In February, Queensland’s Minister for Natural Resources, Lawrence Springborg and Hervey Bay Mayor Bill Brennan, officially opened Hervey Bay City Council’s innovative wastewater recycling program. At its Eli Creek site, Council is treating the City’s wastewater and then providing it to local cane farmers for irrigation.
The Minister said that Council’s wastewater recycling program was unique and would place the region in a better position to face future water use requirements.
“Hervey Bay City Council is leading the way by making effective use of the previously untapped resource of wastewater,” Councillor Brennan said. “When you consider that throughout Queensland more than 900 million litres of wastewater are created every day, there is enormous potential for the technology and ideas which Hervey Bay City Council has pioneered.”
Councillor Brennan said that the Eli Creek recycling scheme has brought benefits to all sectors of the community.
“Ratepayers benefit as Hervey Bay City Council creates a market for our wastewater, the local farmers benefit with a guaranteed water source and our environment benefits because we do not have to discharge treated wastewater to our creeks, rivers and oceans,” the Mayor said.
The Eli Creek recycling program was recently recognised as the overall winner in the Tenth National Awards for Innovation in Local Government.
“This national award is testimony to the innovative and ground breaking work which our Council staff are undertaking in this area,” Councillor Brennan said.
He said that Hervey Bay City Council and the newly formed Wide Bay Water would continue to innovate and are currently looking at an Australian first initiative which would see Council capturing and treating stormwater to irrigate local cane farms.
For further information contact Denis Heron, Project Manager, telephone (071) 250 222.
