Cheap supply wasted

Peter Fargo
Geelong’s council has blamed EPA regulations for stopping it from tapping into two million litres of recycled water a day.
Barwon Water made the supply available from this week for recreation reserves, sports fields and street trees.
Customer services executive manager Mike Paine said tankers could fill up at a new recycled water station on Black Road Road.
Mr Paine said Barwon Water had met local councils in the past few months to discuss use of recycled supplies on recreation reserves and sports grounds in place of drinking water during stage three and four restrictions.
The recycled water, available to councils at a nominal cost, became available about a week after stage four restrictions started on December 9, banning all unauthorised use of drinking water outside.
City Hall has since gained exemptions to use drinking water on municipal properties across the region, including Skilled Stadium, Geelong Regional Baseball Complex and the city’s botanic gardens, including its drought-tolerant 21st Century Garden.
A City spokesman said council used recycled water to irrigate cricket ovals at Kardinia Park and had applied to use it at Grovedale Recreation Reserve and Myers Reserve, Bell Post Hill.
“EPA guidelines have the effect of limiting the use of Class C water for watering street trees,” the spokesman said.
“Under the guidelines, the area needs to be controlled within a 100-metre buffer zone for four hours after watering.
“These guidelines have an effect of limiting the effective use of Class C water.”
The City estimated it used 200,000 litres watering street trees each week.
An EPA protocol for irrigating council gardens, trees and lawn areas with class C or B water said that although the water was treated, disinfected and “fit for purpose”, it should be handled as potentially containing pathogenic organisms.
But for trees, nutrient and mircobiological risks could be effectively managed via watering tubes delivering to the root zone, the authority said.
Mr Paine said Class C recycled water was available to customers who met EPA guidelines for supply of reclaimed water for drought relief.