Innovative water recycling trial recognised as Vic Water Awards finalist

This year’s Australian Water Association’s Victorian Water Award winners were celebrated at a gala event in Melbourne last night. Greater Western Water (GWW) congratulates all finalists and winners on their excellent achievements and contributions to our sector.

GWW was commended as a finalist for the Infrastructure Project Innovation Award (Regional) for our trial of an innovative new way of recycling water. This award category recognises significant infrastructure projects within the water industry that drive prosperity and sustainability. 

The trial, undertaken in partnership with Amiad and Aquavoda, is an important part of our work to plot the brightest future for the nine recycled water plants we operate, where sewage is recycled into water that’s fit for a range of purposes, from agriculture to irrigation. 

Increasing our capacity to treat sewage

It’s a system under pressure as Melbourne's west continues its fast population growth. More people mean more sewage, more work for the plants, and more recycled water. 

Many of the plants need an upgrade to keep pace and produce higher and higher qualities of water, which will make it suitable for an ever-wider range of uses. That’s important because the more recycled water can be used, the more that fresh water can be conserved for vital needs like drinking.

But how could we upgrade all these plants to achieve the best possible quality of recycled water, right now, without causing water bills to rise? We couldn’t. 

A new way of thinking

As explained by GWW Integrated Planner, Mark Langley, we needed a new way of thinking.

Mr Langley is a chief architect of the trial, which went looking to other industries like mining and brewing for innovative ways of treating wastewater. The answer the team found is deceptively simple: find a treatment plant that can be moved around as needed, meeting demand when and where it is of most help.

“We usually think of treatment plants as fixed assets. They’re designed and built to serve a specific place and work there for a long time,” he said.

“This project flips that narrative by finding a solution that can be moved around to multiple sites.”

Testing the technology on site

The team trialled an Ultrafiltration Package Plant, which is a portable device that can be incorporated into an existing plant to increase the quality of recycled water produced. 

Traditional ultrafiltration systems are fixed in place and remarkably delicate – if they’re out of use for extended periods of time without special preservation or if they experience too broad a range in incoming water quality, the membranes generally need to be replaced. 

The package plant uses silicon carbide membranes, making it more robust than typical membranes and improving environmental outcomes by reducing waste to landfill.

The plant was trialled initially at the Romsey Recycled Water Plant. Recycled water produced here is used to irrigate adjoining farm property owned by GWW and supplied to local customers. The plant is being upgraded to meet the needs of the growing community, with work projected to be finished in 2026.

The package plant was used on site at Romsey before being moved to our Woodend Recycled Water Plant. The trial was a great success - the water produced was of the quality needed and the system was robust enough to be transported from plant to plant without affecting its performance.

Works are underway for a second, full-scale trial, with a view to adding the package plant to GWW’s range of treatment options. 

“This trial has delivered the water quality and robustness expected, and will allow flexibility across our systems, all in something that can fit inside a standard shipping container and move from plant to plant, where it’s needed most.”

“It offers an immediate interim solution to growth challenges. In the future, once all upgrades are complete, you could see these as assets that could serve the wider industry as well.”