MidCoast’s award-winning Water Recycling and Reuse Program

The Australian Government has congratulated MidCoast Water on winning the 2013 Recovering, Recycling and Reusing category at the annual Institute of Public Works Engineers Australia, NSW Division, Excellence Awards.

The Australian Government invested around $6.19 million in MidCoast Water’s Water Recycling and Reuse Program, which helps secure water supplies for the towns of Hawks Nest, Tuncurry, Bulahdelah and Harrington on the mid-north coast of NSW through the re-use of over 430 million litres of treated wastewater annually.

“I am thrilled the Australian Government has been able to provide funding for this award-winning project that contributes to the sustainability of both water supplies and recreational facilities in these communities,” Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water Amanda Rishworth said.

Through the recycled water schemes, wastewater from treatment plants at each location now undergoes an additional treatment in accordance with the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling and is used to irrigate local golf courses and open spaces in these four communities. This has the direct benefit of reducing the demand on the region’s potable water supply.

“This project demonstrates the benefits of local communities and all levels of government working together to deliver tangible outcomes for current and future generations,” Rishworth said.

The MidCoast Water’s Water Recycling and Reuse Program was funded under the National Water Security Plan for Cities and Towns, a program funding practical projects that save water and reduce water losses in communities predominantly with populations of less than 50,000.

The National Water Security Plan for Cities and Towns is part of the Australian Government’s Water for the Future initiative.