Sustainability: Environmental Leadership via Nutrient Management Presentation to BCN July 2016

Environmental Leadership: Increasing Value & Sustainability Leadership: Long-term viability Now Efficiency: Smart to do 2010’s 2000’s 1990’s COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

OECD – Towards Green Growth 2011 “Green growth means fostering economic growth and development, whilst ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being relies” full value of Natural Capital – environmental externalities avoid crossing the planetary thresholds price on pollution – trading schemes remove regulatory barriers that deliver perverse outcomes OECD – Towards Green Growth 2011 “Green growth means fostering economic growth and development, whilst ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being relies” Must recognise the full value of Natural Capital – environmental externalities must be priced Need new patterns of growth that will avoid crossing the planetary thresholds Must have a price on pollution – such as trading schemes Must remove regulatory barriers that deliver perverse outcomes 3 COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2015 Queensland Urban Utilities

NITROGEN – A CASE STUDY N - essential building block for plants and animals N2 : 78% of atmosphere unreactive inaccessible Natural processes convert nitrogen to a reactive form (ammonia/nitrate) Reactive nitrogen in small amounts essential for life but toxic and deadly in large amounts Nitrogen (N) is one of the building blocks of life: it is essential for all plants and animals to survive. Nitrogen gas (N2) makes up almost 78% of our atmosphere, but it is an unreactive form that is not accessible to us. Natural processes can convert atmospheric nitrogen to a reactive form (ammonia/nitrate). Reactive nitrogen is essential to living things in small amounts but toxic and deadly in large amounts. COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Reactive Nitrogen Essential for Life Production of Reactive Nitrogen ‘fertilizer’ invented in 1910 (Haber-Bosch) Intensive food production for population growth Without industrial fertilizer, the Earth can only sustain ~4B people 80% of nitrogen in your body is from man-made fertilizer COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Waterway eutrophication Coastal ‘dead zones’ Biodiversity loss Nitrogen Cycle Balance Essential for Life ‘man-made’ reactive nitrogen accumulates in rivers, lakes and the oceans and causes environmental harm: Waterway toxicity Waterway eutrophication Coastal ‘dead zones’ Biodiversity loss Most of the ‘man-made’ reactive nitrogen ends up in rivers, lakes and the oceans where it accumulates and causes environmental harm: Waterway toxicity Waterway eutrophication Coastal ‘dead zones’ Biodiversity loss COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Earth’s Planetary Boundaries Define a “Safe operating space for Humanity” Science based Framework indicates that since the Industrial Revolution human activity is main driver of global environmental change. Highlights risk areas of “irreversible and abrupt environmental change” Threshold exceeded for- Nitrogen Biodiversity COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Pollutant Profile - STPs COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Pollutant Profile © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

2031 Load = If all STP’s upgraded to TN = 3mg/L QUU reference TEM142 © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Nitrogen Management Good job so far……. Nitrogen (N) is one of the building blocks of life: it is essential for all plants and animals to survive. Nitrogen gas (N2) makes up almost 80% of our atmosphere, but it is an unreactive form that is not accessible to us. Natural processes can convert atmospheric nitrogen to a reactive form (ammonia/nitrate). Reactive nitrogen is essential to living things in small amounts but toxic and deadly in large amounts. COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Nitrogen Management SEQ: Leading Practice COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Nitrogen Management © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Nitrogen Management © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

We all Contribute ….. 3.3 kg /EP p.a. Atmosphere 4 kg / EP p.a. 67% Sewage treatment 4 kg / EP p.a. Urine 80% 1 kg / EP p.a. Faeces 20% 1.2 kg /EP p.a. Biosolids 25% 3.3 kg /EP p.a. Atmosphere 67% 0.5kg /EP p.a. Effluent 8% This residual pollution is ‘free’ for QUU and its customers – up to ~600 tonnes/annum COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

NITROGEN Are QUU nitrogen emissions sustainable? Is QUU pushing the Moreton Bay ecosystem to the brink of its ‘planetary boundary’? Is a 60% contribution of reactive nitrogen to the Lower Brisbane River too high? Environmental Leadership involves finding the answers and implementing the solutions. COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

2031 Load = If all STP’s upgraded to TP = 1mg/L QUU reference TEM142 © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Examples as required Nutrient Abatement Project COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Knowledge Development 2014 – Develop a catchment based contributions model for nutrient and pathogen (STP emissions + diffuse source) 2015 – Development of catchment based nutrient abatement cost curves 2016 – Investigation study into local waterway toxicity zones from STP effluent ammonia compounds (mixing zone) 2016: Develop an Environment Roadmap for improvement COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Side-stream Treatment Luggage Point Treat the high ammonia centrate from sludge process Utilise innovative technology called Anammox Trialling process reliability at Luggage Point Innovation Centre. COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Side-stream Treatment Luggage Point (2017/18) Treat the high Phosphorus digestate from sludge processing In-situ crystallization of ‘Struvite’ using chemical dosing Incorporate ‘Struvite’ into existing biosolids – utilise existing assets Increased fertilizer value for existing farmers using biosolids COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Green Infrastructure Solutions STP Planning Nutrient Offsets Program: Beaudesert STP – pilot successful Laidley STP – feasibility study commenced Offsets - cost-effectively used to: Reduce Licence compliance risks for nitrogen Achieve zero net emissions of nitrogen to sensitive waterways COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Outcomes-based Planning Sewerage Network Integrated water management: “Urban Sponge” approach A collaborative project with Brisbane City Council Integrating management of stormwater runoff and wet weather overflows (WWO) Green infrastructure solution – no sewer upgrades Pound Creek Bio-retention System outcomes: Same investment $’s 400 times more sediment removal 11 times more total phosphorus removal 10 times more total nitrogen removal Improve biodiversity, amenity and liveability Photo Example: Bowies Flat Wetland, Coorparoo Outcomes-based Approach offers better community outcomes COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities

Nutrient Management STP Bubble Licence – Lower Brisbane Existing Goodna STP: BNR Good performance Upgraded for growth at Springfield/Redbank (2012/13) WQO’s not met in river, must not worsen pollution Membrane BNR STP built 2012/13 for $117M Initial TN/TP abatement: up to 6/15 Tonne/year Better outcomes were likely under a Bubble licence regime: Save >$50M Goodna upgrade (eg. N15/P2 ; low NH3) Invest $50M in Luggage Point Fertiliser facility = abate >100TN/100TP Tonne/year + new revenue Lower cost, better environmental outcomes COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE © 2014 Queensland Urban Utilities