Australian-First Water Recycling Technology Launches in Dubbo

A groundbreaking water recycling technology has been launched in regional New South Wales, marking a significant milestone in the country's efforts to improve water security and sustainability.

The innovative system, developed by water treatment scientist Troy Warry, uses less energy and works faster than conventional methods to break down stubborn pollutants in wastewater. According to Mr. Warry, his system is about 16 times more efficient at tackling these pollutants.

The technology has been implemented as part of a new $7.8 million advanced wastewater treatment plant (AWTP) in Dubbo, which was switched on this week by Dubbo Regional Council. The plant can process up to 700 megalitres per year of effluent that would otherwise be discarded.

How the Technology Works

Mr. Warry's system uses a titanium dioxide-based approach, where the catalyst is permanently immobilised inside the reactor while remaining highly photoactive. As he explained, "There are a lot of advanced oxidation [systems] out there, but this is the first titanium dioxide-based one in the world where the catalyst is permanently immobilised inside the reactor while still remaining highly photoactive."

The technology destroys contaminants such as pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, pharmaceutical residues, antibiotics, hormones, and other persistent organic compounds by attacking their chemical structure and tearing the molecules apart. Mr. Warry said, "Instead of simply capturing those contaminants and creating another concentrated waste stream, the process attacks their chemical structure and tears the molecules apart."

Benefits for the Community

The AWTP was developed through a public-private partnership between Dubbo Regional Council and Squadron Energy, which contributed $3.6 million to the project. Squadron Energy CEO Rob Wheals said the investment was a way to reduce demand on local water resources, ensuring "drinking water is available for drinking" while leaving a legacy to benefit the community.

Dubbo mayor Josh Black noted that the arrangement had helped shore up water security in the region, saying, "[It] means we won't have to choose between drought and development."

The council has contracted the University of Newcastle to test the effluent and explore other community benefits, such as using the recycled water on sporting fields.

Expert Insights

University of Sydney head of civil engineering Professor Stuart Khan described the technology as "relatively rare" and noted that he was not aware of it being used at full-scale in a town's wastewater plant. However, he welcomed the approach, saying, "That's the sort of thing we need in inland communities, alternative ways of recycling water that are not membrane based and that's exactly what this is."

Mr. Warry's invention is seen as a significant step forward in water recycling technology, and he believes it has the potential to be widely adopted in Australia. He said, "Australia is going to have to reuse increasingly difficult water sources as populations grow, rainfall becomes less predictable and pressure on our existing supplies increases."