Recycled water is wastewater from urban communities that has undergone treatment to produce reusable water. We use recycled water at our wastewater management facilities to irrigate pastures and trees and in some cases it is sold to recycled water customers or returned to stream. Before recycled water is returned to the Goulburn River, it goes through an extra treatment stage that takes out the nutrients which can promote algae and weed growth. Details about Recycled Water Customer's can be found here.
During the wastewater treatment process other by-products are also produced including biogas and bio-solids.
In high rate anaerobic lagoons (HRALs) micro-organisms break down wastewater into methane and other gases which, at some facilities, are trapped under a cover. This trapped biogas can be used to generate renewable energy which is exported to the electricity grid allowing local businesses to source locally generated Green Power and reduce the use of coal-fired electricity.
Bio-solids are another by-product and settle to the bottom of the lagoon to form a sludge deposit. This builds up over time and the lagoons are cleaned out once every 25 years. The material is left to dry out for 6-12 months and is then used as soil conditioner, among other things.
For more information download our What's behind the Tap - Recycling Return to Stream Brochure