Unitywater CEO, Anna Jackson, said it was a milestone that sees five agricultural customers access climate-independent Class A recycled water.
“The Wamuran Irrigation Scheme enables local growers to better plan for their business growth, contributing to local employment and investment in our region,” Ms Jackson said.
Pinata Farms is one of five foundation customers of the scheme with the first food crop to be watered by it.
Third-generation farmer, Gavin Scurr, said the arrangement provided assurance for his business operations.
“Connecting to the scheme means we can more confidently plan our annual planting and increase our crop yield,” Mr Scurr said.
“We’re farmers – we’re used to dealing with weather fluctuations, but we now have the capability to grow more as we’re not only relying on the rain and on-site water storage, like dams, to determine our seasons,” he said.
City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery said the scheme helped set the tone for economic development in the region for the next 10-20 years.
“This project marks the first use of recycled water for irrigating food crops in South East Queensland and I commend and thank Unitywater for delivering this vital sustainable infrastructure,” Mr Flannery said.
“City of Moreton Bay is a significant producer of irrigated agricultural commodities and in collaboration with Unitywater, has a strong commitment to a long-term, sustainable water supply in our city,” he said.
“In the Wamuran Farming District, a reliable water supply is vital for the industry to succeed. This scheme provides businesses with the certainty they need to maintain operations year-round and enables diversification and expansion of agriculture activities – generating additional economic value and local jobs.
“Beyond its benefits to farmers, this initiative also plays a crucial role in protecting our environment by reducing nutrient discharge into our waterways and the Caboolture River, ultimately improving our city’s water quality.”
Minister for Local Government and Water Ann Leahy said the Wamuran scheme was an example of how sustainable projects contributed to positive environmental benefits and outlined the government’s plans for a sustainable future.
“Innovation and science are leading the way in reducing our impact on the environment through recycled water projects like this one and we congratulate Unitywater and the team behind the Wamuran project for this outstanding environmental achievement.
“Projects like this are an opportunity to see what’s possible and can even help us see how these principles can be applied to other things to achieve sustainable outcomes.”
Ms Jackson said recycled water presented an opportunity to extend the productive value of water that had already been used and to achieve environmental sustainability outcomes.
“The Queensland Government’s climate modelling indicates droughts will increase in both frequency and duration by 2059, with the most significant impacts being on extreme drought severity,” she said.
“Our recycled water strategy looks to harness the opportunities we have to lead the identification, scoping and delivery of recycled water opportunities.
“The strategy will guide us in delivering additional climate resilient water sources, to help address water security challenges and alleviate pressure on our drinking water supplies.
“Additional recycled water schemes and other opportunities for recycled water use, including open space irrigation, also support us to achieve a Unitywater environmental sustainability commitment to have net zero nutrients to waterways by 2040.”
Wamuran Irrigation Scheme fast facts
- The scheme produces 2.6 gigalitres (2.6 billion litres) of recycled water each year
- It diverts 11 tonnes of nitrogen and 1.8 tonnes of phosphorus away from Caboolture River, helping improve water quality
- The scheme includes:
- 22km of pipe network
- Land-based and floating pump stations
- Water storage tanks at Moodlu Quarry water balancing facility (dedicated site use)
- New water recycling plant
- The scheme services five foundation growers including pineapple, berry and turf crops.
