The population of Ipswich in South East Queensland has grown significantly since the turn of the century and is set to double again over the next 20 years.
The city was the cradle of the state’s coal mining industry but has recently become a manufacturing and technology hub. With a vibrant local economy worth more than $12 billion, it is attracting more new inhabitants than anywhere else in the region.
Underpinning the rapid expansion has been an unprecedented annual investment to improve and expand its drinking water supply and wastewater treatment.
“Most people aren’t aware of the increased activity because nearly all of it is underground,” said David Merrett, Program Delivery Manager at water and wastewater services provider Urban Utilities.
“You notice a new airport, skyscraper or highway intersection, but our work is hidden from view. It’s been absolutely essential, however, in supporting the extraordinary industrial and residential growth, particularly in the greater Ipswich region.”
Investing in Queenslanders
Urban Utilities supplies around 134,000 ML of drinking water and removes around 126,000 ML of wastewater annually for more than 1.6 million people — a quarter of the state. The statutory authority is owned by five South East Queensland councils, including Ipswich, with a capital spend of around $400 million in the next financial year.
Urban Utilities is halfway through the delivery of a multi-year program to upgrade the Ipswich wastewater network to improve environmental outcomes and achieve greater efficiencies.
“Ipswich is taking off. The number of residents and businesses is soaring more than at any time during my 25 years in the industry,” Merrett said. “And we’ve had to work hard to keep ahead of the game to ensure the water and wastewater infrastructure will cope.
“The upward trend is projected to continue, so our integrated catchment plan involves factoring in predictions around population growth, the location of industry, and changes in the demand for water services to define a strategic business case for Ipswich and the wider Ripley-Bundamba area.”
The number of engineering jobs in the area is also expected to rise exponentially as more construction and utility projects are greenlit throughout the region. Another increasingly important issue for Urban Utilities is flooding, following the extensive damage caused by the extreme downpours in February 2022.
“Many of our assets were submerged, so we’re undertaking a comprehensive program to raise electrical equipment above the expected maximum water levels and build in better resilience in the network.”
Impressive engineering feat
One of Urban Utilities’ biggest current projects is upgrading the Tantivy Street Sewage Pump Station in the Ipswich suburb of Tivoli. It was built in the 1940s and transports up to 580 litres per second of wastewater from 32,000 residents to the Bundamba Resource Recovery Centre for treatment.
Planning and building the new structure alongside the existing one was a challenging feat of engineering for the construction and consulting partners that Urban Utilities commissioned to carry out the work.
“The site is sandwiched between a busy highway, the Bremer River and an area of protected vegetation,” Merrett said. “It has high voltage power lines above, the possibility of abandoned coal mines below and we had to keep the existing pump station running while the new, higher-capacity one was installed.”
A similar project is underway at nearby Hanlon Street, which also involves a new pump station to cater for increased capacity, with the platform and switchboard elevated for flood resilience. It is due to be completed in 2025, with no disruption to service.
Meanwhile, construction of a new water booster pump station further south at Redbank Plains, where the population is predicted to triple to 30,000 by 2045, has recently been completed. New industrial activity, including a large soft drink factory, has caused demand for drinking water in the area to spike.
“Reliable water and waste facilities are a prerequisite for economic growth so we must continue to renew our network and invest in essential infrastructure for our booming regions,” Merrett said.
“Sewers are the unsung heroes of our communities. Once they’re built and buried, the general public doesn’t think much about them, but their critical work will improve lives for decades.”
Find out more about how Urban Utilities is supporting communities across South East Queensland.