Climate neutral water saving schemes

Sustainable water management is a key consideration for Australian cities including Melbourne. We need to manage our existing supplies wisely to protect our ecosystems with a particular focus on the health of our waterways. Alternative water sources such as harvesting stormwater or reusing wastewater is a great way to reduce our reliance on potable water. Additional treatment is required to produce a safe and reliable water quality with energy also required for transportation (i.e. pumping). These additional energy requirements can have environmental consequences in the form of extra greenhouse gas emissions. This raises the question - what is the consequence of using alternative water sources? Are we emitting additional greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to global warming and climate change? This paper explores the consequences of alternative water sources and their interaction with greenhouse gas emissions. A methodology, consistent with AGO's approach, is presented for climate neutral water recycling. Life cycle thinking utilised to extract key issues to ensure interactions with other social, environmental and technical issues are recognised in methodology. The methodology is developed for local government and is also applicable for a range of decision makers.