How much water is recycled in Australia?
About 12% of Australia’s water is used for household and manufacturing purposes with a large percentage ending in the reticulated wastewater stream. In total, some 2 000 GL of this water is thought to be recoverable, but in 2002 less than 10% (167 GL) of the total output from sewage treatment plants was recycled. There are significant differences in reuse between states, with South Australia recycling greater than 15% of its wastewater, but Victoria, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory recycling less than 10%. The cities of Perth, Melbourne and Canberra have targets of achieving 20% water recycling within the next ten years. Some of the highest rates of recycling water occur in regional Australia, but volumes are relatively small. In many arid areas of Australia the reliable supply of wastewater is very attractive to irrigators. Many inland towns have been supplying water to farmers for years, either formally through reticulated systems, or informally via downstream ext
