Sydney ramps up recycled water project

Western Sydney will receive an extra 2.4 million litres of recycled water a day in a $5 billion dollar collaboration with the Sydney Science Park project.

The project, led by private firm Celestino, will service up to 20,000 people with recycled water by mid-2022.

Sydney Science Park is a 287 hectare, $5 billion dollar mixed-use smart city that aims to become an internationally recognised hub for research, development, and innovation in the heart of Western Sydney. The park precinct is located at Luddenham within the Aerotropolis growth precinct.

Minister for Water, Property and Housing Melinda Pavey said the project is a blueprint for the continued large-scale development of recycled water.

“This project is in addition to the 47 billion litres of recycled water already supplied across Greater Sydney each year,” she said. “Initially the project will produce 1.2 million litres of recycled water each day – and that will double as people sign up in 2022.”

Sydney Water operates 23 recycled water schemes from 24 wastewater systems, including 14 water recycling plants, 770 km of recycled water mains, nine recycled water reservoirs, and 11 recycled water pumping stations. It plans to double its recycled water capacity over the next 25 years.

“Water is our most precious resource and we are using both innovation and new technology to create new ways of using and sharing water across the State,” Pavey added.

“This integrated water treatment approach will bring to life the Parkland City vision, creating cooler, greener and more liveable places for us all to enjoy.”

Sydney Water managing director Roch Cheroux said that innovative recycled water services will support the vision of a groundbreaking smart city.

“We are working closely with Celestino to provide sustainable and resilient water services to the Sydney Science Park, with phased capacity to serve the precinct as it grows,” Cheroux said.

“The innovative onsite treatment hub will also provide Sydney Water with multiple opportunities to trial new smart treatment technologies for future use.”

Under the partnership, Sydney Water will accelerate plans to provide staged water, wastewater and recycled water services from December 2021 to support Sydney Science Park’s development timeframes.

Stuart Ayres, the Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, said that the sustainable focus of Sydney Science Park is an example for others to follow.

“Maximising re-use and retention of water in the local environment, particularly the surrounding Aerotropolis precincts, will help us achieve our vision of a cooler greener Western Parkland City,” he said.

The Sydney Science Park project comes as Australia is seeing an increased emphasis on smart cities initiatives. The federal government’s $50 million dollar Smart Cities and Suburbs Program is funding projects that improve the liveability sustainability of cities and towns across the country.

Of the 32 projects announced under the scheme to date, eight are water-based initiatives.