Water great result: new treatment plants come online at Cue and Sandstone

Two water treatments plants have come online in the Murchison as part of a $24 million State Government program to improve water quality in the region.

The new plants, commissioned in Cue and Sandstone, use a process called electrodialysis reversal to reduce naturally occurring nitrates and salinity in groundwater.

EDR plants already operating in the northern Goldfields communities of Yalgoo and Wiluna have helped reduce nitrate levels in drinking water by as much as 75 per cent, according to the State Government.

The Cue plant is powered by renewable energy, meaning it can operate during network power outages.

To mark the new beginning, Cue and Sandstone have also been added to Water Corporation’s Waterwise Towns program.

Cue residents can now exchange old, inefficient showerheads for waterwise alternatives free of charge.

Water Minister Dave Kelly said a new water treatment plant in Meekatharra is expected to come online early next year.

Mining and Pastoral Region MLC Peter Foster said the self-sufficient plants offered a more reliable supply of quality water and reduced carbon emissions.