Improving recycled water quality on the Bellarine

Barwon Water is committed to achieving zero waste by 2030, including recycling 100 percent of the wastewater treated at our water reclamation plants. As part of this commitment, we’re maximising the use of recycled water to support agricultural production, tourism and regional prosperity for the Bellarine.

Increasing access to recycled water on the Bellarine

We plan to supply 450 million litres of low salinity, fit-for-purpose recycled water per year to new and existing agricultural and horticultural customers, nearly doubling the amount of recycled water used on the Bellarine.

If you’re a farmer or grower on the Bellarine interested in accessing the recycled water to use for non-drinking purposes, we’re keen to hear from you.

Please express your interest by emailing info@barwonwater.vic.gov.au

Funding

The project is supported by funding from the Australian and Victorian governments, delivered in partnership with Barwon Water.

What is included in the project?

See the below tabs for more information about the different aspects of the project.

We are planning for a new pipeline into the existing network. As part of this, we are currently undertaking site investigations including cultural heritage and flora and fauna assessments, service proving, geotechnical and land surveys.

See the Latest News below for further details about the current investigations.

We’re upgrading the Portarlington Water Reclamation Plant on Grassy Point Road. The upgrade involves constructing a new treatment plant to produce fit-for-purpose recycled water at a significantly lower salinity level than the existing high salinity Class C water.

Work on the new treatment plant commenced in mid-November 2024 and is anticipated to be completed by mid-2026 (weather dependent).

This new infrastructure will deliver certainty for local farmers and businesses, with a secure high-quality water supply irrespective of seasonal conditions.

The upgrade supports the Victorian Government’s Central and Gippsland Region Sustainable Water Strategy, which outlines ways to identify and develop a sustainable supply of water in Victoria's regions.

We’ve extended the supply of Class C recycled water to additional agricultural and horticultural customers, including vineyards along Portarlington Road, from Scotchmans Road to Church Road.

Construction of the new pipeline was completed in April 2022.