Alternative water resources
Reuse of effluent from treatment works has taken place in South Australia since the 1960s, starting with the Bolivar Treatment Works being used for irrigating horticultural plantings on the Northern Adelaide Plains.
The volumes available from Bolivar have since increased, with schemes operational in a number of areas, such as McLaren Vale. Further irrigation is planned to expand urban areas.
Interest is also growing in the identification and use of alternative sources of water for productive purposes. For example, saline water is proven to be suitable for the production of fish species, as well as algae and related species.
More detail is provided in the following paper, describing the use of wastewater from the recently expanded Bolivar Waste Water Treatment Plant.
The Department of Agriculture played a critical role in providing information to irrigators and managing the use of this water resource, which contributed to the success of the project. Additional water was generated for use in irrigated horticulture on the Northern Adelaide Plains, with options to pipe it further north.