You can comment on Sydney Water plans for Greater Sydney’s water supply over the next 20-40 years.

The plans aim to account for extended droughts and severe floods as well as an extra one million people by 2036. While it is good to see recycling and better use of precious water resources, these improvements are a long way ahead and should have already been on action lists given what we know about Sydney’s water needs. 

The plan is for a ‘Regenerative Water Pathway’ with diversified water sources, transition to purified recycled water, increased capture of wastewater resources like phosphorous, reduced emissions from biosolids and energy, increased retention and reuse of stormwater, and water sensitive urban planning and design.

The Eastern Sydney plan will mean purified recycled water for drinking and energy and resource recovery at coastal treatment plants. Cooks River catchment would be disconnected from Malabar wastewater system, with a new water recycling plant near the airport that has more advanced wastewater treatment. There would be significantly reduced treated water released into waterways > HERE.

You can give feedback until 8 November > HERE.