Reusing and recycling water
Reusing and recycling water and other alternative water supplies is a key part of reducing the pressure on our water resources and adapting to climate change and population growth. When considering alternative water supplies, it is important to choose the most appropriate water source taking into account the risk, resource and energy requirements.
Further information is available on the following alternative water supplies and the framework for their use:
Reducing water use and avoiding generation of wastewater in the first place, is better than needing to identify alternative water supplies and reuse options.
The water conservation hierarchy
Reusing low risk water sources, such as rainwater or stormwater, should be investigated prior to recycling higher risk source water, such as greywater and sewage.
Inherent risk for alternative water sources (for reuse or recycling)
It is also important to consider when and how much water is needed and available, and whether any approvals are required.
Rainwater
Using rainwater is an easy and effective way to conserve Victoria's precious water supplies and reduce the amount of mains water you use. Some simple guides have been produced on how to collect and safely manage rainwater:
- For use in the home
- For use in multi-residential schemes (eg apartment blocks), commercial and community facilities
Greywater
Greywater (all non-toilet household wastewater) can be a good water resource during times of drought and water restrictions, but its reuse can carry health and environmental risks.
Greywater can be reused following a few simple steps with readily available systems. A number of products are now on the market that enable access to greywater from domestic plumbing situations. These products are designed for immediate greywater reuse.
Untreated greywater can be reused effectively and safely in domestic situations by following a few simple tips in EPA publication 884.1 Greywater use around the home 
(PDF 212KB).
If you wish to put in a permanent treatment system for greywater recycling, further information can be obtained from
EPA’s Code of practice:Onsite wastewater management (PDF 642KB).
You should also talk with your local council regarding requirements.
Treated sewage
Recycling wastewater can ease the pressure on our water resources and avoid the need to discharge wastewater to the environment. Recycled water can provide a defined quantity and quality of water that, with some management controls, is suitable for a wide range of uses including irrigation and toilet flushing. More on wastewater recycling.
Industrial water
Reusing industrial water can play an important part in reducing the demand on Victoria's precious drinking water supplies. With appropriate management, which may include treatment, industrial water can be used for a wide range of purposes including industrial uses (e.g. cooling, material washing) or non-industrial uses (e.g. irrigation, toilet flushing). To reuse industrial water in a safe and sustainable way it is important to identify, assess and appropriately manage the risks. More on industrial water reuse. (PDF, 642KB)
Managed aquifer recharge (MAR)
Improving the way we use our water resources is important for ensuring a sustainable future for Victoria. In urban areas where there’s not enough surface water storage, aquifers can provide a way to store excess water when it is available until the time it is needed.
Intentionally injecting or depositing water into an aquifer, and then extracting the water for use at a later date is known as managed aquifer recharge (MAR). There has been an increasing interest in using MAR as a mechanism to store and later supply an alternative water source for various uses. For example, stormwater could be injected into an aquifer and then later reused for watering parks and gardens in drier seasons.
For more information on MAR, refer to EPA Publication 1290 Guidelines for Managed Aquifer Recharge: Health and Environmental Risk Management, (PDF, 575KB) which should be read in conjunction with the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling: Health and Environmental Risk Management (Phase 2): Managed Aquifer Recharge.
Framework for alternative urban water supplies
The State Government has recently reviewed the framework for using alternative urban water supplies and developed guidance to support this. EPA are hosting information sessions throughout October and November 2009 on the framework and guidelines associated with using alternative urban water supplies.