EcoForum focuses on water recycling

Delegates at the EcoForum Conference & Exhibition in Sydney from 28–30 April will hear about water recycling innovations including a case study from the Noosa North Shore resort in Queensland.

The plant’s designer, EcoNova, says using reclaimed water for toilet flushing, car washing and garden watering could save 60% of the drinking water that would otherwise be consumed at the site.

The water reclamation plant, commissioned in February 2006, is designed to meet all of the resort’s non-potable water requirements using wastewater treated to Class A(+) standards, surpassing the EPA guidelines for treatment.

“This is a good example of the sorts of schemes that could happen more often in the residential space in future. As the market deregulates, developers will be able to run systems themselves and then link in to, say, Sydney Water or the local government entity responsible for delivering water services. The principle is a little bit like what is happening in the energy sector, with individual solar energy producers putting energy back into the grid,” Chair of the EcoForum water stream, David Hope, said.

The Noosa case study is just one of the many papers that will be presented at EcoForum on various technical aspects of recycling over the three days. There will also be a workshop run by Queensland water recycling expert Jenifer Simpson on community acceptance of recycled water.

The conference and exhibition will comprise:

• a trade exhibition of 40 environmental products and services suppliers;
• an example of how art can be used to support environmental messages;
• conference streams on water, wastewater, waste, energy, air quality, climate change and land remediation;
• networking with 1100 environment industry professionals over breakfast, lunch, morning and afternoon refreshments, happy hour drinks and the EcoForum dinner.

To download a copy of the conference program and registration documents, including the registration form, visit http://www.ecoforum.net.au/2009.