Purified recycled water will be added to South East Queensland’s drinking water supplies as part of an emergency drought response when SEQ's combined dam levels reach 40%.  The Western Corridor Recycled Water Project will be one of the largest indirect potable reuse schemes in the world and will have the capacity to deliver up to 232 megalitres a year.

A series of papers have been written by technical experts to provide a detailed technical explanation of the science and engineering underpinning indirect potable reuse schemes. The paper was commissioned by the Department of Natural Resources and Water and the Queensland Water Commission.

• technologies available for water treatment
• the chemicals and pathogens in wastewater and their removal through the treatment process
• health risks
• the risk assessment and monitoring protocols for quality control
• review of indirect potable reuse schemes worldwide, including their treatment processes, production statistics and motivation for their construction.

Download

• Purified Recycled Water for drinking: Technical issues paper (PDF, 5MB)

More information

• Refilling the Glass: Exploring the issues surrounding water recycling in Australia (PDF, 415KB)
• Risk Assessment and Health Effects Studies of Indirect Potable Reuse Schemes (PDF, 312KB)
• Recycled Water for drinking Choice article