If Australia is to ensure future water supplies, it is critical that we overcome our aversion to drinking recycled water.
While it will be a tough call getting Australians to drink recycled water, it is an essential part of an integrated water cycle management plan that will meet the country's future water needs.
In fact, there is a compelling case for an Australia-wide public education program designed to overcome our aversion to drinking recycled water as authorities plan to accommodate growing populations.
Importantly, national and international experience indicates that risks associated with drinking recycled water are manageable.
And while there has been much debate about desalination plants, they are not a panacea for all our water woes. Decisions to supplement water supplies with other sources need to consider all options, including recycled water.
If Australia is to meet its international carbon abatement commitments, including the United Nations Framework Climate Change Convention, Kyoto Protocol and aspirational targets such as the Cancun framework agreement, we need to rethink or water cycle management options and incorporate carbon footprints in our decision making process.
Making a decision on the next water source to supplement supplies requires a framework that incorporates the infrastructure costs, the environmental costs and the long-term operational costs.
Water – including recycled drinking water – must be provided through a mix of integrated water management options and by working hand in globe with governments on water saving technologies.
And while the very thought of drinking recycled water gives most Australians the heebie-jeebies, it is not a new phenomenon. Many major towns and cities around the world, including Brisbane, can add recycled water to their drinking water supplies.
Recycled water can be taken from rainwater, stormwater, used water from bathrooms or treated effluent. It is most commonly used for a variety of purposes, including agricultural irrigation, industrial processing, in residential dual pipe schemes and to keep public and recreational spaces green.
A good example of this is the award-winning project by the Gold Coast City Council, Gold Coast Water and "wet infrastructure" engineer MWH who partnered to manage the urban water cycle in the Stapylton, Pimpama and Coomera areas of the Gold Coast.
A number of successful total water cycle schemes have been developed around Australia using a mix of tank water, recycled water and stormwater management.
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