Guidance for emerging contaminants in recycled water

The purpose of this guidance is to assist recycled water scheme proponents and users to characterise, assess and manage risks associated with emerging contaminants as it relates to potential impacts to surface water ecological receptors from recycled water use.

It is designed for:

• producers of recycled water (e.g. water corporations, industrial facilities, sewer miners)
• recycled water scheme proponents or managers (e.g. water corporations, facilities, sewer miners)
• users of recycled water (e.g. agriculture, industrial facilities, residential, commercial premises, fire authorities, local governments)
• environmental consultants and environmental auditors.

While our knowledge of emerging contaminants in recycled water is evolving, this guidance will help you to:

• characterise and assess risks of emerging contaminants in recycled water, providing key principles that can be applied to a wide range of uses
• apply control measures for managing emerging contaminants, with handy case studies to step you through the risk framework
• meet your General Environmental Duty (GED) requirements related to emerging contaminants.

This guidance applies the risk management framework used in the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling to the Victorian context.