❓ Question seeks details on Alcoa's freshwater access, consumption, sources, licensing, and costs. Answer provides licensing information, water sources, and fees, but refers some questions to another minister and doesn't provide a breakdown of water use by specific operation.
AnsweredQoN 999Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Alumina
Refinery Agreement Act 1961 , an Act to approve and ratify an agreement
entered into by the State with respect to the establishment of a refinery to
produce alumina, and to provide for carrying the agreement into effect and for
incidental and other purposes: (a) what is the current
agreement with regards to access to fresh water by Alcoa; (b) how much fresh water is consumed by Alcoa per annum in: (i) the mine sites
operations; (ii) processing of bauxite; and (iii) refining of bauxite; (c) what is/are the
source/s of this water; (d) is water taken from
these sources under license; (e) if yes to (d),
please provide this license; (f) does Alcoa pay for
this water; and (g) if yes to (f), how
much?
Refinery Agreement Act 1961 , an Act to approve and ratify an agreement
entered into by the State with respect to the establishment of a refinery to
produce alumina, and to provide for carrying the agreement into effect and for
incidental and other purposes: (a) what is the current
agreement with regards to access to fresh water by Alcoa; (b) how much fresh water is consumed by Alcoa per annum in: (i) the mine sites
operations; (ii) processing of bauxite; and (iii) refining of bauxite; (c) what is/are the
source/s of this water; (d) is water taken from
these sources under license; (e) if yes to (d),
please provide this license; (f) does Alcoa pay for
this water; and (g) if yes to (f), how
much?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
29 November 2022
Responded by
Minister for Regional Development representing the Minister for Water
Response time
15 days
(a) To be directed to the Minister for State Development.
(b)-(e) Alcoa of Australia Limited’s (Alcoa) access to groundwater and surface water in proclaimed areas is subject to licensing by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 .
In addition, Water Corporation currently supplies 0.615912 gigalitres per annum of potable water to the Alcoa Kwinana (processing and refinery) site, however, supplies nil potable water to the Pinjarra or Wagerup sites.
DWER can advise of the overall amount of fresh water available to Alcoa per annum from ground or surface water sources under its licences only, but not the breakdown of water use for the mine site operations, processing of bauxite or refining operations across the various sites. Alcoa’s licensed groundwater and surface water entitlements total approximately 31.6 gigalitres across its operations (refer to Table). However, Alcoa generally does not abstract the full volume under each licence entitlement, as the annual quantities abstracted from groundwater and surface water sources is dependent on factors including seasonal and climatic variations.
Alcoa also uses recycled water from various local wastewater treatment plants and non-potable water from Harvey Water Cooperative and water from onsite recovery (rainfall runoff, production water recycling and refinery sewerage system).
Alcoa’s current licence information is as follows:
Licence number
Locality
Water Resource Area / Resource
Licence Allocation (Gigalitres per annum)
GWL167867(7)
Pinjarra Refinery
GWR – Murray, Pinjarra, Perth – Cattamarra Coal Measures
2.5
GWL98936(9)
Pinjarra Refinery
GWR – Murray, Pinjarra, Perth – Cattamarra Coal Measures
4
GWL150586(6)
Pinjarra Refinery
GWR – Murray, Pinjarra, Perth – Superficial Swan
0.4
SWL98937(3)
Pinjarra Refinery
SWR – Murray River and Tributaries, Oakley, Oakley
3
SWL98939(3)
Pinjarra Refinery
SWR – Murray River and Tributaries, Barritt/Tate, Barritt/Tate
2
SWL98940(3)
Pinjarra Refinery
SWR – Murray River and Tributaries, Oakley, Oakley
4
GWL102669(3)
Wagerup Refinery
GWR – Murray, Waroona, Perth – Superficial Swan
0.55
GWL160881(3)
Wagerup Refinery
GWR – Murray, Waroona, Perth – Superficial Swan
0.1466
SWL97472(6)
Wagerup Refinery
SWR – Harvey, Yalup Brook, Yalup Brook
1.6
SWL99246(5)
Wagerup Refinery
SWR – Harvey, Yalup Brook, Yalup Brook
2.5
SWL151027(4)
Wagerup Refinery
SWR – Harvey, Harvey Main Drain, Harvey Main Drain
4.4
GWL159085(3)
Kwinana Refinery
GWR – Cockburn, Valley, Perth – Superficial Swan
5.404
SWL153635(3)
Huntly & Willowdale Mine Sites
SWR – Dandalup River System, South Dandalup, South Dandalup
0.03
SWL63409(4)
Huntly & Willowdale Mine Site
SWR – Dandalup River System, South Dandalup, South Dandalup
0.5
SWL61024(3)
Huntly & Willowdale Mine Site
SWR – Harvey, Samson Brook, Samson Brook
0.4
SWL83356(5)
Huntly & Willowdale Mine Site
SWR – Murray River and Tributaries, Marrinup Brook, Marrinup Brook
0.0
SWL68893(5)
Huntly & Willowdale Mine Site
SWR – Murray River and Tributaries, Marrinup Brook, Marrinup Brook
0.045
(f) and (g)
Alcoa is subject to water licensing application fees only, not for the amount of water it is entitled to or consume. Water licensing fees can range from $172 to $8,929 and are based on an assessment level which is determined by the type of application, the volume of water being applied for and the allocation status of the water resource.
(b)-(e) Alcoa of Australia Limited’s (Alcoa) access to groundwater and surface water in proclaimed areas is subject to licensing by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914 .
In addition, Water Corporation currently supplies 0.615912 gigalitres per annum of potable water to the Alcoa Kwinana (processing and refinery) site, however, supplies nil potable water to the Pinjarra or Wagerup sites.
DWER can advise of the overall amount of fresh water available to Alcoa per annum from ground or surface water sources under its licences only, but not the breakdown of water use for the mine site operations, processing of bauxite or refining operations across the various sites. Alcoa’s licensed groundwater and surface water entitlements total approximately 31.6 gigalitres across its operations (refer to Table). However, Alcoa generally does not abstract the full volume under each licence entitlement, as the annual quantities abstracted from groundwater and surface water sources is dependent on factors including seasonal and climatic variations.
Alcoa also uses recycled water from various local wastewater treatment plants and non-potable water from Harvey Water Cooperative and water from onsite recovery (rainfall runoff, production water recycling and refinery sewerage system).
Alcoa’s current licence information is as follows:
Licence number
Locality
Water Resource Area / Resource
Licence Allocation (Gigalitres per annum)
GWL167867(7)
Pinjarra Refinery
GWR – Murray, Pinjarra, Perth – Cattamarra Coal Measures
2.5
GWL98936(9)
Pinjarra Refinery
GWR – Murray, Pinjarra, Perth – Cattamarra Coal Measures
4
GWL150586(6)
Pinjarra Refinery
GWR – Murray, Pinjarra, Perth – Superficial Swan
0.4
SWL98937(3)
Pinjarra Refinery
SWR – Murray River and Tributaries, Oakley, Oakley
3
SWL98939(3)
Pinjarra Refinery
SWR – Murray River and Tributaries, Barritt/Tate, Barritt/Tate
2
SWL98940(3)
Pinjarra Refinery
SWR – Murray River and Tributaries, Oakley, Oakley
4
GWL102669(3)
Wagerup Refinery
GWR – Murray, Waroona, Perth – Superficial Swan
0.55
GWL160881(3)
Wagerup Refinery
GWR – Murray, Waroona, Perth – Superficial Swan
0.1466
SWL97472(6)
Wagerup Refinery
SWR – Harvey, Yalup Brook, Yalup Brook
1.6
SWL99246(5)
Wagerup Refinery
SWR – Harvey, Yalup Brook, Yalup Brook
2.5
SWL151027(4)
Wagerup Refinery
SWR – Harvey, Harvey Main Drain, Harvey Main Drain
4.4
GWL159085(3)
Kwinana Refinery
GWR – Cockburn, Valley, Perth – Superficial Swan
5.404
SWL153635(3)
Huntly & Willowdale Mine Sites
SWR – Dandalup River System, South Dandalup, South Dandalup
0.03
SWL63409(4)
Huntly & Willowdale Mine Site
SWR – Dandalup River System, South Dandalup, South Dandalup
0.5
SWL61024(3)
Huntly & Willowdale Mine Site
SWR – Harvey, Samson Brook, Samson Brook
0.4
SWL83356(5)
Huntly & Willowdale Mine Site
SWR – Murray River and Tributaries, Marrinup Brook, Marrinup Brook
0.0
SWL68893(5)
Huntly & Willowdale Mine Site
SWR – Murray River and Tributaries, Marrinup Brook, Marrinup Brook
0.045
(f) and (g)
Alcoa is subject to water licensing application fees only, not for the amount of water it is entitled to or consume. Water licensing fees can range from $172 to $8,929 and are based on an assessment level which is determined by the type of application, the volume of water being applied for and the allocation status of the water resource.
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