As part of the drought mitigation strategy, Brisbane City Council extended the Brisbane Caboolture Aquifer Alliance (BCAA) to include the upgrade of a further water treatment plant at Enoggera. The upgraded plant will have a capacity of 6Ml/d. The project will modernise and automate the treatment process while maintaining the heritage values of the site which contains among the oldest water treatment facilities in Brisbane.

Aquatec Maxcon has acquired a permanent Victorian base after purchasing a 1,580m2 office and warehouse facility at 64 Oakover Road, Preston, Melbourne. The facility complements our office/factory complexes in Brisbane and Sydney. Together with our Adelaide office, we have a strong presence in all the Eastern state capital city regions to ensure effective service to our customers throughout the country.

Aquatec Environmental Ltd has expanded its already substantial site at Wulkuraka, Ipswich by a further 4Ha. The office and factory site now includes more than 11Ha, providing a strong base for future expansion.

Following recent expansion of the factory complex to include expanded fitting bays and improved cranage, construction has now commenced on a major development of the office complex which will double the available space for engineering, drafting and project management activities.

These investments are expected to cost approximately $4m and will contribute to our goal of developing a world class facility for manufacture and delivery of water technology and infrastructure. They continue to strengthen our ability to service the continued strong growth in the Australian water industry.

The outstanding performance of the BWEA team was again recognised at the Queensland Engineering Excellence Awards where BWEA received Highly Commended Award in the Environment Division for its Oxley Creek project.

Oxley Creek Water Reclamation Plant not only has reduced the discharge of nutrients to our river and Moreton Bay, but it has also introduced a number of major new initiatives for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere.

Theses include:

• Thermal Sludge Hydrolysis – this plant 'pressure cooks' sludges emanating from the treatment process resulting in their being better able to be digested. The result is that biogas production has been increased about 50% resulting in the generation of more green energy from the plant.
• The mass and volume of biomass produced has been reduced substantially and truck movements associated with Brisbane Water's biomass handling have been reduced by 60% with attendant benefits to the environment and reducing traffic from our roads.
• The resulting biomass meets class 'A' requirements, enabling it to be used in potting mixes and in gardens, eliminating the need to buy soils for parks and gardens in the city.
• A nutrient rich stream associated with the plant has been treated to recover struvite, a slow release fertiliser product from what has been a waste.

The Oxley Creek has also become a very much better neighbour with odour from the plant now treated and contained well within the site boundaries resulting in work at the plant also being far more pleasant.

In every way, the environment has been a winner in the extraordinary efforts that BWEA has made to deliver facilities that are recognised by the Institution of Engineers as leading the world.