SEQ - no compensation for workers poisoned by recycled water ...

11 December 2009

Council workers and contractors were refused compensation after drinking contaminated recycled water at the controversial $80 million Pimpama Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Workers, who also showered at the plant, were exposed to the dirty recycled water for nine weeks and were at high risk of contracting hepatitis A and giardia.

In the second incident of water contamination on the Gold Coast in a week, a total of 375 workers, contractors and visitors to the plant were exposed to the Class D recycled water, which is the worst recorded water quality.

Documents leaked to The Bulletin reveal workers were exposed to the recycled water from September 3 to November 11 in 2008.

During the same period, senior Gold Coast City Council officers accepted an award in Vienna, championing the wastewater plant.

According to Queensland Health and the Health Services Australia, out of the 341 workers interviewed, a minimum of 73 people became sick from the water.

Both reports were confidentially released in March and showed 'no similar events in Australia recorded in published literature'.

Class B recycled water is used for some agricultural uses (pasture irrigation), Class C is for open space irrigation (public access restricted) and Class D is used on non-food crop irrigation.

The water mix-up was a dangerous precursor to last week's cross-connection contamination, which pumped diluted Class A+ recycled water in to 630 Coomera homes.
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See - Goldcoast.com.au - No compensation for poisoned workers.