AWWA ACE63060

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.