Brian Hester is the Water Quality Specialist at Seqwater (bulk treated water supplier to 3.2 million people through 47 water treatment plants in Southeast Queensland). He has over 20 years of experience as a water quality specialist.
He is a chemist with analytical and operational experience in both the public and private sectors, including the fields of conventional water treatment, desalination, wastewater and advanced water treatment. Brian has had a lifelong fascination with water quality having grown up in the township set up to support the Mt Crosby East Bank and West Bank Water Treatment Plants – the major water supplies for Brisbane. Brian has a keen interest in the history of the water industry and has an in-depth knowledge of the long history of Brisbane’s water supply – from its early origins pre European settlement, through to the current state-of-the-art Water Grid. He has been personally involved in a wide array of natural and built water industry assets and has a thorough understanding of how they are intertwined.
Currently Brian’s group manages water quality aspects of the Advanced Water Treatment Plants feeding the Western Corridor Potable Recycled Water Scheme, the Gold Coast Tugun Desalination Plant, a wide range of conventional media and membrane filtration plants as well as groundwater bores. His group manages water quality aspects of surface water sources from both reservoirs and run-of-river offtakes – with a wide diversity of qualities – as well as a range of groundwater aquifers.
Brian has been involved in developing and maintaining the Seqwater Drinking Water Quality Management Plan to meet regulatory requirements and in the development, construction, commissioning and validation of relevant infrastructure. His role covers water quality operations and planning, including back in his old stomping ground of Mt Crosby. Brian brings particular expertise in water treatment, water chemistry and leading edge practices in advanced water treatment and regulatory compliance.
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