This is a tremendous benefit to the general marine environment but 
especially for the Great Barrier Reef,'' Ms Boyle said.
''This is one of the leading-edge sewage treatment plants in all of 
Queensland and probably all of Australia.
''I strongly encourage the Feds to look again.''
The Federal Government rejected an application for funding in the $2 billion 
Australian Water Fund this year.
Mayor Tony Mooney said about $54 million would be spent in the next 12 to 18 
months upgrading the plant so that 70 per cent of the effluent would be 
treated for re-use.
About $49 million would be spent upgrading the plant and another $5.4 
million would be spent on construction of a biosolids dewatering and drying 
facility.
''This is a fantastic result -- great for the environment and great for the 
ratepayer,'' Cr Mooney said. ''I hope (the Federal Government) will follow 
the lead of the State and reassess our application.''
Cr Mooney hoped Australian Gas Light's planned $350 million gas-fired power 
station in Townsville would use a large part of the water when the station 
comes on line in 2009.
''We hope we sell it to government departments like the prison and maybe 
even Lavarack Barracks,'' he said.
''We'll be running a reticulation main, taking that effluent and recycling 
that back through the community.''
Cr Mooney said re-using effluent from the northern parts of Townsville at 
QNI's Yabulu nickel refinery was the next big challenge.
''The focus will be on the northern part of the city and Mount Saint John 
(treatment plant) and whether or not we are going to get that effluent to 
QNI,'' he said.
''That's the next big challenge we have to confront.''