South East Queensland
19.11 Transfer of water outside of region

The volumetric value for the line item at the end of the 2011–12 year was 3,012 ML.

This line item consists of all potable, non–potable, wastewater and recycled water transferred out of the South East Queensland (SEQ) region from the urban water supply system, wastewater collection system and the recycled water supply system.

No transfers of potable and non-potable water from the urban water supply systems in the SEQ region to outside the region occur. 

The Highfields wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is located within the Condamine–Balonne Water Resource Plan area, outside the SEQ region. However, part of the catchment area for the Highfields WWTP is located within the SEQ region. The wastewater entering the Highfields WWTP from the portion of the catchment area located within the SEQ region was included in this line item. The Highfield wastewater export was 139 ML.

Treated wastewater produced at the Landsborough WWTP was transported north, out of the SEQ region, to the Kawana WWTP. The volume of wastewater transferred out of the SEQ region to Kawana WWTP was included in this line item. The Landsborough effluent export was 866 ML.

The Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme supplies high quality recycled water (purified recycled water) to the Tarong power station, located 180 km northwest of Brisbane, outside of the SEQ region. In 2011–12, purified recycled water of 5,670 ML was supplied to Tarong and Swanbank power stations. Out of this, 3,663 ML (Line item 19.4) was supplied to the Swanbank power station that is within the SEQ region and the rest 2,007 ML was supplied to the Tarong power station.

All recycled water transferred out of the SEQ region to the Tarong power station was included in this line item.

The volume transferred to the Tarong power station in the 2011–12 reporting period was slightly higher than in 2010–11 (1,379 ML). Stanwell, the owners of the Tarong power station, have surface water licences in the Burnett water resource plan area that are used to supply cooling water. Recycled water use as cooling water increases during times of drought as the security of the surface water licences is low. As the 2011–12 reporting period was slightly drier than previous year, the reliance on recycled water for cooling was higher than in previous year.

Seqwater WaterHub database (the Tarong power station supply)

Toowoomba regional council database (Highfields WWTP transfer)

Unitywater database (Landsborough WWTP transfer)

Bureau of Meteorology.

The volume of wastewater exported from the SEQ region to the Highfields WWTP was estimated by Toowoomba Regional Council using based on the percentage of the WWTP catchment area located within the SEQ region.

The volume of treated wastewater produced at the Landsborough WWTP and transported north, out of the SEQ region, to the Kawana WWTP was provided by Unitywater.

The volume of water transferred out of the SEQ region to the Tarong power station was obtained from the WaterHub database (meter M-086-MW).

It was assumed that the wastewater treated by the Highfields WWTP was collected evenly across the catchment area. Varying densities of housing may occur within this region, resulting in a slight inaccuracy in the estimate. It is expected that this inaccuracy would be minor in nature.

The uncertainty estimate was not quantified.