One of the many unique aspects of life at Huntlee is having access to Huntlee Water which delivers savings for both our residents and the environment.
Huntlee Water is a water utility just like Hunter Water or Sydney water but instead of being government-run, it is privately owned.
Calling on new technology and innovations in water recycling, Huntlee Water reduces the amount of precious water being used and reduces the cost of water to our homeowners. It also means rainwater tanks are not required which is a significant saving when building.
Every home built in Huntlee has what’s referred to as a “third pipe” allowing all waste water (from flushing toilets, showering, clothes washing, etc.) to be pumped to Huntlee’s own, on-site water treatment plant. This waste water is treated to produce purified, recycled water. The purified water is delivered back to the homes and used for irrigation, washing clothes and flushing toilets. This, of course, then becomes waste water and the recycling process continues indefinitely.
There is virtually no limit to how many times water can be recycled and we’re proud to be at the forefront of preserving this precious resource.
Because recycled water is cheaper than drinking water, it also results in savings on water bills. Huntlee Water is governed by legislation and must comply with the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) rules and regulations, meaning the prices are controlled by the government (the same as for Hunter Water). The agreement with the private operator, Flow, states they cannot charge more than would be charged by Hunter Water and recycled water must be cheaper than drinking water.
While Huntlee Water treats and provides recycled water, the drinking water in Huntlee is still provided by Hunter Water. However, Huntlee Water takes care of all the bills for this through a bulk supply agreement so residents receive a single water bill from Huntlee Water for everything.
Huntlee is the largest project using the recycling technology provided by Altogether (formley Flow Systems)- the private owners of Huntlee Water. Altogether is utilising the technology in other projects in Sydney and regional NSW but not on the same scale as Huntlee.
Huntlee Water and the associated infrastructure are owned by the private operator, Altogether. For further information, visit www.flowsystems.com.au or phone 1300 803 803.