Perth’s water future has been further secured following the commissioning of a major $320 million expansion of Water Corporation’s Groundwater Replenishment Scheme (GRS), announced today by Water Minister Dave Kelly.
Groundwater replenishment is a sustainable, rainfall-independent water source whereby purified recycled water is stored in deep underground aquifers, to naturally replenish groundwater supplies.
The first stage of Water Corporation’s GRS was Australia’s first full-scale groundwater replenishment strategy, and had an annual capacity of 14 billion litres per year.
Stage 1 delivered on the Carpenter Labor Government’s vision to utilise this innovative technology to recycle our precious water resources, and has been operating since 2017 – recharging more than 54 billion litres of water.
The second stage of expansion will double the long-term capacity of the scheme, up to 28 billion litres each year, which is enough water to supply up to 100,000 Perth households.
Groundwater currently provides up to 40 per cent of Perth’s supplies of drinking water, along with water for industry and horticulture, garden bores, parks and other green spaces.
Since 1980, the impacts of climate change, reduced rainfall and increased groundwater abstraction have seen water tables fall by up to 10 metres – a 1,000GL loss of aquifer storage, equivalent to 1,000 Optus Stadiums full of water.
The innovative scheme sees highly treated wastewater from the Beenyup Water Resource Recovery Facility purified at the Advanced Water Recycling Plant to a level that exceeds drinking water standards.
Fifty per cent of this purified recycled water will be used to recharge the Leederville and Yarragadee aquifers on site, with the remaining water used to recharge aquifers at bore sites in Neerabup and Wanneroo, via a 13 kilometre long pipeline.
New infrastructure constructed as part of the Stage 2 expansion includes:
- a second Advanced Water Recycling Plant next to the first at Water Corporation’s Beenyup facility in Craigie;
- four recharge bores and four monitoring bores across two recharge sites in Neerabup and Wanneroo; and
- a 13km recharge pipeline to transfer the treated drinking-quality water from the plant to the new bores.
Construction of the second stage began in late 2017 – employing more than 380 local workers – with the scheme being fully commissioned following additional testing on the off-site bores.
This innovative water source forms part of Water Corporation’s three-stream approach to develop new water sources, reduce water use and increase water recycling. By 2035, Water Corporation aims to recycle more than a third (35 per cent) of treated wastewater.
The expanded GRS follows the McGowan Government’s commitment to build the first of two stages of a new desalination plant proposed at Alkimos, with the first 50 billion-litre stage expected to be operational by 2028.
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As stated by Water Minister Dave Kelly:
“Due to the impacts of climate change, reduced rainfall and increased abstraction, our groundwater resources are under pressure.
“Water Corporation’s Groundwater Replenishment Scheme is an innovative and sustainable way to recycle large volumes of water.
“By recharging our precious groundwater supplies through the scheme, we are able to abstract equivalent groundwater in later years, adding to Perth’s drinking water supply, while reducing impacts to the environment and other water users.
“Along with the McGowan Government’s commitment to build a renewably-powered desalination plant at Alkimos by 2028, this major $320 million investment will help secure Perth’s water supplies and manage the impacts of climate change.”
