Water Reuse

Projects > Water Reuse

Water Reuse

As we head through the 21st century and into an ever increasing need for water conservation, water re-use is becoming more the norm than the exception. Many of our projects now involve some kind of water harvesting, storage, treatment and re-use. Stormwater, wetlands, aquifer storage & recovery, managed aquifer recharge, recycling and treated wastewater are often included in the mix these days.

Oaklands Park - stormwater MAR

The Oaklands Park Wetland and Stormwater Reuse Scheme is an innovative project that ultimately provides treated stormwater to irrigate up to 30 neighbouring council reserves. The site is located adjacent to t...

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Aldinga Managed Aquifer Recharge

In 2009-10 following involvement in the ground-breaking preliminary trials in 2001, HydroPlan became the designer and project manager in charge of constructing and commissioning a Managed Aquifer Recharge (MA...

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Margaret River recycled water scheme

HydroPlan was engaged to design a $3 million Margaret River water recycling project for the Augusta-Margaret River Shire in WA . Prior to this scheme being implemented, all the treated water was used ...

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Willunga Basin Reclaimed Water Pipeline

The Willunga Basin Pipeline is a large reclaimed water scheme which is owned and operated by its water users. Despite being funded without government assistance, it continues to expand, providing a catalyst f...

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Royal Adelaide Golf Club

One of Australia’s top ten ranked courses, The Royal Adelaide Golf Club is situated on the coastal sand belt between Adelaide’s CBD and the beaches of Gulf St Vincent. This private links style cou...

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Glenelg to Adelaide Recycled Water Scheme - Irrigation Risk Management Plan

The Glenelg to Adelaide Recycled Water Project is a landmark project which delivers a sustainable supply of recycled water for the Adelaide Park Lands and other sites in and around the city of Adelaide. ...

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Mawson Lakes

Prior to handover of the non-potable network at Mawson Lakes to SA Water and open space irrigation to City of Salisbury, Delfin Lend Lease and partners engaged HydroPlan to liaise with all stakeholders to pre...

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Willunga Township - Waterproofing the South

As part of Waterproofing the South and an initiative to minimise use of potable water for irrigation, the City of Onkaparinga engaged HydroPlan to design an irrigation distribution scheme for sites within the...

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Feature Project

Willunga Basin Reclaimed Water Pipeline

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The Willunga Basin Pipeline is a large reclaimed water scheme which is owned and operated by its water users. Despite being funded without government assistance, it continues to expand, providing a catalyst for economic growth, replacing stressed groundwater and reducing nutrient discharge to the sea.

Like the fine wines of the region, it seems this scheme gets better with age.

HydroPlan has been instrumental in this scheme which has grown from 17 commercial users to over 190. Much of the success is attributed to the simple and smart engineering concepts developed from HydroPlan's knowledge of water user requirements.

Water is given greatest value when it is delivered with minimum fuss and maximum reliability. Growers can irrigate by just turning on their tap. There is no need to 'order water', and there is no need for storage, pumps or power on-farm.

The first water users formed a Joint Venture and company (Willunga Basin Water) to build Stage 1 of the pipeline so that they could pursue their core business of irrigated horticulture (mostly viticulture). Over the following 15 years, the scheme expanded every year so that their neighbours could access water as well. In 2013 WBW was purchased by Water Utilities Group.

The primary water source is the Christies Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant which is 10 km north of the Willunga Basin, and is one of 4 metropolitan treatment works. From late 2004, treated effluent from the local towns of McLaren Flat, McLaren Vale and Willunga has also been injected into the scheme. From 2008, treated water from the Aldinga WWTP was added as well.

In the absence of significant "winter" storage, small quantites of groundwater and mains water were used in peak periods. WBW continues to seek opportunities for winter storage and was a key participant in Waterproofing the South and Aldinga Managed Aquifer Recharge (ASR). These above and below-ground storages made it possible to expand the summer supplies by several gigalitres.

But more is planned. There is sufficient 'waste' water flowing to sea from CBWWTP to replace the annual abstraction of groundwater for irrigation in the Willunga Basin.

The Willunga Basin Pipeline is a triple-bottom-line role model. It made no draw on public funds, it delivers high value to the community, and it reduces nutrient discharge to the ocean whilst replacing water consumption from aquifers and the Murray.

The Willunga Basin Pipeline is a large reclaimed water scheme which is owned and operated by it...