The Department of Health is monitoring the Water Corporation’s Groundwater Replenishment Trial. This trial will assess the effectiveness and safety of groundwater replenishment to determine whether if it can be used to boost drinking water supplies in the future.
During the three-year trial, treated wastewater from the Beenyup Wastewater Treatment Plant will be treated further to achieve drinking water quality before being recharged to groundwater.
The risk assessment for this trial has drawn on the findings of the Premier’s Collaborative Research Project. This was a comprehensive research project lead by Department of Health into all known hazards associated with wastewater recycling and their effective removal by reverse osmosis treatment.
The trial is regulated by the Department of Health through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Health and the Water Corporation.
For additional information on the trial please visit the:
Water Corporation Groundwater Replenishment webpage (External link)
and for information on related research please visit:
CSIRO Managed Aquifer Recharge webpage (External link)
Premiers Collaborative Research Project (PCRP) “Characterising treated wastewater for drinking purposes following reverse osmosis treatment”
This report:
- was the first feasibility study conducted in WA to determine the feasibility of using recycled water to augment drinking water supplies.
- provides details on reverse osmosis as advanced treatment processes to achieve high quality recycled water for groundwater replenishment.
- describes the research project that was funded through the Department of Premier and Cabinet, with financial support from the project partners listed below.
The study was a collaborative research under the strategic direction of the Department of Health. Other project partners were:
- Water Corporation
- Curtin University
- The University of Western Australia
- Chemistry Centre
- CSIRO
- National Measurement Institute
- Department of Water
- Department of Environment and Conservation
Executive summary (PDF 368KB)
Health Recommendations for the GWRT (PDF 114KB)
Chapters 1 to 5 (PDF 6.9MB)
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Objectives
Chapter 3: Methods
Chapter 4: Analytical Quality Assurance/Quality Control
Chapter 5: Standard Wastewater Characteristics
Chapters 6 to 9 (PDF 1.9MB)
Chapter 6: Chemicals
Chapter 7: Microbiological Parameters
Chapter 8: Toxicity Assessment
Chapter 9: Conclusions
Appendices (PDF 1.4MB)
Appendix 1: Preliminary Sampling Event Results
Appendix 2: List of chemicals not analysed and in the original PCRP list
Appendix 3: Sampling and Analysis Plan/Work Instruction and Reporting
Appendix 4: Chemical Methods
Appendix 5: Health Recommendations
Appendix 6: Environmental Guideline Recommendations
Appendix 7: Publications
