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Purified recycled water
Preparing for tomorrow, today
Learn about our water future
Sydney Water has been providing world-class water services to Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra for more than 135 years, but with climate change and an increased demand on our services – we need to think about water differently.
We’re committed to investigating the use of purified recycled water as a future water source.
Join our Sustainable Water Future webinars
Find out how a changing climate and an increased demand for our services means we need to think about water differently.
Purified recycled water
Purified recycled water (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.
Drinking water made from purified recycled water is triple treated, passing through three different treatment plants before reaching the customer.
We've built a Purified Recycled Water Discovery Centre that gives the community the opportunity to see how some purified recycled water treatment technology works.
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Take a look at our Purified Recycled Water Discovery Centre
Watch this video to see inside our Purified Recycled Water Discovery Centre at Quakers Hill, and how the treatment technology works.
Take a deep dive
Watch this video to see Olympic Champion and Sydney Water Ambassador, Jess Fox, speak with Senior Project Manager James Harrington at the Purified Recycled Water Discovery Centre.
The Purified Recycled Water Discovery Centre
Purified recycled water has many environmental and cost saving benefits and could provide up to 25% of water needs across our city by 2056.
We've built a Purified Recycled Water Discovery Centre at Quakers Hill (near Blacktown) that will give the community the opportunity to see how some purified recycled water treatment technology works. The Discovery Centre highlights the safety of this proven technology and the range of environmental and cost benefits of using purified recycled water to supplement our drinking water supply.
The PRW Discovery Centre is the first of its kind in NSW and can host small groups, schools, universities/TAFE and community group tours. Tours are free of charge.
For enquiries about the PRW Discovery Centre, please contact prwdiscoverycentre@sydneywater.com.au
The purified recycled water treatment process
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The purified recycled water treatment process
After first being treated at Sydney Water’s Water Resource Recovery Facility, recycled water is piped to the Purified Recycled Water Treatment Plant where it undergoes three additional treatment processes (Ultrafiltration, Reverse Osmosis and Advanced Oxidation).
Lastly, as we do for our drinking water, chlorination ensures both the water and pipes are free from any remaining microorganisms.
All of these processes ensure we produce high-quality water that meets the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling. All of our treatment processes have continuous online monitoring so we are sure that all the performance parameters are being met.
For more information on the PRW treatment process, future proofing our water supply
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Purified recycled water around the world
People have been safely drinking purified recycled water for more than 50 years, all around the world in over 35 cities - including some cities in California, Singapore and Perth in Australia.
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Learn about our plans for a sustainable water future
Greater Sydney relies on rainfall for over 85% of its water supply, which is the lowest water resilience from rainfall independent supplies out of all Australian capital cities.
Recent drought has highlighted we need to look to different sources of water that are sustainable, reliable and safe, including desalination and purified recycled water to supplement dams and reservoirs.
Learn about our sustainable water future in our free webinar series with Jo Taranto from Good for the Hood. Find out how a changing climate and an increased demand for our services means we need to think about water differently.
Webinar 1: Thinking about water differently
Date: Mon 12 August 2024 at 2-3pm
Expand your knowledge about how water is managed across Greater Sydney. You’ll learn about dams, desalination and why Sydney Water is investigating the use of purified recycled water as a future water source.
The webinar will run for one hour and will include 20 minutes for Q&A.
The webinar will run for one hour and will include 20 minutes for Q&A. Jo Taranto will be speaking with Kate Miles, Head of System Planning and Land Acquisition at Sydney Water.
Webinar 2: Diving deep into purified recycled water
Date options: Thu 22 August 2024, 2-3pm and Mon 26 Aug 2024, 6:30-7:30pm
Learn about purified recycled water, including how it works, what benefits it has, and why it is a possible water supply solution for Greater Sydney.
The webinar will run for one hour and will include 20 minutes for Q&A. Speakers include James Harrington, Senior Project Manager at Sydney Water and Danielle Francis, Manager Policy and Strategy at Water Services Association of Australia.