So what are the options?

There is some concern amongst some Toowoomba residents that Council may not have considered all the options.  Following are some of the options put forward as alternatives to Water Futures.

• Water Futures - Purifying wastewater
• Water swap with Condamine irrigators
• Coal seam water from Chinchilla
• Pipeline from Wivenhoe
• Coolmunda Dam

Water Futures - Purifying Wastewater

• Wastewater contains 1300mg/l of salt.  Each year Toowoomba pours wastewater caontaining approximately 11,000 tonnes of salt into the Murray Darling river system
• In Water Futures the wastewater will be purified to six star standard through the advanced water treatment plant.
• The wastestream containing the salts from the plant (approximately 3000mg/l) will be used for washing coal at a coal mine.  It currently uses bore water which contains about the same amount of salt and is in danger of running out.
• The coal mine plans to double its productionb ased on getting a reliable water supply to wash its coal.

Conclusion

In addition to providing a safe water supply.  Water Futures will remove environmentally damanging salt from our river system and provide a valuable water source for coal mining.

Water swap with Condamine irrigators

Underground water used by irrigators near Norwin is proposed as a water supply for Toowoomba.

Facts
1) The safe usage of underground water near Norwin is less than 25,000ML per year.
2) Irrigators are using 45,000ML per year.
3) Irrigation licenses total a maximum allocation of 70,000 ML per year.
4) Water is too salty for town use and still requires treating.

Result
Underground water at Norwin has been decreasing since the 1960’s because it is being over used.

Conclusion
Toowoomba cannot rely on decreasing supplies of irrigator’s underground water to sustain a growing population. Recycling will give us a guaranteed supply of six star water to meet our needs well into the future. Underground water at Norwin has been decreasing since the 1960’s because it is being over used.

Purifying Coal Seam Gas Water from Chinchilla

• Water is a by-product of extracting gas from underground coal seams.
• The total dissolved salts (salt) content of coal seam gas water is approximately 10 time our current drinking water (2000 - 3000 milligrams per litre(mg/l)).
• The salt and other contaminants can be removed from the water to make it suitable for human consumption.  Salt, however, is environmentally damaging.

Conclusion
Salt from coal seam gas water is a major environmental problem.

Pipeline from Wivenhoe

Building a pipeline from Wivenhoe Dam to Toowoomba

Facts
1) Wivenhoe Dam is already down to below 30% capacity

Results
Wivenhoe Dam is struggling to supply SE Qld without expanding it's area

Conclusion
The state government has already ruled this option out.

Emu Creek Dam

Build a new dam at Emu Creek

Facts
1) Emu Creek is situated in the Wivenhoe Dam Catchment

Results
Takes water from catchment that supplies SE Qld which is already strained

Conclusion
The state government has already ruled this option out.

Coolmunda Dam

To acquire an allocation of water from Coolmunda Dam and pipe it to Toowoomba

Facts
1) The dam is already fully allocated
2) Will still need to build 155km of pipeline
3) Water will still need to be treated to a potable standard

Results
Water from Coolmunda Dam is already allocated to Inglewood and surrounding irrigators

Conclusion
Is unlikely to be given approval for go ahead by the state government, SunWater and DNR&M