NatVal: The map to an accepted workable national validation framework for water recycling schemes

The Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling (AGWR) encompass acceptable health, safety and environmental targets for different types of recycled water. This research begins development of a series of processes that utilities can apply to achieve compliance with the AGWR. This Stage 1 of the project describes six systems for recycling water (natural, managed aquifer recharge, membrane treatment, chemical and photooxidation, biological and adsorptive treatments); six aspects of recycling validation systems which included regulator, utility and technology provider perspectives in different States and jurisdictions, as well as micropollutant risk assessment, instrumentation performance and knowledge transfer, training and capacity building. Current and emerging techniques for scheme validation, and relevant guidelines and case studies were reviewed, and knowledge gaps and core issues were identified. Altogether these were used to develop a ‘National Validation Framework’ and were the basis of a plan for completing Stage 2 (WaterRA project 3018).