Western Corridor Recycled Water Project, Phases 2A & 2B

What is it? The Luggage Point and Gibson Island Advanced Water Treatment Plants represent the two final phases of the flagship Western Corridor Recycled Water Project - the largest water recycling scheme in Australia. Construction of the 66,000m3/d Luggage Point plant and the first stage of the Gibson Island plant was completed in October 2008. The upgrade of the Gibson Island plant from 50,000m3/d to 100,000m3/d was completed in December 2008.

Who is involved? The client is the Queensland Government. The Luggage Point Alliance consists of CH2M Hill and Laing O'Rourke, who were responsible for the design and construction of the plant. Doosan Hydro supplied the reverse osmosis skids and membranes. The Gibson Island Alliance was led by MWH and Worley Parsons. Veolia Water is responsible for operating and maintaining the plants and associated pipelines.

Why is it shortlisted?

• Southeast Queensland is suffering from the worst drought on record, forcing the authorities to come up with a long-term water resourcing plan which incorporates indirect potable reuse on an unprecedented scale in Australia. The completion of phases 2A and 2B of the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project has broken the glass ceiling of IPR in Australia once and for all.

• Both plants use state-of-the-art technologies, including advanced oxidation and final stabilisation, to improve the quality of secondary treated wastewater for reuse as potable water and industrial cooling water. The Gibson Island plant also uses an innovative design to collect rainwater for treatment, despite having the smallest land area of the three AWTPs in the Western Corridor scheme.

• The completion of the Luggage Point and Gibson Island plants marks a triumphant conclusion to the Western Corridor Water Recycling Project. The importance of the scheme in terms of securing vital water resources for Australia cannot be underestimated.