Caltex signs up to drink recycled water ...
In one of those rare sensible moments in Qld local and state government, the State government and Brisbane City Council have arranged for Caltex to use recycled water at its Lytton oil refinery, freeing up over 4ML per day of drinking water.
Factories 'drinking' recycled water rather than humans.
Now if only the rest of the SEQ recycled water could be used for industrial purposes - like Singapore - instead of planning to make people drink recycled water and then pump dam water to the power stations ...
Excerpt from ABC News:
Brisbane council seals deal for Caltex refinery to use recycled water
21 May 2007
A $12 million funding deal will allow Brisbane's second largest water user to rely on recycled supplies from the middle of next year.
The Queensland Government has put the money behind the Brisbane City Council's upgrade of the Wynnum wastewater plant.
It means treated water can be piped to Caltex's Lytton oil refinery, freeing up more than four megalitres of drinking water every day.
Early this month, Brisbane's heaviest water user - fertiliser company Incitec, set up a temporary desalination plant to cut its reliance on fresh water.
See - Caltex to drink recycled water.
posted by Concerned Ratepayer at 6:42 AM
1 Comments:
Beattie denies going slow over the past few years on requiring industry to use recycled water, as always blaming someone else - this time the councils.
He also confirms his thinking on his water asset steal from councils - he has no legal obligation to pay councils anything for the water assets. That's his view anyway.
Excerpt from ABC News:
Govt denies it acted too slowly on recycled water
22 May 2007
The Queensland Government says it has moved as quickly as possible to get major industries to use recycled water.
The Government will spend $12 million to upgrade a wastewater plant at Wynnum, with the supplies to be used by the Caltex refinery - Brisbane's second largest water user.
It will save four-and-a-half megalitres of drinking supplies a day from the Wivenhoe dam.
The Opposition says it should have happened years ago but Premier Peter Beattie says it was the council that was acting slowly.
"I believe we've done this as quickly as possible," he said.
"As you know we haven't controlled water until recently - it's only been the drought that's enabled us as a State Government to take greater responsibility for water.
"You can imagine we're now trying to amalgamate council boundaries - just imagine what would have happened if we'd have tried to have a greater role in water - you'd have had the same argument."
But the State Opposition says major industries should have been using recycled water years ago.
Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney says it should have happened well before now.
"It's too little too late now - it should have been done years ago," he said.
"Had recycled water been used in those major plants for a period of time, there'd be a lot more fresh water left in Wivenhoe Dam now."
Audit report
Meanwhile, the Premier says an audit into council-owned water infrastructure in south-east Queensland will be publicly released by the end of the month.
Mr Beattie announced the review back in March after weeks of bickering with councils over water price hikes.
The review determine whether the State Government will completely take over water from the councils or appoint a single coordinating authority.
Mr Beattie says he had a preliminary briefing last week but no final decision has been made.
He says if water assets are stripped from councils, they will not be ripped off.
"Legally we don't have to give anything legally, we don't have to compensate legally," he said.
"I've said that repeatedly, but all I'm saying to you is that we will be fair but it's got to be a workable model."
12:28 PM, May 22, 2007
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