Gold Coast Desalination Plant to provide 133ML a day for Brisbane and Ipswich

THE controversial Gold Coast Desalination Plant is not going to be sitting idle for the next three months — but it won’t be pumping water out to the Gold Coast.

GOLD COAST’S $1.2 billion desalination plant will be ramping up to quench the thirst of Brisbane and Ipswich residents.

The plant will be cranked up to 100 per cent providing up to 133 million litres a day, or up to 25 per cent of Brisbane an Ipswich’s daily drinking water supply.

The Desalination Plant at Tugun, Gold Coast.

Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Dr Anthony Lynham said water would be heading north while the Mt Cosby East Bank Water Treatment Plant was offline undergoing major upgrades.

“Having the desalination plant and the Water Grid available provides significant security of supply during times when we need to take major water treatment plants offline,” Dr Lynham said.

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“It allows critical works to be undertaken in a cost-effective and efficient way.

“This is about being smart in how we use our water assets.’’

The plant was built in 2010, and generally operates in ‘hot standby’ mode, ready to increase production if and when required.

Then-Premier Anna Bligh turns on the Gold Coast Desalination Plant pumps at Tugun pumps in 2010.

It is the fifth time since 2015 that the desalination plant has been used to maintain drinking water supply outside of emergencies.

Last year it was turned on to provide about 60 million litres for about 170,000 residents in Robina, Palm Beach, Currumbin and Mudgeeraba.

It was needed then during the upgrade of the Mudgeeraba water treatment plant.

Seqwater Acting Chief Executive Officer Dan Spiller said the desalination plant was vital to the region’s drought response and would be operated at full capacity when the region’s dam levels drop to 60% capacity.

Based on population growth and demand, the plant may be required to supplement peak demand on the Gold Coast during the summer as early as 2020.