Water recycling; Luggage Point advanced water treatment plant

The $2.5 billion Western Corridor Recycled Water (WCRW) project is Australia’s largest recycled water project and the third largest advanced water treatment project in the world. Part o f the South East Queensland Water Grid, the project includes more than 200 kilometres of large-diameter pipeline, three advanced water treatment plants at Bundamba, Gibson Island and Luggage Point, 12 major pump stations and nine balance tanks.

The WCRW project will have the capacity to provide up to 232 ML of purified recycled water a day to power stations, industry and agriculture, as well as to Wivenhoe Dam if the 40% critical reservoir level is exceeded. The project has the potential to significantly reduce the demand on the Wivenhoe Dam and extend the longterm water supply capacity of the region.

The Luggage Point Advanced Water Treatment Plant (LPAWTP) was constructed adjacent to the existing Brisbane wastewater treatment plant (Brisbane’s largest wastewater treatment facility) and is designed to produce 70 ML/d of purified recycled water.

Due to the low levels of water storage in the Wivenhoe Dam the project construction schedule had a very tight time frame of 18 months from start of piling through to commissioning and completion. In addition to the challenge of designing an Indirect Potable Reuse plant on a fast track basis, the Luggage Point AWTP design had to take into account a significant nutrient load contained in the secondary treated effluent. Both the Nitrogen and Phosphoru s load received at the plant can be elevated and variable.

This paper describes the treatment process used at the Luggage Point AWTP to produce high quality water capable of meeting the Australian Drinking Water Quality (AWDG) guidelines.