Purified recycled water health and safety

Fast Facts

  • The Alliance is a partnership between the Queensland government, CSIRO, The University of Queensland and Griffith University, Brisbane
  • Queensland is looking to implement Purified Recycled Water (PRW) to supplement existing water supplies
  • The treatment of wastewater for potable use is currently employed by a number of communities around the world, including California, Namibia and Singapore.
  • This project is a research partnership between CSIRO, University of QLD and Griffith University

A scientific assessment of the health and ecological risks of Purified Recycled Water (PRW) through monitoring and source control

Background
The approach
The partners

Background

When traditional methods of harvesting water are no longer enough to meet growing demands for community and industry, new methods must be explored.

With Indirect Potable Reuse, very highly treated recycled water may be pumped into reservoirs or aquifers where it will mix with (and be diluted by) rainwater or groundwater. This mixture of rainwater or groundwater and recycled water could then be re-treated and used as drinking water.

As Queensland looks to the treatment of wastewater for potable use, we are able to draw on the experiences of the communities around the world, including California, Namibia and Singapore, who currently employ Purified Recycled Water (PRW) to supplement existing water supplies.

By establishing a thorough understanding of treatment processes and their removal of potential contaminants, and how the risks from these contaminants can be appropriately managed, we will build community trust and confidence.

The Approach

The research in this project will:

  • assess the ability to control the quality of the water reaching the advanced water treatment plant (Source Control)
  • determine water quality impacts of PRW on receiving water bodies (Reservoirs)
  • develop and refine a toolkit of bioanalytical monitoring tools, microbiological detection methods and sampling methodology as part of an integrated monitoring program (Advanced Monitoring Techniques)
  • provide a risk assessment across all treatment barriers within the PRW system (Risk Assessment).

The partners

This project is a research partnership between CSIRO, University of QLD and Griffith University. It is also contributing to research projects with the National Water Commission, CRC for Water Quality and Treatment, and the Global Water Research Coalition. These projects draw on the expertise of the Australian Water Quality Centre (SA), UNSW, EcoWise (ACT) and from industry bodies including SA Water, Melbourne Water, Sydney Water and ACTEW.

Contact: Dr Simon Toze
Principal Research Scientist
Water for a Healthy Country Flagship
Queensland Biosciences Precinct
306 Carmody Road, St Lucia
Queensland, AUSTRALIA 4067
Phone: +61 7 3214 2698
Fax: +61 7 3214 2308
Email: Simon Toze

Read about more of our research.