Mawson Lakes is a showcase residential, commercial, educational and technical
development 12 km north of Adelaide in South Australia, Australia which will have
approximately 11,000 residents when fully developed in 2010. The development has been
planned from the outset to create a new benchmark for 21st century urban planning, a
vibrant, integrated development offering a cosmopolitan lifestyle via innovative housing
and business choices within a landscaped lakeside environment. A central and iconic
feature of the development is the provision of a state-of-the-art recycled water system that
complements the potable drinking water supply. This $16 million recycled water system is
the product of a unique partnership between the State Government's Land Management
Corporation, Delfin Lend Lease, the South Australian Water Corporation (SA Water) and
the City of Salisbury (CoS).
Water recycling has been used in South Australia for a number of years with most of
SA Water's wastewater treatment facilities having some form of reclaimed wastewater use.
The Mawson Lakes Project is taking recycled water reuse a step further, with domestic
reuse combined with irrigation further reducing discharges to the Gulf St Vincent. The
recycled water is used to supply over 50% of household water (for toilet flushing and
garden watering) and 100% of public space irrigation water. The recycled water is
produced by mixing treated wastewater from the Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant
(WWTP), with low salinity cleansed storm water sourced from the CoS Parafield
Stormwater Harvesting Facility, adjacent to Mawson Lakes. The Bolivar WWTP and the
Mawson Lakes infrastructure are owned by SA Water, a state government corporation and
operated by United Water International (UWI), a management company with a 15 year
contract to operate, maintain and manage the metropolitan Adelaide water and wastewater
infrastructure.
Protection of public health is paramount and this paper discusses the processes and risk
management strategies employed during the design, construction, commissioning and
operation of the recycled water system for Mawson Lakes from a network operator's point
of view. Aspects addressed include:
system features and control; community and industry education;
property audits;
reticulation network audits;
operating procedures;
emergency response plans; and,
training of operators, constructors and call center staff. Includes 3 references, table, figures.