As part of the“green”credentials of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the Sydney Olympic Park Authority developed the Homebush Bay Water Reclamation and Management Scheme (WRAMS) at the Olympic Park site (Figure 11.2).
MilestonesinWaterReuse:TheBestSuccessStories
Stormwater from the site was collected in a disused brickpit and recycled for irrigation of sporting fields and landscaping in the Olympic Park precinct, and toilet flushing in the sporting venues. Also wastewater from local catchments was diverted from a local pumping station, treated in a 2200 m3/d wastewater treatment plant. The recycled water and stormwater are further treated in recycled water treatment plant which incorporates continuous microfiltration plant with 7500 m3/d capacity, reverse osmosis units of 2000 m3/d to reduce the salinity of the recycled water, and chlorination before delivery to the residential reuse area and the sporting venues (Chapman, 2005).
Figure 11.1 Australian guidelines for water recycling (Photograph courtesy of National Health and Medical Research Council).
Figure 11.2 Homebush Bay Water Recycling Plant (Photograph courtesy of Sydney Olympic Park Authority).
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Subsequent to the Olympic Games, the athletes’village at Newington was converted to 2000 residential homes which are supplied with recycled water through the dual reticulation network for garden watering, toilet flushing and clothes washing.
11.3 CASE STUDIES: RESIDENTIAL REUSE AUSTRALIA-WIDE
New South Wales
Western Sydney
The current planning schemes in Sydney provide for up to 300,000 new homes in western Sydney, 140,000 in the north-western sector and 160,000 in the south-western sector. The building sustainability requirements for new dwellings in Sydney require new houses to achieve water savings of 40% relative to 2001 levels. Residential reuse is one option for achieving the level of water savings required.
Rouse Hill, Sydney
Sydney Water is continuing the expansion of Australia’s largest residential water recycling scheme in the Rouse Hill area in Sydney’s north-west (Figure 11.3). The scheme started in 2001, and over 19,000 homes are now using up to 1.7 Mm3/yr of recycled water for flushing toilets, watering gardens, washing cars and other outdoor uses. On average the Rouse Hill scheme has reduced demand for drinking water by about 40%. Eventually the Rouse Hill scheme will serve 36,000 homes. The recycled water supply area includes parts of Acacia Gardens, Beaumont Hills, Castle Hill, Glenwood, Kellyville, Kellyville Ridge, Parklea, Quakers Hill, Stanhope Gardens, The Ponds and Rouse Hill. The Rouse Hill Water Recycling Plant treats about 4.7 Mm3/yr of wastewater to residential use standards. The capacity of the Rouse Hill Recycled Water Plant has recently being doubled to 27,000 m3/d (Sydney Water 2011a).
Hoxton Park, Sydney
The new Hoxton Park Recycled Water Scheme will be one of the largest residential water recycling projects in Australia.
Sydney Water is building the scheme in the Liverpool and Campbelltown local government areas of south-western Sydney.
It will supply recycled water to about 14,000 future homes as well as industrial developments in areas including Edmondson Park, Middleton Grange, Ingleburn Gardens, Panorama Estate and Yarrunga Industrial Area.
The Hoxton Park Recycled Water Scheme will be delivered in two stages. Stage 1 will be ready from 2013 and Stage 2 in about 2017, depending on the progress of development in the serviced areas. Recycled water will be used for non-drinking uses like watering gardens, flushing toilets, washing cars and in some factory processes. It will be treated to a very high standard at
Figure 11.3 Rouse Hill Water Recycling Plant (Photograph courtesy of Sydney Water).
MilestonesinWaterReuse:TheBestSuccessStories
a new water recycling plant at Glenfield which will be completed in 2013. Stage 1 of the scheme is expected to supply about 0.9 Mm3/yr of recycled water to about 7,000 homes and businesses by 2015 (Sydney Water, 2011b).
Ropes Creek, Sydney
At Ropes Creek, construction of dual reticulation pipelines is continuing as the development near St Marys expands. The Ropes Crossing Recycled Water Scheme will provide recycled water to new homes and for irrigation of local playing fields. When completed, it will provide 1550 homes with up to 0.5 Mm3/yr of high quality recycled water.
Pitt Town, Sydney
A private developer is proposing to develop a dual reticulation scheme for 1000 houses at Pitt Town in Sydney’s north-west.
This scheme will be the first such scheme developed under the NSW Water Competition Act which allows for competitive provision of water services.
Hunter
Hunter Water serves the large urban area around Newcastle, 160 km north of Sydney. Hunter Water is planning to supply recycled water to new residential development areas at Gillieston Heights, North Cooranbong and Thornton North. The dual reticulation schemes currently planned will serve about 10,200 homes and will use about 1.2 Mm3/yr of recycled water.
Ballina
Ballina Shire is a fast growing coastal community in northern New South Wales, about 800 km north of Sydney. Ballina Shire has made dual reticulation water recycling mandatory in all new residential subdivisions. The recycled water supply will be commissioned in 2012. It is anticipated that up to 7200 residential properties will be connected to the recycled water system over the next 20 to 30 years.
Victoria
Yarra Valley Water, Melbourne
Yarra Valley Water has embarked on a major program to supply Class A recycled water to new residential developments in north-eastern Melbourne. Yarra Valley Water has committed to supplying recycled water to around 100,000 homes or approximately 200,000 people in the area. Recycled water is approved for laundry water use in the Yarra Valley area and a recycled water tap is being installed in the laundry of new houses for connection to the washing machine.
Kalkallo Project
Yarra Valley’s innovative Kalkallo Stormwater Harvesting and Reuse Project is one of international significance, with the ultimate possibility of supplementing the Kalkallo region’s local drinking water supply with treated stormwater. It will involve capturing and treating around 365,000 m3/yr of stormwater harvested from a commercial development 38 km north of Melbourne’s central business district (Yarra Valley Water, 2011a).
Doncaster Hill principal activity centre
An innovative scheme developed by Yarra Valley Water will provide recycled water to developments in Doncaster Hill by the end of 2013. While recycled water schemes are becoming common in greenfield urban developments, Doncaster Hill is believed to be Australia’s first high density urban redevelopment to incorporate a dual pipe system to deliver recycled water to residents. Yarra Valley Water is working together with Manningham City Council on the project, which will see recycled water delivered to around 4000 new residential dwellings in Doncaster Hill developments by the end of 2013 (Yarra Valley Water, 2011b).
City West Water, Melbourne
Melbourne Water is working with City West Water and government departments to supply recycled water to residential developments in the City of Wyndham. One of these, a master plan for Werribee Fields, is a new 2000-home ‘green’ suburb displaying market-leading sustainable water and energy use including a dual reticulation recycled water system (City West Water, 2011).
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Western Water, Melbourne Eynesbury
Homes in the new township of Eynesbury are using Class A recycled water from the Melton Recycled Water Plant for toilet flushing and outdoor use. The first residential connection occurred in December 2008. When fully developed, the Eynesbury area will have 2900 houses. In 2009/10, 226,000 m3of recycled water were used at Eynesbury. Residents used 6500 m3of drinking water and 9,000 m3 of recycled water. An additional 217,000 m3 of recycled water was used for irrigating recreational areas, including the golf course at Eynesbury (Western Water, 2010).
Toolern
Melton is a particular focus for Western Water’s integrated water cycle management strategy. It is one of the lowest-rainfall areas in Victoria. It is also one of the fastest-growing urban areas in Australia, with the new suburb of Toolern expected to absorb an extra 55,000 residents by 2030. Toolern’s completed Precinct Structure Plan requires a minimum 50% reduction in average household drinking water consumption. Just like in the Eynesbury development, all 24,000 new homes at Toolern will be supplied by Western Water with Class A recycled water as well as drinking water, through a dual pipe system. Class A recycled water is for garden use, car washing and toilet flushing. At Toolern, the integrated management of stormwater involves stormwater capture, storage in wetlands and treatment for appropriate use, while environmental flows to rivers and streams will be prioritised. Western Water’s aim is to make Toolern an IWCM showcase to achieve 100% net reduction in drinking water use, making it Australia’s first water-neutral suburb (Western Water, 2011).
South East Water, Melbourne
Class A Recycled water is now a reality for a growing number of customers across South East Water’s region. More than 7000 customers are now connected to recycled water infrastructure across an increasing number of estates. With the recent drought resulting in reduced water levels in our catchments, much is being done to look at sustainable and innovative water supply solutions. The proposed upgrade of the Pakenham treatment plant and the Eastern treatment plant in 2012 will provide a major boost to the supply of Class A recycled water and allow further growth of this valuable resource.
The dual reticulation scheme at Hunt Club Estate in Cranbourne East was recently opened (Figure 11.4). Around 1200 homes at the estate will eventually be connected to recycled water, saving about 200,000 m3of drinking water each year.
These are the first of up to 43,000 lots to be supplied with recycled water from the Pakenham and Eastern treatment plants Customers with recycled water supply receive a range of great benefits.
Barwon Water, Geelong
Barwon Water, based in Geelong, Victoria, will invest around AU$82 million (66 million€) over the next 10 years in water, sewage and recycled water infrastructure to the new Armstrong Creek residential development south of Geelong. With a land area of 2500 ha, Armstrong Creek, between Grovedale and Mt Duneed, is currently the largest residential growth area in Victoria. The
“super-suburb”is expected to provide for 22,000 homes. Armstrong Creek residents will have access to recycled water on tap.
All Armstrong Creek residents will benefit from a dedicated“purple pipe”delivering Class A recycled water for flushing their toilets, washing their cars and watering their gardens. Recycled water will also be used for irrigating public spaces and
Figure 11.4 Dual meter installation (Photograph courtesy of South East Water).
MilestonesinWaterReuse:TheBestSuccessStories
sporting grounds. The use of recycled water at Armstrong Creek is expected to save more 2.4 Mm3of drinking water a year. It will also reduce the amount of water discharged to Bass Strait from the Black Rock Water Reclamation Plant.
Queensland
Pimpama-Coomera Waterfuture Project, Gold Coast
Pimpana-Coomera Waterfuture Master Plan which provides for water sensitive urban design, rainwater tanks, reduced infiltration gravity sewers and dual reticulation recycled water networks with the 7700 ha Pimpama-Coomera urban development area in the Gold Coast hinterland south of Brisbane. The area is expected to cater for a future population of about 120,000 people.
The Pimpama-Coomera Master Plan requires new housing in the areas to have a dual reticulation recycled water supply to garden watering and toilet flushing and rainwater tanks to supply laundry water and one outside tap. The Plan is likely to reduce drinking water supply needs to about 16% of typical demand in conventional residential developments. The Pimpama water recycling plant is designed to provide Class A+recycled water using a reclamation process that includes ultrafiltration and UV disinfection followed by chlorine disinfection to maintain a residual greater than 0.5 mg/L.
About 4400 homes were completed prior to the commissioning of the water recycling plant and initially were initially supplied with drinking water in the recycled water pipes. The recycled water system commenced operation in December 2009.