A suburb of Melton, in Victoria’s south, is set to become the first water neutral built up area in the country after construction is completed.

 

The suburb of Toolern, which is expected to house 50,000 residents by 2030, has made use of the Victorian Government’s $50 million fund to help integrate the use of stormwater, recycled water and rainfall.

 

Toolern will capture and reuse stormwater and recycled water in an attempt to greatly reduce the suburb's demand for potable water.

 

Homes in the new development will be supplied with Class A recycled water from the Surbiton Park Recycled Water Plant to flush toilets, water gardens and wash cars.

 

Up to 3,500 megalitres of stormwater will be harvested in Toolern each year, with around 2,700 megalitres of recycled water supplied by Western Water to flush toilets and water gardens and outdoor spaces.

 

The amount of water harvested at Toolern for reuse would be roughly equal to the amount of drinking water used by residents according to Western Water's managing director John Wilkinson.