The Virginia scheme was established in 1999 and distributes about 15 GL per year of highly treated reclaimed water to irrigators in the Virginia area north of Adelaide. This water is produced by a dissolved air flotation / filtration (DAFF) plant fed by treated effluent from the Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant.

An extension of this scheme is being constructed including a small booster pumping station and more than 20 kilometres of pipelines of various sizes. The project will increase the reuse from Bolivar wastewater treatment plant from about 29% to 35%.

Construction started in July 2008 and it is expected the project will be commissioned in early 2009.

The Virginia Angle Vale Reuse Extension will:

• Contribute to increasing Adelaide’s use of recycled water
• Reduce discharge of harmful nutrients into the Gulf St Vincent
• Reduce demand pressure on the region’s groundwater resources and
• Contribute to reducing River Murray extractions

Virginia was the first and largest recycled water scheme of its type in Australia and remains one of the largest in the Southern hemisphere.

For more information on the project including potential effects on local residents from construction refer to the fact sheet.

The project forms part of the Government’s 4-way strategy to secure water supplies for the future, that includes:

• Managing use
• Desalination
• Recycling
• Catchments.

View more information on the 4-way strategy.