Recycling and reuse in action

• Recycling for new residential areas
• Recycling for industry
• Recycling for the environment
• Recycling for irrigation
• Recycling and reuse - what it is
• Recycled water updates and fact sheets
• Recycling and reuse in action
• Recycled water quality
• Recycled water plumbing
• Recycled water pricing
• Sewer mining
• Stormwater harvesting and reuse agreement (PDF - 354KB)
• Stormwater Harvesting Guidelines (PDF - 525KB)

Recycling water for homes, irrigation and industry

Across greater Sydney, about 20 recycled water schemes recycle around 27 billion litres of treated wastewater each year, including:

• One of Australia's largest industrial water recycling schemes in Wollongong.
• One of Australia's largest residential recycled water schemes in Rouse Hill

In built-up areas of Sydney, new localised water recycling schemes are being pursued that will employ treated wastewater, sewer mining and stormwater harvesting.

To help households and schools save precious drinking water through reuse, Sydney Water also offers a rebate for installing a rainwater tank.

What is water reuse and recycling?

Reuse is about using water that would otherwise be wasted - wastewater, stormwater, rainwater, and greywater - instead of using fresh drinking water.

Recycling water, a subset of reuse, involves going a step further to treat wastewater or stormwater to a high standard for residential, commercial and industrial purposes.

What are biosolids?

Biosolids are the nutrient rich organic material obtained from treating wastewater. Up to 190,000 tonnes of biosolids are produced annually by Sydney Water, which are beneficially used in agriculture, composting and land rehabilitation.