Published by Australian Academy of Science
Making every drop count Box 1 | Turning recycled sewage into a tourist attraction

Recycling sewage for drinking purposes is done in Singapore, the United States and Africa – so why not here in Australia?

In Singapore, the NEWater facility recycles sewage to top up drinking water supplies using microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet treatment. The NEWater facility provides about one per cent of Singapore’s total daily water consumption using indirect potable reuse by adding it to the country’s reservoirs.

According to authorities, the NEWater recycled water consistently exceeds World Health Organisation guidelines for water.

The NEWater facility is even being marketed as a tourist and education attraction with the NEWater Visitor Centre holding several tours daily. The tours involve multimedia presentations and interactive computer displays to guide visitors through the water recycling processes.

In the United States, the output from a major sewage treatment plant in Centreville, Virginia, ends up in the Occoquan Reservoir which provides drinking water for the Fairfax County Water Authority.

In 2001, a year-long study by researchers with the University of Southern Florida compared water samples from eight sites at the wastewater treatment plant and compared their microbiological quality with water in the reservoir. The study found that in all cases, the treated wastewater was of a better quality than the water in the reservoir.

Related site

• NEWater (Public Utilities Board, Singapore)

Other boxes

Box 2. Making water for astronauts from sweat, breath – and urine