Why recycle our water?

Water is a precious resource, yet less than 15% of Australia's urban and industrial wastewater is recycled. Water recycling is a socially, environmentally and economically viable solution to help utilise our water resource more efficiently.

Recycling our water can offer substantial benefits to our society including:

• Reduction of nutrient and contaminant loads into oceans and rivers
• Providing more drinking quality water for domestic uses by substituting drinking quality water with  recycled water for irrigation of agricultural crops and amenity horticulture
• Reducing demand and stress on freshwater resources such as the groundwater and rivers by providing alternative water supplies

There may also be benefits to agricultural and amenity enterprises through:

• Guaranteed water supply
• Supply of water quality underpinned with a comprehensive water quality assurance program
• Security for investment in agricultural enterprises
• Recycling of valuable nutrients