The safe use of recycled water

Abstract

Continued population growth, droughts and limited water storage capacity are placing ever increasing pressure on Australian water supplies. One of the responses to this pressure has been increased use of recycled water. However, increased use has to be balanced against protection of public health; the greatest risk is from enteric microorganisms. The separation of human drinking water supplies from wastewater has been the largest single contributor to improved population health in the developed world through reducing infectious disease and extending life expectancy. The new Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling (AGWR) describe how recycled water schemes can be designed, operated and managed to ensure that they are safe. Reactive management based on end-point monitoring and using E. coli as a focus for assessing microbiological safety has been superseded by a preventive risk management approach.