The SEQ Water Grid is a region-wide, long term,

water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. T ...

scheme that provides a sustainable water infrastructure network for the South East region of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. The project was the largest urban response to the

drought in Australia Drought in Australia is defined by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology as rainfall over a three-month period being in the lowest decile of what has been recorded for that region in the past. This definition takes into account that drought is a ...

, which severely affected water supplies in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

and surrounds, particularly between 2004 and 2007. The basic component of the project was a network of potable bulk water pipelines that connect areas that have an oversupply of water to those areas lacking water. The project went online in October 2008 and by November 2008 parts of the region were receiving a diversified supply of water for the first time.

Features and structure

The SEQ Water Grid was initially managed by a partnership between

Seqwater Seqwater is a statutory authority of the Government of Queensland that provides bulk water storage, transport and treatment, water grid management and planning, catchment management and flood mitigation services to the South East Queensland r ...

LinkWater LinkWater, the trading name of the Queensland Bulk Water Transport Authority, a former statutory authority of the Government of Queensland was in operation between 2008 and 2012. During this period, the authority was responsible for the manage ...

and the SEQ Water Grid Manager. The total cost of the project was 6.9 billion. On 1 January 2013, the SEQ Water Grid Manager, LinkWater, Seqwater and parts of Queensland Water Commission were amalgamated into the Queensland Bulkwater Authority trading as Seqwater. The authority is a

state-owned corporation A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the governmen ...

that owns and operates the SEQ Bulk Water Supply System or the Bulk Water Supply Chain. The plan for the Water Grid was originally laid out in the

Queensland Water Commission The Queensland Water Commission (QWC) is a defunct Queensland Government agency established to develop long term water supply strategies. The Commission was chaired by Mary Boydell and the chief executive officer was John Bradley. The agency was ...

's ''South East Queensland Water Strategy'', a 50-year strategy to maintain adequate water supply. The main objectives are to respond to the drought and provide long term

water security Water security is the focused goal of water policy and water management. A society with a high level of water security makes the most of water's benefits for humans and ecosystems and limits the risk of destructive impacts associated with water. T ...

for the region, particularly to avoid the need to place severe water restrictions on residents. Other aims of the Water Grid are to move risk away from individual water storage facilities to the regional level and to efficiently coordinate the utility of water sources in South East Queensland.

Components

Existing facilities that have become part of the Water Grid include Wivenhoe Dam,

Somerset Dam The Somerset Dam is a mass concrete gravity dam with a gated spillway across the Stanley River in Queensland, Australia. It is within the locality of Somerset Dam in the Somerset Region in South East Queensland. The main purpose of the dam ...

North Pine Dam The North Pine Dam is a mass concrete gravity dam with earth-fill embankments on abutments with a gated spillway across the North Pine River that is located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. The main purpose of the dam is ...

and Baroon Pocket Dam, along with eight other dams that make up th
12 connected dams
Part of the project involved the construction of the

Gold Coast Desalination Plant The Gold Coast Desalination Plant is a reverse osmosis, water desalination plant located in Bilinga, a seaside suburb of the Gold Coast, in Queensland, Australia. It supplies water to the South East Queensland region via the South East Que ...

to convert

sea water Seawater, or salt water, is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% (35 g/L, 35 ppt, 600 mM). This means that every kilogram (roughly one liter by volume) of seawater has appro ...

drinking water Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, ...

and the Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme to purify treated wastewater for supply to power stations and industrial and agricultural customers. Purified recycled water will also be added to the water supply once combined dam levels fall below 40 per cent. Two major pipelines, called the Northern and Southern Pipeline Interconnectors, link water storage facilities near

Gympie Gympie ( ) is a city and a locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Wide Bay-Burnett District, Gympie is about north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city lies on the Mary River, which floods Gympie occasionally. T ...

in the north of the region and the Gold Coast area, south of Brisbane.

Wyaralong Dam The Wyaralong Dam is a mass concrete gravity dam with an un-gated spillway across the Teviot Brook that is located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. The main purpose of the dam is for supply of potable water for the Scenic ...

and the completed Cedar Grove Weir are part of the plans. These water reservoirs provide significant new supply and are needed to meet the region's growing demand up until 2050. In 2008

Lake Manchester Dam Lake Manchester Dam is a concrete gravity dam with an un-gated spillway across Cabbage Tree Creek. It is also known as Cabbage Tree Creek Dam. It is in the locality of Lake Manchester, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The main purpose ...

and

Enoggera Dam The Enoggera Dam is a heritage-listed dam, which is located within the outer, western suburb of Enoggera Reservoir, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. History The Enoggera Dam was constructed in 1866, on the upper reach of Breakfast Creek ...

were reactivated to supplement supply. The project also encompasses a raising of the

Hinze Dam The Hinze Dam is a rock and earth-fill embankment dam with an un-gated spillway across the Nerang River in the Gold Coast hinterland of South East, Queensland, Australia. The main purpose of the dam is for potable water supply of the Gold ...

dam wall and the connection of the

Leslie Harrison Dam The Leslie Harrison Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam across the Tingalpa Creek that is located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. The main purpose of the dam is for potable water supply of the Redland City in Brisbane. T ...

and Ewen Maddock Dam to the regional network.

Current SEQ Water Grid bulk water assets

* 12 connected dams * 10 connected drinking water treatment plants * 3 advanced water treatment plants producing purified recycled water * 1 desalination plant * 28 water reservoirs * 22 bulk water pump stations * of potable bulk water mains

References

External links

Seqwater

LinkWater

Water Grid - "Australia's most secure water supply"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seq Water Grid Water management in Queensland South East Queensland 2008 establishments in Australia

Features and structure

Components

Current SEQ Water Grid bulk water assets

See also

References

External links