Low dam levels could see recycled water scheme revived

Authorities have started to revive a controversial scheme that could lead to recycled water being pumped into south-east Queensland's drinking supply.

Seqwater chief executive Neil Brennan said money had been allocated for an "initial start-up" of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme as part of Seqwater's drought response.

Wivenhoe Dam and other Seqwater storage facilities will need to drop to 40 per cent before recycled water is considered.Credit: Robert Rough

But Mr Brennan said Seqwater did not want to overspend, as the Bureau of Meteorology had predicted a wet summer, and would reassess the situation in 2021.

"We have until February-March before we need to go into full restarting on the Western Corridor scheme," he said.

Recycled water is highly treated wastewater that has been cleaned and disinfected through the sewage treatment process.

Mr Brennan said it would take two years to fully recommission the scheme, which was put into "care and maintenance mode" in 2013.

"So we have two years to work through, two wet seasons to come through, so it'll be two years before we'd be putting, we'd look to put recycled water into Wivenhoe," he said.

South-east Queensland's dams are currently 54.9 per cent of capacity.

As part of the SEQ Drought Response Plan, Seqwater considers the full restart of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme when the water grid's dam levels fall below 60 per cent.

The water grid would have to hit 40 per cent before Seqwater asked the Water Minister to sign off on adding recycling water to the drinking supply.

However, acting Water Minister Steven Miles said no decision had been made on whether recycled water would be added to south-east Queensland's drinking supply.

"It's frankly a series of hypotheticals," Mr Miles said, following questioning from opposition water spokeswoman Deb Frecklington during estimates hearings.

"What Seqwater has outlined is that they are taking the very reasonable step, given the significant lead time, of commissioning equipment.

"They are delaying those elements of that commissioning that would require significant investment until the first of those hypotheticals is satisfied, which again is unlikely, given the advice of the Bureau [of Meteorology].

"And I understand the focus of effort is in identifying other current customers who could use the purified water, just as Swanbank Power Station does, so that they can be provided with the water in the first instance, therefore reducing the draw down on the drinking water supply."