Water Reuse in Australia: Current Status, Projections and Research

Water reuse from sewage treatment plants in Australia in 1998/99 was 113 GL (ie. 7% of STP effluent). A recent survey of projected reuse shows this will increase by at least 28 GL/yr to double in four years. The adoption of water reuse is much faster than had previously been predicted due to a number of recent drivers for change in water management. Reuse plans for stormwater and irrigation drainage, with some exceptions, are currently sparse. The paper summarises the research needed to facilitate water reuse and ensure that public and environmental health are protected as identified through a survey with respondents from all states and the Northern Territory. A cross-section of currently uncoordinated Australian research is also presented. Major reuse research programs elsewhere in the world are listed and the gaps that need to be addressed in a proposed national reuse research program are presented.