Water recycling project

A landmark water recycling project will make West Werribee one of the most water-conscious areas in Victoria.

Gillard Government funding of $11.4 million will enable City West Water to roll out an Aquifer and Storage Recovery scheme as part of its West Werribee Dual Supply project.The scheme will draw recycled water from Melbourne Water’s Western Treatment Plant, further process it to reduce salt and inject it into an underground aquifer for storage.

The treated recycled water will then be extracted and piped to customers via the West Werribee Dual Supply Project for use in home gardens, toilet flushing and public open spaces such as Werribee Racecourse. The Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water, Senator the Hon Don Farrell, said making the most of recycled water would help ease demand on Melbourne’s drinking water supplies.

“We need to be smart about how we plan for the future to make sure we use precious natural resources, such as water, sustainably to support a stronger Australia,” Senator Farrell said. “That means we need to find new sources of water for urban supplies that are less dependent on rain, while helping residents use water more wisely.”

The West Werribee Dual Water Supply project aims to deliver about 3.1 billion litres of treated recycled water to new homes in the surrounding area. About 9200 homes have already been approved for construction and the project will have the capacity to supply an estimated 19,200 homes expected to be constructed in the area by 2035. Funding has been provided through the National Urban Water and Desalination Plan, a component of the Gillard Government’s long-term Water for the Future initiative.

The Gillard Government is committed to helping Australia’s cities prepare for a future with less water due to the emerging effects of a changing climate and drought. “The government is investing in desalination plants, water recycling, stormwater harvesting and re-use, and water-efficiency measures - such as replacing leaky pipes - to ensure a sustainable future for all Australians,” Senator Farrell said. “These projects are delivering billions of litres of real water savings and are taking the pressure off our precious drinking water supplies.”

For more information, please visit www.environment.gov.au/water.