Wastewater management and recycling

Urban areas produce large quantities of wastewater, which can present a risk to the environment. Recycling wastewater helps reduce high nutrient loads into receiving waters, and provides an alternate source of water for fit-for-purposes uses, reducing pressure on potable water sources. Recycled water is commonly used for irrigation, where the higher nutrient loads provide benefits to plant growth rates, and for non-potable uses in buildings, such as toilet-flushing.

This is the world’s biggest recycled water facility in the basement of a residential building, which collects wastewater along with stormwater runoff and rainwater to supply non-potable water demands in the precinct.

In the Park Orchards and Ringwood North Community Sewerage Area, a trial area of 100 properties in the Park Orchards area has been selected to test and understand the potential to maximise the use of on-property treatment and local reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation.

The Currumbin Ecovillage is a 147 lot development in the Gold Coast Hinterland with sustainability at its heart. Wastewater is treated on-site and provided back to the houses for non-potable uses.

A Melbourne development planned in collaboration between a water utility and a developer, which includes smart technology to provide rainwater for hot water supply, recycled water supply and real-time monitoring of water use, forthcoming storms and tank levels.

The resource recovery from wastewater project developed a new way of recovering energy, water and valuable nutrients (phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium) from wastewater (treated sewage).

The Glenelg to Adelaide pipeline delivers a reliable climate independent water supply to irrigate open space in western and central Adelaide.