Recycling Water for our Cities

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Recycling Waterfor our Cities

• PMSEIC
• 28 November 2003

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Terms of Reference

• Describe the challenges facing the supply of
  water to our cities
• Identify major opportunities obstacles for
  utilisation development of water technologies
• Outline the impact of science, engineering
  innovation in addressing urban water recycling
  issues
• Suggest practical solutions

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Working Group Membership

• Dr Deborah Rathjen CEO Bionomics Limited
  (Chair)
• Prof Peter Cullen Uni of Canberra (Deputy Chair)
• A/Prof Nicholas Ashbolt University of New South
  Wales
• Dr David Cunliffe SA Department of Human
  Services
• Dr John Langford Water Services Assoc of
  Australia
• Mr Andrzej Listowski Sydney Olympic Park
  Authority
• Prof Jennifer McKay University of South
  Australia
• Dr Tony Priestley CRC for Water Quality
  Treatment
• Dr John Radcliffe CSIRO

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Aims of the Presentation

• To highlight
• The increasing pressure on our water supplies
• The need for alternative water supplies
• The role of recycled water in our cities
• The need to invest now in research, innovation
  and demonstration of the emerging technologies

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The Challenge

• Providing enough water to sustain our cities in
  the face of
• Population Growth
• Drought
• Climate Change

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Declining Rainfall
Average over past 5 years
Courtesy Bureau of Meteorology
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This is the The Big Squeeze which must be
addressed to ensure Australias continued
economic growth
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We need comprehensive strategies

• To encourage people to use less water
• To find alternative sources of water

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Demand management has already picked the low
hanging fruit

• Over the last 20 years
• Demand around 600,000 ML
• Population up by 700,000

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Presently little use of recycled water in our
cities!
Recycled water could provide 50 of household
water

• Garden 35
• Bathroom 26
• Toilet 19
• Laundry 15
• Kitchen 5

Melbourne household water use
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Melbourne Cricket Ground
Circa 2003
Circa 2030
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We have the technologiesto bring waste water up
to drinking standards

• Some communities around the world are already
  doing this
• In Australia the challenge is to substitute
  recycled water for non-drinking purposes
• Sydney Olympic Park and other demonstration
  projects are showing us the way
• Learning how to make them cost effective
• Building community trust

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Icon Development Sydney Olympic Park

• Saves 50 or about 850 million litres of drinking
  water per year
• Recycled water is sold at 0.83 cents per 1000
  litres, 15 cents less than drinking water
• Social and environmental benefits
• Third pipe system

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Community acceptance of recycled water

• Community acceptance drives the agenda
• Community must appreciate the need and that
  safety is assured
• Wide acceptance of recycling for non personal
  uses
• 70 opposed to drinking recycled water

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Recycling at Household scale

• Quite feasible but requires knowledge and
  commitment
• Not supported as the way to go
• Health risks with greywater recycling on block
• Real possibilities at office/apartment block
  scale with recycling plant in basement

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Third Pipe Systems

• Deliver recycled water to homes for gardens and
  toilet flushing
• Fit for purpose or full treatment?
• Risks of cross connections
• Distributed STW vs large end of pipe plants

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Protection of public health must be ensured by
the development and implementation of best
practice guidelines

• Fast track reform of the Health and Environmental
  Guidelines for the production and use of recycled
  water

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CoAG National Water Initiative

• Awareness and education about advantages
  practices of recycling
• Pricing policies of drinking water and recycled
  water to ensure efficient use of these resources
• Development of decision-making tools for urban
  water management
• Sustainability scorecard
• Public engagement guidelines

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Sustainability Scorecard

• Economic
• Capital and recurrent costs
• Whole of life costing
• Economic development
• Environmental
• Effects of water collection, storage and disposal
• Environmental costs energy and salt balance
• Health
• Microbial and chemical risks
• Social
• Compliance and equity

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Driving Innovation

• Investing in research and people ensuring
  uptake by industry
• Regulatory framework to specify outcomes not
  means
• Demonstration projects evaluation
• System science to put the various technologies
  together
• Capping extraction allowing price differentials
• Setting recycling targets may drive silly
  investments
• Seeking cost reductions efficiencies

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National Leadership

• Funding to encourage demonstration projects of
  water smart urban sub-division
• Funding to encourage recycling in city buildings
• Rigorous monitoring evaluation a condition of
  support
• Demonstrate public safety and raise community
  understanding acceptance

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Going Forward

• A squeeze on urban water supply
• Drive innovation to improve efficiency of water
  use find alternative sources of water
• Science opening up many opportunities
  especially putting the various bits together

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Going Forward

• Ignorance is not bliss we must lift
  understanding of smart water use
• With recycling we must assure community health
  fast track better guidelines
• Many recycling opportunities need
  sustainability scorecard other tools to help
  communities decide

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Recycling Waterfor our Cities

• PMSEIC
• 28 November 2003