A water recycling scheme designed to conserve water has opened in Parkes that will create an entirely new water source capable of producing up to two megalitres of recycled water each day.

Parkes Shire Mayor, Cr Ken Keith OAM, said water security was one of the key issues facing rural communities. The new system has assisted Council in delivering a new, local water source to help service the needs of the community now and into the future.

“Not only does the scheme reuse water that would otherwise be wasted, it’s supported by solar power to offset the energy costs of treating and transporting water, which reduces our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Cr Keith.

“The recycled water scheme strengthens the town’s water security at a time when Parkes is on the cusp of significant economic development and it ensures Council’s green spaces are climate resilient.”

The project was jointly funded, with the Federal Government investing $8,725,000 million under the National Stronger Regions Fund, with Parkes Shire Council contributing $12,175,000.

The Advanced Water Recycling Facility (AWRF) underpins Parkes’ new Recycled Water Scheme (RWS), strengthening water security and bringing local water recycling activities up to current regulatory and industry best practice standards.

The AWRF treats effluent to a high standard, producing clean, safe, and high-quality recycled water for use in irrigation, but not drinking. The facility has been constructed alongside the Parkes Sewage Treatment Plant, and allows for 100 per cent reuse of effluent, which reduces both environmental discharges and raw water consumption.

The Recycled Water Scheme replaces the Effluent Reuse Scheme; a long-running program that supplied low-quality recycled water to irrigate the Parkes golf course and racecourse.