Water Pressure: Huntlee near Branxton recycles 80 per cent of its water on site
Waste not want not: A typical water system in a residential Huntlee property. Waste water is collected from the kitchen, bathroom and laundry.
No matter how dry it gets in the Hunter there's one town where the water will never run out.
While most Hunter residents are living with or are about to experience water restrictions, residents of Huntlee, near Branxton, are recycling 80 per cent of the water used in their homes and businesses.
The statistic compares to an average residential water user who flushes away 70 per cent of their potable water. Only 10 per cent is used for drinking and another 20 to 40 per cent is used for washing and cooking.
Recycled water infrastructure is provided to the newly established town by independent water utility Huntlee Water.
The utility is owned by Sydney-based Flow Systems, which operates similar projects at Green Square, Sydney, Wyee and Cooranbong.
"Huntlee Water is essentially an example of sustainability in action," Flow Systems executive manager of project development Darren Wharton said.
"I think this model of having sustainable water on site in a development will become more common, particularly in rural areas and outer-urban developments,"
About 300 families who live in stage one of the town, known as Katherine's Landing, are connected to the recycled water system.
Waste water is treated at a local sewage plant and is re-used for flushing toilets, washing machines and irrigating gardens and lawns.
The water goes through a seven step treatment process beginning with screening for plastics and rubbish followed by anaerobic and aerobic processing.
Sustainability in action: About 300 homes in the Hunter's newest town Huntlee recycle about 80 per cent of the water used on a daily basis.
Four chemicals - sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite, aluminium sulphate and acetic acid - are also added to balance and disinfect the wastewater.
The water is then sucked through microscopic membranes that block out bugs - removing bacteria, pathogens and other impurities before the water is put through and ultraviolet disinfection process neutralising any remaining impurities.
Chlorine is added for the final treatment process.
"We have come a long way with recycled water in the past 15 years but we still have a long way to go," Mr Wharton said.
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