“WTF” is not just our reaction to reports of dwindling freshwater supply worldwide. It’s also a solution when you realise that the abbreviation WTF (in the current context, at least) stands for Water Treatment Facility—one that water tech company Clean TeQ Water (ASX: CNQ) is about to install at Cleveland Bay Purification Plant in Townsville to secure the region’s future water supply.

In 2019, Australia witnessed one of the worst droughts in a hundred years, which made policymakers say: Never again. Securing water supply for the future became a top priority, with the country spending up to $9 billion per year on water and wastewater treatment. It’s a lucrative opportunity that wastewater treatment companies are lapping up to their heart’s content.

Clean TeQ is one of them. The Company has signed a contract with local civil partner A. Gabrielli Construction (AGC) to build a recycled WTF in Townsville. As per the $10 million contract, it will deliver 15 megalitres per day for Townsville City Council. The Company received an initial order in July 2022 for the design and sourcing. All the parties finalised the 80% design milestone. Clean TeQ must deliver the facility in Q3 CY2023. 

While AGC will undertake the construction of the Recycled WTF at the Cleveland Bay Plant, Clean TeQ will focus on designing the water treatment process. Together, they will produce Class A water for industrial work reuse and irrigation. The project will help reduce the demand for potable water for such jobs as part of TCC’s integrated water strategy. 

CEO of Clean TeQ Water, Mr Willem Vriesendorp, said, “Clean TeQ Water is delighted to sign this contract and to continue our work with AGC to deliver this advanced water treatment and recycling plant, a central pillar for the future water security of the region. We hope other regions will follow the Townsville example to treat and recycle municipal effluent instead of disposing to the environment.”

Clean TeQ is an innovative water treatment company that aims to provide water security through multiple solutions. It provides equipment for a range of industries, including mining, and works with a range of organisations, from municipalities to businesses. 

The perks of the Townsville undertaking are multifold. For one, it helps address Australia’s potential water scarcity and wastewater problems. Secondly, by reusing water that would otherwise be released into Cleveland Bay’s streams, Clean TeQ protects the Great Barrier reef and the ecosystem within. 

The total cost of this project is $10 million, with a provision to increase the facility’s capacity from 15 megalitres to 20. It will also work on upgrading the tech to have higher-quality reusable water.

With this contract, Clean TeQ joins the roster of Aussie companies, like Fluence, that are working on tech-forward solutions for wastewater treatment. Will they be able to keep the country’s freshwater supply afloat?