The National Health and Medical Research Council affirms protecting public health must be paramount and the community consulted on any proposed introduction of recycled water.30 In line with this requirement, the quality of recycled and harvested stormwater can be assured in Australia if properly treated.
However, according to a recent Water Services Association Australia report, All options on the table, 'community support can be a particular challenge for purified recycled water, more because of the "yuck factor" than any technical aspects.'31
Across the country, policies prevent the use of some types of water, even though bans on certain supply options can lead to significant community costs.
For example, the Toowoomba Pipeline in South East Queensland carries untreated water from one dam to another. It cost $100 million more than the proposal for recycling wastewater (the preferred option based on cost, environmental concerns and reliability), which was rejected in a local referendum.32
Yet the introduction of treated recycled water for drinking has been successful around the world. It already happens in some parts of Australia, such as Perth and the regional New South Wales town of Orange.33 34 35
The Australian Government and state and territory governments must remove barriers that prevent infrastructure planners from fully considering every water source. They should:
• strongly support the use of appropriately treated alternative sources of water and fund them
• widely promote their position and explain the benefits
• incorporate alternative water projects into water efficiency programs to show the role they play.