Recycled Water Augmentation Project to Improve Quality and Distribution within the Yeppoon Network

As part of Council’s continued commitment to improving its essential services, the Yeppoon Sewage Treatment Plant (YSTP) has recently been upgraded to produce Class A recycled water for distribution to customers to use largely for irrigation.  

Council currently recycles approximately 60% of the current sewage inflow to the Yeppoon STP, which is generally used for irrigation of golf courses, sporting fields, parks, public gardens and median strips.
The works have been funded via 50% matched funding from the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund which will assist Livingstone Shire Council delivering the $2.716 million Yeppoon Recycled Water Augmentation Project.

Portfolio holder of Water, Waste Management and the Environment, Councillor Andrea Friend, said the additional use of recycled water is currently constrained by deficiencies in the network and the quality of the effluent available from the system.  

“The guarantee of Class A recycled water from the upgraded treatment plant and this network augmentation provides for the potential usage to be increased and to include irrigation of more areas of unrestricted public access,” Cr Friend said.

“It also demonstrates Council’s environmental credentials and its ongoing commitment to the reuse of a very precious and often scarce resource.

“This is a fantastic outcome for the community and highlights the work that Council’s dedicated Water and Waste teams are doing every day to improve the liveability of our Shire.

“Council would like to sincerely thank Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry, and the Australian Government for their funding contribution towards this vital community project.”

Mayor Andy Ireland said Stage 1 of the works will include duplication of the 450mm diameter recycled water main from the treatment plant to Millroy Drive to increase system capacity and to protect the quality of the recycled water from the upgraded treatment plant.  

“Stage 1 also involves the interconnection and associated valves at the treatment plant and to the network,” Mayor Ireland said. 
 
“Stage 2 is a reservoir to provide additional storage in the recycled water network.”

Ms Landry said the Stage 1 pipeline construction was expected to commence in April 2021. 

“I understand that the reservoir works will be done as a Design and Construct contract and are expected to commence once design is complete around June 2021,” Ms Landry said.