A framework for alternative urban water supplies – phase 2
Discussion Papers on: Industrial Water and Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR)
(Consultation was completed in July 2007)
Victorians are becoming more interested in protecting our drinking water supplies by making use of alternatives to piped tap water. One way to reduce the amount of piped water used is by collecting and recycling alternative water sources.
Victorian industries have shown interest in reusing industrial water for industrial uses (e.g. cooling, material washing) or non-industrial uses (e.g. irrigation, toilet flushing) to reduce the amount of reticulated water used.
In addition, there has been a growing interest in using managed aquifer recharge (MAR), which involves injecting or infiltrating water into an aquifer for storage and then extracting the water for use at a later date, for activities such as landscape irrigation.
Under the Victorian Government White Paper Our Water Our Future Actions 5.42 and 5.43, the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and the Department of Human Services (DHS) were required to undertake a review of the public health and environmental framework supporting alternative urban water supplies.
As part of the first phase of the review, in February 2006 a Discussion Paper (A Framework for Alternative Urban Water Supplies) was released providing recommendations for the safe and sustainable use of rainwater, stormwater, greywater and treated sewage in urban areas.
As part of the second phase of the review, the State Government released the following two Discussion Papers, recommending a framework to support the safe and sustainable use of industrial water and MAR schemes.
- A Framework for Alternative Urban Water Supplies: Industrial Water
(Adobe PDF file, 395 KB); and/or
- A
Framework for Alternative Urban Water Supplies: Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR)
(Adobe PDF file, 553 KB).
In addition technical reports, Alternative Urban Water Supplies Regulatory Review - Industrial Water Technical Report (Adobe PDF file, 293 KB), which informed the Discussion Paper on industrial water and the Alternative Urban Water Supplies Regulatory Review – Managed Aquifer Recharge Technical Report (Adobe PDF file, 265 KB) which informed the Discussion Paper on Managed Aquifer Recharge, are available to those seeking more detailed technical information.
In February 2007, public consultation sessions on Discussion Papers were held in Melbourne as part of the feedback process. The feedback provided is now informing the regulatory framework supporting the safe and sustainable use of industrial water and MAR.