Why is recycled, purified and desalinated water being used?
Water is a precious resource, yet less than 10 per cent of Australia’s urban and industrial water is recycled. As South East Queensland grows in population, and to protect our water supply from future droughts, water recycling, purification and desalination is a socially, environmentally and economically viable solution to help preserve our drinking water supplies. Currently, almost 2.8 million people live in South East Queensland and this figure could increase to more than 6 million by 2056. Even with significant new efficiency measures to reduce water consumption, this sustained level of population growth is substantially increasing the regions demand for water. Purified recycled water, along with desalination, is expected to provide up to 30 per cent of our water supply by 2056.
