A recycled water strategy for regional urban communities

The efficient use of water to meet the social, economic and environmental needs of our communities is becoming a consistent theme throughout much of Australia. This is particularly important for the Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water (GWMWater) region, especially given the extremely dry period currently being experienced. One of the options attracting the interest of government, community and industry as an accepted alternative to the finite limited fresh water supplies, is the use of recycled water, or treated wastewater. For over 30 years GWMWater has led the Victorian Water industry in recycled water use, with now over 92% reuse of urban wastewater now used within the region. GWMWater supplies over 30 customers with recycled water and has developed a process that assesses the technical, environmental, economic and social aspects of recycled water initiatives. A recycled water strategy has been development based on sustainability (Triple Bottom Line) principles and seeks to balance the development needs for water with emerging environmental imperatives [1]. To strengthen the process, GWMWater engages the community and stakeholders in the assessment and decision-making process, resulting in improved understanding of recycled water use viability issues and management requirements.