What is recycled water?

Recycled water, also known as effluent, is wastewater that has been ‘cleaned' through sewage treatment processes to remove contaminants.

Wastewater is anything that has gone into the sewerage network, including everything washed down the kitchen, laundry or bathroom sinks or drains, or anything flushed down the toilet. This wastewater is piped through our sewerage network to the sewage treatment plants, where it is treated to meet our regulatory and end-use requirements. It is treated to high standards as set out by the State Government.

Unitywater supplies varying grades of recycled water (ranging from Class A+ to Class D), depending on the treatment capabilities of individual sewage treatment plants and the requirements of recycled water users. Each Class of recycled water comes with conditions specifying approved uses.

Why use recycled water?

Using recycled water helps to reduce the amount of nutrients going into our waterways. Traditionally, highly-treated or ‘cleaned’ wastewater is discharged into the environment as the final step in the sewage treatment process.

Diverting a portion of this recycled water for other purposes benefits multiple end users, and reduces the volume of effluent discharged to nearby waterways.

Using recycled water is also more sustainable because it reduces pressure on our potable drinking water supplies, sourced from a separate Unitywater network (water, not sewerage). While recycled water is highly treated, it is not treated to the same standard as drinking water.

What can you use recycled water for?

We supply recycled water for a variety of residential, commercial and industrial uses throughout our region.

Recycled water customers must follow strict site controls and precautions governing the safe use of recycled water, depending on the class-type supplied and its approved use.

Business customers must have a sale agreement and a Recycled Water Management Plan. Dual reticulation customers must have a sale agreement.

Recycled water can be used in many ways, including for garden and open-space irrigation, stock watering, industrial purposes and more. Recycled water is not suitable for filling swimming pools.