About reclaimed water - fact sheet

What is reclaimed water?

It is water that is reused instead of going to waste by flowing out to sea. Water resources available for reuse include treated waste water, domestic ‘greywater’ from bathrooms and laundries, and agricultural drainage water.

Reclaimed water use occurs on various scales, from residential to use on a municipal scale.

Reclaimed water is a reliable, sustainable and renewable water resource and its use has significant environmental benefits.

Why use reclaimed water?

• It reduces the pressure on less sustainable water resources
  (eg. groundwater, rivers)
• It is a secure water supply
• It is a cost-effective water supply
• It is of a consistent and known quality
• Its use increases the volume of water available for economic development
• It assists in reducing the environmental impacts associated with sending wastewater out to sea
• It ensures more efficient use of a limited resource

South Australia’s track record

South Australia has a long history of using reclaimed water and is the national leader in water reuse.

Around 30 percent of Adelaide’s treated wastewater is reused – that’s almost double the national average.

The water is primarily used for horticultural and viticultural production north and south of Adelaide.