New partnership unlocking more recycled water on the EP

More than 60 million litres of drinking water is expected to be saved each year in Port Lincoln as part of a new recycled water partnership between SA Water, the City of Port Lincoln and the Department for Education.

The more than $1 million project involves the transition of existing mains water irrigation supply at two council reserves in the regional centre to a safe, highly treated supply of recycled water.

This investment will also fund preliminary investigations into the expansion of recycled water at select local public schools, along with significantly increasing the use of recycled water at SA Water’s Port Lincoln Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Recycled water in Port Lincoln is safely treated and cleaned at the City of Port Lincoln’s recycled water treatment plant, which is operated and managed by SA Water, before the resulting recycled water supply is used for irrigation purposes at local green spaces.

SA Water’s General Manager of Customer, Community and Engagement David Coombe said the project will benefit the community, the environment and the region’s vital groundwater basins.

“With our climate getting warmer and drier, having access to climate-resilient and sustainable sources of water is critically important,” David said.

“Through this important partnership, we are proactively reducing the reliance on Port Lincoln’s drinking water supplies for irrigation purposes and increasing the volume of treated wastewater that can be reused.

“The first stage of work will see approximately 240 metres of new underground recycled water mains installed and connected to the South Point Drive Reserve along with a new recycled water connection at the Billy Lights Point Reserve, enabling these popular green community spaces to be irrigated all year round with recycled water.

“Significant changes will also occur at our wastewater treatment plant, with potable water supplying the site’s spray bars – used as part of the treatment process – to be substituted with a recycled supply.

“Early technical works are also being undertaken to explore expanding the recycled water network to irrigate ovals and gardens at selected local schools in Port Lincoln, with these assessments to continue into 2026.

“This is a great example of how collaboration can deliver positive outcomes for the community, and we look forward to seeing the benefits this project brings for Port Lincoln.”

City of Port Lincoln CEO Eric Brown said the Council is proud to be increasing the use of recycled water across the community.

“Council currently produces around 120 megalitres of recycled water each year, and this expansion will increase utilisation of the scheme by up to 50 per cent,” Eric said.

“As the major user of the scheme, it will also take Council’s total irrigated space up to 17 hectares of parks, reserves and ovals across Port Lincoln.

“This partnership marks another important step in delivering on our Environmental Sustainability Strategy, adopted in 2024. It strengthens our water security and supports the sustainable management of our valuable natural resources, reducing pressure on the Uley South Basin and ensuring our green spaces continue to thrive, even during dry conditions.”

SA Water is Australia’s second largest recycler of water, with around one in every three litres of wastewater treated for use in greening parks and gardens, irrigating wine and horticulture crops, and to supply dual reticulation water systems across suburban Adelaide.

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