Recycled water roadmap

• The draft Recycled Water Roadmap is a new vision for expanding water reuse across the state, ensuring a robust policy and regulatory framework is in place for future projects.
• It outlines 14 proposed actions in 5 key priority areas to address barriers and pave the way for increased and expanded recycled water use in future, including for drinking and non-drinking purposes, where it is safe, beneficial and cost-effective.
• The key priorities will cover early strategic planning, regulatory changes, investigation of costs, benefits and updating guidance that will facilitate water recycling and harnessing the benefits for a more secure water future.

• Water is our most precious resource. Climate change means that NSW will confront more frequent and more severe droughts, higher temperatures and more storm events. To prepare, cities and towns will need to transition to more secure water supply options, diversify water sources and increase the proportion of water that does not depend on rainfall. This includes increasing water recycling.
• By being water wise and recycling more water in our urban environments, we can secure water supplies to meet the needs of growing communities.

In the draft Roadmap, the NSW Government has proposed that in the future:

• utilities will consider recycled water equally with other supply and demand options
• increased delivery of recycled water solutions will improve diversity, resilience and environmental water quality
• communities will understand water recycling options and engage with utilities in the conversation on purified recycled water for drinking.

The barriers identified in the draft were developed through consultation with Sydney Water, Hunter Water, WaterNSW, private and local water utilities, local councils, peak bodies, academics and relevant government agencies. This consultation process started in 2022 and has included 2 rounds of workshops with 50 stakeholders, including 23 water utilities.

We are now seeking the views of the wider water sector and the entire community on actions we can take to address these barriers.

The barriers identified are categorised in 7 broad areas:

1. Governance and regulation.
2. Economics and pricing.
3. Investment risks.
4. Community acceptance.
5. Skills and capabilities.
6. Integration with land use planning.
7. Environmental challenges.

We are proposing 14 actions in 5 key priority areas:

1. Putting in place state-wide planning and policy frameworks that support integrated planning for recycled water.
2. Providing tools and resources to support planning and delivery of recycled water solutions.
3. Creating clear regulatory and approvals processes for recycled water.
4. Building capacity and capability across the water sector to plan and deliver innovative recycled water solutions.
5. Taking steps now so that purified recycled water is an option for our future drinking water supply.

In 2022-23 NSW, public, local and private water utilities produced 92 gigalitres (GL) of recycled water (this is about the same amount of water that 460,000 homes use in a year). This recycled water was used for non-drinking purposes such as:

• irrigation for gardens, open public spaces and in agriculture
• commercial uses such as washing hard surfaces, dust suppression, and cooling of buildings
• domestic use for toilets and washing machines
• firefighting.

All recycled water supplied by a water utility must meet Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling.

Water recycling can deliver a range of benefits now and into the future. We know we need to make better use of our water resources, think innovatively and find ways to deliver liveable communities and fast-track housing for a growing population. The benefits include:

• Increasing water security and resilience
• Reducing reliance on drinking water and supporting urban greening
• Reducing wastewater discharge to waterways and pressure on wastewater systems
• Contributing to energy creation, resource recovery and circular economy
• Supporting new industries with fit for purpose water
• Managing local flooding

Recycled water can be a key part of our future water supplies, and delivering this roadmap will put us on the path to unlocking the benefits.

• Purified recycled water is recycled water that is further treated to ensure that it is safe for human consumption. Currently there are 35 cities in the world, including Perth, where purified recycled water is used in the drinking water supply.
• Although we know purified recycled water is safe to drink, extensive community engagement is required to gain public trust and confidence in the safety of the water for consumption. Stringent water quality assurance programs and approvals need to be in place before water is provided to consumers.
• Sydney Water and some regional water utilities are currently engaging with their customers on the future of their water supplies, including discussion on adding purified recycled water into their drinking water supplies.
• The Roadmap includes actions to clarify the regulatory frameworks across NSW government agencies, engage with industry and research sectors and to support utilities to undertake best practice engagement with their customers on purified recycled water, learning from interjurisdictional and overseas experience.