The Brisbane drinking water supply is drawn from various water storages located around Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The water for the city is treated by 3 water treatment plants; North Pine, Mt Crosby Eastbank and Mt Cosby Westbank before being distributed throughout the city and surroundings.
To increase water supply the South East Qld Water Grid was created to provide the region with more water sources both climate dependant( Dams and rainfall) and climate resilient( desalination and recycled water), managed more efficiently with a strong conservation focus.
This Water Grid includes Seqwater as the bulk water supplier , Linkwater the bulkwater transport authority and 3regional retail entities, Urban water utilities, All Connex and Unity Water.
Seqwater owned water treatment plants receive raw water from dams and aquifers and treat it to drinking water quality before sending it to customers taps via Linkwater pipes and retail water authorities.
Raw water supplies come from 25 dams across the South East as well as 14 groundwater bore fields and aquifers. Seqwater protects the drinking water catchments and maintains water quality in the raw water supplies as well as treating the water at 46 operational water treatment plant facilities.
Due to strong opposition recycled water is only used for Industrial purposes in South East Queensland. After the 2007 drought recycled water was heavily promoted. The Western Corridor Recycled Water Project (WCRWP) was developed during 2007-2010 at a cost of $2.4 billion partially as a means to supplement drinking water supplies in Lake Wivenhoe, South East Queensland. This is the primary source of drinking water supply for Brisbane and much of the surrounding area.
The WCRWP uses effluent from six wastewater treatment plants, which is then subjected to advanced water treatment at three new plants at Bundamba, Luggage Point and Gibson Island.Some of this advanced-treated water is now used for industrial purposes, but the idea of drinking it has been postponed until storage supplies drop to below 40 per cent of capacity.
Internet Resources:
http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2012/05/11/3500512.htm
Toxic Tap Brisbane 