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Resilient and Reliable Water Supply
Resilient and Reliable Water Supply
As part of our Greater Sydney Water Strategy commitments, we're working hard behind the scenes on building a resilient and reliable water supply for Greater Sydney.
Our drinking water is currently sourced primarily from rainfall flowing into our catchments (dams and rivers) which is highly filtered and treated before entering our water supply.
As the impacts of climate variability such as floods and droughts challenge traditional water management practices, we are exploring all feasible options to maintain a safe, resilient, and secure water supply, even in times of extreme weather.
Best practice water planning means having all options on the table for consideration, including purified recycled water (PRW) to supplement our drinking water supply, alongside desalination, water efficiency, dams and water recycling for non-drinking purposes.
PRW is an innovative, safe, high-quality, and cost-effective water supply option which is both sustainable and drought-proof.
PRW is water recycled from industry and homes (including from kitchens, showers and toilets) that has been purified to meet strict Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling to supplement drinking water sources (such as rain, rivers, and dams). It is highly treated before being added to existing raw water supplies such as dams, reservoirs and rivers.
One of our Greater Sydney Water Strategy actions under Priority 2 is to construct and commence the operation of a Purified Recycled Water (PRW) Demonstration Plant and Discovery Centre.
We're investing in a small-scale Purified Recycled Water Demonstration Plant and Discovery Centre at Quakers Hill. The Plant will demonstrate the performance and reliability of the treatment technology and help to build community understanding and acceptance.
We'll also demonstrate how we can produce water that complies with the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling, and how this water could safely be added to our existing raw water supply (i.e., dams and rivers).
Water produced at this Plant will not contribute to Sydney's drinking water supply.
It's expected the PRW Demonstration Plant and Discovery Centre will open to stakeholders in 2023.