It was the Queensland Premier of the time, Mr E M Hanlon, who commissioned the oldest section of the East Bank Water Treatment Plant on 13 May 1948.

This section of the plant will be the first to undergo an upgrade when the Mount Crosby Filter Refurbishment project commences. The first six filters will be taken offline in March 2020.

Senior Project Manager Bart Vervetjes said some of the filter design was developed during World War II at a time when demands on the water supply due to population growth and the war effort resulted in the first three of the Stage 1 filters being brought into operation 23 months after construction started in February 1944. The remaining three following in March 1946 at a total cost of £250,000.

Mr Vervetjes said these filters and their similar three stages built over the next 22 years had served the public well and had endeared themselves to generations of staff who had operated them.

“The refurbishment works will incorporate improvements in filter design and control, to ensure that these assets continue to assist with the provision of safe and reliable drinking water well into the 21st century,” he said.

“The program of works includes the staged refurbishment and upgrade of the 20 filters and related infrastructure at the water treatment plant.

“Work will be completed in five stages, starting with the oldest section which was commissioned by Premier Hanlon.”

The filter refurbishment will be completed in stages to minimise the plant maximum capacity aiming to reduce the risk of disruption to Brisbane’s water supply.

The two Mount Crosby Water Treatment Plans are critical assets for the greater Brisbane water supply. Between them (East Bank and West Bank WTPs) the water treated comprises of approximately 60 per cent of Seqwater’s total water allocations.

The Mt Crosby East Bank filter refurbishment contract was recently signed by CEO Neil Brennan and BMD Group Executive Directors Craig Mortensen and Paul Fogarty.

The contract is the highest ever value construction contract Seqwater has entered into.

The $27 million contract covers a program of works expected to take three years to complete.