Health Stream Article - Issue 50 - June 2008

Potable Recycling Guidelines Released

The Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling: Managing Health and Environmental Risks (Phase 2): Augmentation of Drinking Water Supplies were officially released on 8 May following final endorsement at the April meeting of the Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC). This was the final stage of a 6-step approval process involving the EPHC, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council.

Development of the Phase 2 Guidelines commenced in late 2006 following completion of the Phase 1 Guidelines covering non-potable uses of recycled water. The guidelines describe a risk management approach based in the 12-element framework developed for the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. Significant changes introduced into the Augmentation of Drinking Water Supplies module as a result of the public consultation process in 2007 included the addition of a further 10-fold safety factor for pharmaceuticals, more guidance on monitoring (for validation, operational process control, and verification of water quality), and additional information on chemical hazards, trade waste controls, staff training and regulation of health-based targets.

Australia's first planned indirect potable reuse scheme is expected to be operational by early 2009 when purified recycled water from the Queensland Western Corridor Recycled Water Pipeline Project will be pumped into Wivenhoe Dam. This 1.16 million megalitre dam serves the city of Brisbane and surrounding areas. The project is said to be the third largest advanced water treatment project in the world and will have the capacity to produce over 230 megalitres of purified recycled water per day from three advanced water treatment plants. In addition to supplementing the drinking water supply in Wivenhoe Dam, the scheme will supply water to power stations, industrial users and agriculture in South East Queensland.

http://www.ephc.gov.au/ephc/water_recycling.html
http://www.westerncorridor.com.au/