Council to adopt long-term wastewater recycling strategy

MidCoast Council is set to adopt Our Water Our Future 2050, a long-term water strategy outlining how Council will provide sustainable and affordable water and sewage services to the community over the next 30 years, after councillors voted unanimously in favour of implementing the strategy.

The Council said it is setting sights on building new off-stream storage dams and recycling larger volumes of wastewater following the adoption of Our Water Our Future 2050.

MidCoast Council Director of Infrastructure and Engineering Services, Rob Scott, said he was proud of the vision the strategy set for the future of water in the region.

“The adoption of Our Water Our Future 2050 marks the culmination of more than two years of planning, consultation and development,” Mr Scott said.

“The strategy outlines the key actions we’ll undertake to deal with the impacts of climate change and population growth going forward, such as building new off-stream storage dams to increase our water security and reusing more of our wastewater to irrigate recreational and agricultural areas.”

Some of the key features of Our Water Our Future 2050 include:

• Building off-stream storage dams to increase the water security of the Manning, Gloucester, Bulahdelah and Stroud water supply schemes, including delivering Peg Leg Creek Dam within the next ten years
• Exploring opportunities to increase the amount of wastewater Council recycles annually from 25 per cent to 40 per cent, with a focus on increasing agricultural reuse and building additional schemes to irrigate recreational areas and open spaces
• Improving water efficiency through a range of initiatives, including leakage reduction, community education and behavioural change programs
• An updated drought management plan to guide Council’s response if the region encounters another drought before the off-stream storage dams have been delivered
• An adaptive plan that allows for alternative solutions to be explored if necessary, including the construction of a desalination plant and the potential use of purified recycled water
• A sustainable price pathway for the next 30 years

Mr Scott said the strategy reflected a lot of what Council had heard from the community and thanked everyone who had provided input.

“We engaged with more than 1,100 people throughout the development of the strategy and the conversations we had and the input we received strongly influenced the path we’ve taken,” Mr Scott said.

“We’re now looking forward to delivering on the actions within the strategy so we can continue to provide safe and sustainable water and sewerage services to our community over the next three decades, no matter what the future throws at us.”

Featured image: Hands holding a glass of water. Courtesy of MidCoast Council.

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