Recycled water - Using water the smart way

The use of recycled water reduces demand on precious drinking water supplies, which is good news for Melbourne's water storages.

Recycled water is water that has been treated to a standard for a specific application. There are different water classes which can be used to replace drinking water in an EPA Victoria-approved fit-for-purpose application.

We provide recycled water to local councils in our service area to irrigate sporting ovals for the purpose of drought relief and while restrictions are in place in Melbourne. We provide Class A recycled water in recycled water areas via a separate reticulation system to replace drinking water for toilet flushing and garden watering. Class A recycled water is produced from water that is discharged from your home's shower, toilet, sink and washing machine. This water is treated to a standard that is specified for non-drinking use in domestic applications.

The use of recycled water for an industrial purpose must be assessed individually to ensure that the proposed use is appropriate for Class A recycled water. EPA Victoria also requires a risk management plan.

If you would like to discuss the use of recycled water in your business, please contact us on
13 1721.

The protocols about how recycled water can and cannot be used are on the EPA Victoria website. You can also find more information in the frequently asked questions about recycled water.

Differences in classes of recycled water

The differences between Class A, Class B and Class C recycled water are outlined in the table below. For additional information and application kits for each, click on the table headings.

Class A	Class B	Class C
Virtually no pathogen load	Some potential for residual pathogen load	Some potential for residual pathogen load
Residual nutrients remain - Nitrogen and phosphorus mainly	Residual nutrients remain - Nitrogen and phosphorus mainly	Residual nutrients remain - Nitrogen and phosphorus mainly
Less restrictions on use	Greater restrictions on use	Greater restrictions than Class B
Can access irrigated area while still wet	4 hour no access period after irrigation ceases	4 hour no access period after irrigation ceases
Can use in approved dual pipe residential developments for approved domestic applications	50m buffer zone to residential areas recommended by the EPA	100m buffer zone to residential areas recommended by the EPA
Typically suitable for most uses, even those which involve direct human contact	Typically agricultural uses including dairy cattle grazing with restrictions around human contact	Typically agricultural uses including food crops cooked/processed, cattle grazing/fodder with restrictions around human contact

Essential reading

Before deciding whether or not to apply for a supply of Class A, B or C recycled water, we recommend reading each of the following EPA Victoria publications:

Information bulletin - Supply of Reclaimed Water for Drought Relief (Publication 887.1)http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/water/Reuse/drought.asp

Guidelines for Environmental Management - Use of Reclaimed Water (Publication 464.2)http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/water/Reuse/Default.asp

Melbourne Water also has a website which contains information and links to recycled water related information which you may find useful:
http://www.waterrecycling.net.au