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Progress in recycling

In the last ten years the amount of water recycled in Sydney has more than doubled.

As part of the 2006 Metropolitan Water Plan, the NSW Government is pursuing water recycling wherever it is feasible and practical. This will increase recycling more than fourfold to 70 billion litres a year in 2015 with plans to increase this to 100 billion litres a year by 2030.

The graph to the right shows the proposed increases in recycling up to the year 2015. Click on the graph to view a full size version.

Key achievements to date

To increase recycling to save drinking water for drinking purposes:

the volume of recycled water has increased from 15 billion litres to over 22 billion litres a year, with the commissioning of Australia's industrial recycling project in Wollongong
Sydney Water is expanding Australia's residential recycling scheme at Rouse Hill and is building similar schemes of dedicated recycled water pipes to supply Ropes Crossing and Hoxton Park
Sydney Water has signed a contract to build a new advanced water treatment plant and pipes, to supply a further 18 billion litres a year of recycled water to substitute water for current environmental flow releases from Warragamba Dam
final negotiations are under way for the construction of a recycled water scheme that will initially supply 4.3 billion litres a year to industries in the Smithfield, Fairfield and Camellia areas
the NSW Government has announced that the Sydney Recycled Water Grid will contribute to the provision of a further 30 billion litres of recycled water a year to established areas of Sydney
the NSW Government has developed the Guidelines for Greywater Reuse in Sewered, Single Household Residential Premises which explains how greywater, when used safely, can replace drinking water for watering gardens and lawns.

To encourage innovation and further recycling by the private sector:

the Government has established Australia's first State-based access regime under the Water Industry Competition Act. This will make it easier for the private sector to invest in recycling and to best use the existing infrastructure.

There is a lot more planned. Find out what's next or download the 2007 Progress Report.