A desalination plant installed as a drought-proofing measure by a Brisbane business will save enough drinking water for 7000 people every day, Acting Premier Anna Bligh said today.

Ms Bligh was commenting after she "turned on" the desalination plant installed by fertiliser manufacturer Incitec Pivot at its Murrarie plant.

The plant, which the company has leased until it begins taking supplies from the Western Corridor Recycled Water Pipeline in December next year, will produce 1ml of purified water a day from the Brisbane River.

"Incitec Pivot has invested $1million to save a million. They are the top water savers in the SEQ region and are showing other companies how it's done," Ms Bligh said.

"By the time they are connected to the Western Corridor system, the company will have virtually eliminated their need for fresh water.

"The saving from desalination alone is equivalent to twice the daily drinking water requirements for the residents of Murrarie."

Incitec Pivot is also taking the initiative on other significant water-saving measures. By July, it plans to have installed a reverse osmosis unit to allow water to be reused through the ammonia plant's cooling tower, rather than discharged into the Brisbane River. As well, an 18ml storage pond will be used to trap stormwater, also to be used in the cooling tower.

Ms Bligh said SEQ companies already had more than doubled the 4.1ml a day target under the Business Water Efficiency Program and were saving 8.4ml at the end of April.
"Everyone is making sacrifices to cope with our worst ever drought, whether it is four-minute showers at home or using less water at work," Ms Bligh said.

The $40 million BWEP, administered by SEQ Water, is forecast to deliver savings of 20ml a day by next April, enough drinking water for more than 140,000 people.

Last Updated ( Friday, 11 May 2007 )