To recapture the sense of supply security we grew up with, cities need a diversified portfolio of water sources, including less-climate dependent sources of supply such as purified recycled water. Australian cities of the future will be designed water sensitively – and it is important that water recycling continue to be available as the backbone for more enlightened water sensitive urban designs.
The National Water Commission therefore regards water recycling in all its forms as a vital option to re-build Australia’s water security and as an enabler for water sensitive urban design. The Commission believes it should be considered on its merits with an open mind alongside other less-climate dependant water sources such as desalination, stormwater capture and inter-basin water transfers.
It is critical that the recycling option not now be lost. Decisions about recycling being made now will be hugely influential for decades to come. The choices that any government makes today will affect the ability of all governments around Australia to take the tough decisions needed to secure long-term water supplies for the communities they represent.
In making choices about what supplies should be used to meet their water needs, Australian communities have a right to know about both the risks and benefits in using recycled water. This requires an understanding of how water quality and health standards can be maintained through rigorous controls and monitoring based on sound science and proven treatment technologies.
The National Water Commission acknowledges that there are risks associated with water recycling – just as there are with food, beverage and pharmaceuticals production. However the Commission is convinced that water safety risks can be safely and acceptably managed under Australia’s stringent regulatory systems. Australia’s Drinking Water Guidelines are already world-leading.
Public attitudes to water recycling are dependant on numerous factors including the degree of water scarcity, costs, the quality of consultative processes, perceived management of health risks, and the accountability of, and trust in, supply system managers.
Better information on these issues is needed to ensure that communities are able to make an informed and balanced evaluation of the merits of recycling as a water supply option.
Recycling of water for non-drinking purposes has long been widely accepted across Australia, for use by industries, irrigation and households. Recycled water has also been used for drinking purposes for centuries – with many communities drawing on water supplies that contain treated wastewater discharged from upstream sources. Literally millions of Australians drink such water daily.
The National Water Commission supports water recycling for both non-drinking and drinking purposes as a critical means of making our urban water cycle sustainable, and as an essential option to re-build urban water security. The Commission would like to see all governments contribute positively to encouraging public confidence in Australia’s stringent drinking water regulatory arrangements.
Australians need ongoing leadership on water planning to ensure we keep all supply options on the table. That includes the use of recycled water as a vital means of supply hardening our cities’ water systems into our climate-challenged future.
Ken Matthews
Chair and CEO
National Water Commission
A report commissioned by Greenpeace estimates that the hidden cost of coal exceeds $170billion every year. This includes the cost of respiratory diseases, and the contribution that burning coal makes to climate change. It notes that while coal is usually considered a cheap source of energy, this is largely because most of the costs of mining and burning it are borne by society, not by the energy industry. Australia exports more than ten percent of the coal shipped in international markets.