Hunter Water Water is proposing to increase the amount of treated effluent redirected for irrigation from the Edgeworth waste water treatment plant by 10 per cent.
About 90 megalitres of treated effluent from the plant is presently used to irrigate the Waratah Golf Club.
That amount would be increased by another nine megalitres under a proposal that would see the water used to irrigate the Edgeworth Sports Ground.
By comparison the amount of effluent being discharged into the ocean at Belmont is 7242 megalitres.
The proposed $2million Edgeworth project is part of a $6million investment in recycled water projects that would deliver an additional 20 megalitresof water for public open spaces across the Hunter Water network through to mid-2024.
"We went to the community as part of our last IPART pricing proposal to test community willingness to pay for water recycling schemes," Hunter Water chief executive Darren Cleary said.
"There definitely was a willingness, so we are going out and exploring a number of these schemes."
Hunter Water is also exploring an option of redirecting waste water from the Burwood wastewater treatment plant to Broadmeadow racecourse.
From there, the water would be used to irrigate parks and fields around Newcastle.
There are currently 15 recycled water schemes linked to the Lower Hunter network which produce a total of around six billion litres of recycled water each year.
The main uses are open space, industrial, agricultural and residential.
If Edgeworth plan proceeds, recycled water would be used to irrigate sporting fields from late 2021.
"The real benefit for this scheme is that it is providing non-potable water to ensure these community assets continue to be in good condition," Mr Cleary said.
"The proportion of wastewater that was diverted here (Edgeworth) compared to what we generate is still relatively small; it's a benefit that we absolutely assess but the real benefit here is improving the resilience of those community assets."
For faster access to the latest Newcastle news download our NEWCASTLE HERALD APP and sign up for breaking news, sport and what's on sent directly to your email
IN THE NEWS
