Victoria, Australia, launches interactive tool to map recycled water opportunitiesThe Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEEC...
Published by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network
Victoria, Australia, launches interactive tool to map recycled water opportunities
The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), which oversees water policy for the Australian state of Victoria, has released the Victorian Recycled Water Availability Map, an online tool designed to give planners, developers, councils and businesses early visibility into where recycled water could support new projects across the state.
The platform draws on the state’s most current water accounts data and consolidates it into a single interactive map, making it easier for users to identify how alternative supplies might be integrated into upcoming developments and infrastructure works, rather than treating water reuse as an afterthought once a project is already underway.
Classified by use, backed by regulation
Recycled water in Victoria is currently approved only for non-drinking purposes. It is treated to one of three standards, Class A, B or C, with the required level of treatment rising alongside the potential for public exposure. Approved non-drinking uses span crop irrigation and livestock drinking water, toilet flushing and gardening at home, commercial and industrial processes, park and sporting field irrigation, and supporting flows in rivers and wetlands.
Scheme operators, including the state’s water corporations, must meet a general environmental duty under Victoria’s environmental protection laws to minimise risks to human health and the environment. The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has taken a phased approach to developing recycled water guidance covering treatment processes, water quality standards, risk assessment and public health protection. Two guidelines have been published so far: the guideline for water recycling, which focuses on approval processes for recycled water schemes, and the guideline for irrigation with recycled water, which supports the design and management of irrigation schemes.
Recent EPA-led testing across 13 water corporations found no evidence that approved recycled water uses posed a risk, with contaminant levels generally lower in treated effluent than in raw sewage and no exceedance of health-based guidelines across 30 types of PFAS tested. Work continues to better understand other emerging contaminants, including pharmaceutical residues and other industrial and agricultural compounds.
Looking further ahead, Victoria’s water corporations are also examining whether purified recycled water could eventually supplement drinking supplies, a question distinct from current non-drinking uses and now being explored through their urban water strategies. DEECA stresses that the map is a starting point only, and that anyone considering a recycled water connection should contact their local water corporation to confirm site-specific conditions and supply arrangements.
The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), which oversees water policy for the Australian state of Victoria, has released the Victorian Recycled Water Availability Map, an online tool designed to give planners, developers, councils and businesses early visibility into where recycled water could support new projects across the state.
The platform draws on the state’s most current water accounts data and consolidates it into a single interactive map, making it easier for users to identify how alternative supplies might be integrated into upcoming developments and infrastructure works, rather than treating water reuse as an afterthought once a project is already underway.
Classified by use, backed by regulation
Recycled water in Victoria is currently approved only for non-drinking purposes. It is treated to one of three standards, Class A, B or C, with the required level of treatment rising alongside the potential for public exposure. Approved non-drinking uses span crop irrigation and livestock drinking water, toilet flushing and gardening at home, commercial and industrial processes, park and sporting field irrigation, and supporting flows in rivers and wetlands.
Scheme operators, including the state’s water corporations, must meet a general environmental duty under Victoria’s environmental protection laws to minimise risks to human health and the environment. The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has taken a phased approach to developing recycled water guidance covering treatment processes, water quality standards, risk assessment and public health protection. Two guidelines have been published so far: the guideline for water recycling, which focuses on approval processes for recycled water schemes, and the guideline for irrigation with recycled water, which supports the design and management of irrigation schemes.
Recent EPA-led testing across 13 water corporations found no evidence that approved recycled water uses posed a risk, with contaminant levels generally lower in treated effluent than in raw sewage and no exceedance of health-based guidelines across 30 types of PFAS tested. Work continues to better understand other emerging contaminants, including pharmaceutical residues and other industrial and agricultural compounds.
Looking further ahead, Victoria’s water corporations are also examining whether purified recycled water could eventually supplement drinking supplies, a question distinct from current non-drinking uses and now being explored through their urban water strategies. DEECA stresses that the map is a starting point only, and that anyone considering a recycled water connection should contact their local water corporation to confirm site-specific conditions and supply arrangements.
Tags
- Water Reuse & Recycling
- Water Recycling
- Water Supply
- Drinking Water
- protection
- Domestic Water Use
- Australia