Western Australia’s Glen Iris is set to receive a $15 million government-funded water treatment plant, with the project heralding a boost in industry and a sustainable and secure water supply for the Greater Bunbury region.
Construction of the plant is said to start in 2018 and have the capacity to produce 10ML of drinking water per day.
The plant will be operated by Aqwest, which manages an integrated treatment and distribution system comprising 12 bores, six water treatment plants, four reservoirs, one water tower and 380km of water mains.
Bunbury’s water supply, which is currently drawn from several bores along the West Coast, is exposed to the impacts of climate change and the risk of increasing salinity levels threatens water quality.
Minister for Water Dave Kelly said the south-west of Western Australia is particularly susceptible to water security issues, and is one of three places in the world most impacted by climate change.
“This project will help protect water quality in the Bunbury area by safeguarding against seawater intrusion caused by climate change,” Kelly said.
Once completed, new water treatment plant will extract water from inland groundwater bores with higher quality water and is expected to cut water production costs.
“The new treatment plant will improve water quality in the area and reduce Aqwest’s water treatment costs, which will be of benefit to customers,” Kelly said.
WA Premier Mark McGowan said, aside from securing drinking supplies, the project will also provide local jobs for the community during the two years of construction.
by Water Source
