The Wamuran Irrigation Scheme diverts Class A recycled water from the Caboolture South Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to farms, giving Scheme participants greater certainty for crop planting and enabling them to expand their operations.
The Scheme has capacity to deliver about 2.6 gigalitres of recycled water per year – the equivalent of 1051 Olympic swimming pools – to a number of farming operations in the region producing raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, pineapples, avocados, nursery plants and turf. As the population grows and the supply of recycled water increases, more will be distributed and more farmers from the region will be able to access the Scheme.
The Class A recycled water produced by the Scheme goes through a rigorous treatment, disinfection and testing process before being used to irrigate crops.
Unitywater works closely with Queensland Health and the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers to ensure it complies with all state and national public health and food safety regulations.
Expected population increases in the Moreton Bay region will create additional loads through Unitywater’s wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and higher effluent volumes following treatment.
Unitywater identified a unique opportunity to treat recycled water at the Caboolture South WWTP to Class A standard, then supply the water to farmers who currently rely on their own dams or local creeks to irrigate their crops.
In 2016, Unitywater commissioned a survey to gauge interest from agribusinesses in the Wamuran area about the use of recycled water on food and turf crops, which was met with a lot of interest. Several foundation customers were identified using a weighted multi-criteria process that included their location and projected recycled water demand. We also considered a diverse range of crops, with an even mix of seasonal and day/night water requirements, so the Scheme could handle peak demands.
The Scheme was constructed during 2022 to 2024 and became operational in 2025.
Benefits from the Scheme include providing regulated high-quality Class A, secure water supply for farmers and reducing effluent and nutrient volumes being discharged into the Caboolture River. As more water becomes available from the Caboolture South WWTP, we hope to expand the Scheme to service more farmers and enable the Wamuran agriculture and food bowl to grow.
Wastewater from the Caboolture South WWTP is treated in a disinfection facility before it is transferred via a 10km pipeline to Moodlu Quarry, where it passes through a water quality management facility.
Moodlu Quarry is ideally located and used for mid-stream balancing storage to ensure that surplus water is held to meet peak seasonal crop demand.
Stage 1 of our Scheme delivers recycled water to the farm gates from the Moodlu Quarry pump station through another 12km pipeline to safely irrigate turf, nurseries and food crops.
How the Wamuran Irrigation Scheme operates:
