CSIRO Australia, Private Bag 2, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5061, Australia.
Water Sci Technol. 2010;62(4):792-802. doi: 10.2166/wst.2010.362.
The prolonged Australian drought which commenced in 2002, and the agreement between Australia's Commonwealth and States/Territories governments to progress water reform through the National Water Initiative, has resulted in many new recycling projects in Australia's capital cities. Dual reticulation systems are being advanced in new subdivision developments in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Brisbane has installed three large Advanced Water Treatment Plants that are designed to send indirect potable recycled water to the Wivenhoe Dam which is Brisbane's principal water reservoir. Numerous water recycling projects are serving industry and agriculture. Experimental managed aquifer recharge is being undertaken with wetland-treated stormwater in Adelaide and reverse osmosis treated wastewater in Perth. New National Water Quality Management Strategy recycled water guidelines have been developed for managing environmental risks, for augmentation of drinking water supplies, for managed aquifer recharge and for stormwater harvesting and reuse. Many recent investments are part-supported through Commonwealth government grants. Desalination plants are being established in Melbourne and Adelaide and a second one in Perth in addition to the newly-operational plants in Perth, South-East Queensland and Sydney. Despite there being numerous examples of unplanned indirect potable recycling, most governments remain reluctant about moving towards planned potable recycling. There is evidence of some policy bans still being maintained by governments but the National Water Commission continues to reinforce the necessity of an even-handed objective consideration of all water supply options.
始于 2002 年的澳大利亚长期干旱，以及澳大利亚联邦政府和州/地区政府之间达成的通过国家水倡议推进水改革的协议，导致澳大利亚首府城市出现了许多新的回收项目。悉尼、墨尔本和阿德莱德的新分区开发正在推进双管网系统。布里斯班安装了三个大型高级水处理厂，旨在将间接饮用水回收水输送到布里斯班的主要水库——威芬霍水库。许多水回收项目为工业和农业提供服务。阿德莱德正在利用湿地处理后的雨水和珀斯的反渗透处理后的废水进行实验性的含水层人工补给。为了管理环境风险、补充饮用水供应、进行含水层人工补给以及收集和再利用雨水，制定了新的国家水质管理战略再生水指南。许多最近的投资都是通过联邦政府拨款部分支持的。除了新投入运营的珀斯、昆士兰州东南部和悉尼的海水淡化厂外，墨尔本和阿德莱德也在建立海水淡化厂，而珀斯的第二个海水淡化厂也在建设中。尽管有许多未经计划的间接饮用水回收的例子，但大多数政府仍然不愿意转向计划中的饮用水回收。有证据表明，一些政府仍在维持政策禁令，但国家水委员会继续强调必须公平、客观地考虑所有供水选择。
