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First Nations water security
Location
Northern Peninsula Area, Far North Queensland
Qld
Estimated cost
$10 million
Project status
in planning
Funding

The project is funded by the Australian Government ($5,000,00) and the Queensland Government ($5,000,000). Australian Government Funding is provided through the National Water Grid Fund.

Aerial view of the Bamaga water treatment plant and ponds. The buildings have light roofs and are surrounded by grass, dirt roads and patches of trees.

Drone view of Bamaga Water Treatment Plant. Image credit: Engineering and Project Services.

Project overview

This project will provide a safe, secure and reliable drinking water source for the Indigenous communities of:

  • Bamaga
  • Seisia
  • New Mapoon
  • Umagico and Injinoo.

Each of these communities receive water from the Bamaga water treatment plant (WTP).

The project will:

  • upgrade the WTP in Bamaga
  • replace asbestos cement pipelines in Bamaga and Seisia
  • connect a new water main in New Mapoon.

Investigation works will be undertaken to confirm the design. The project will then construct the water pre-treatment infrastructure of the WTP. Pending the preliminary investigation outcomes, construction works to be undertaken include: 

  • pre-treatment upgrades
  • upgrade in filtration membranes
  • conversion of filtration system from high-pressure to low pressure
  • an enhanced Clean-In-Place system  
  • a new UV disinfection unit 
  • replacing approximately 1.4 km of AC pipeline in Bamaga 
  • replacing approximately 1 km of AC pipeline in Seisia 
  • connections of new water mains in New Mapoon.  

Key project benefits

First Nations access
Local community
Water quality
Water security

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