Pool water for reserve

By Paul Pickering
A PROPOSED water recycling scheme at Knox Leisureworks could achieve an annual water saving of up to 14 million litres – almost six times the volume of the facility’s Olympic-size pool.
Knox City Council was presented with a feasibility study into the Knox Leisureworks Pool Backwash Water Recycling and Re-use project on Tuesday, 13 March, and endorsed a recommendation to consider council funding of $75,000 to complement a $185,000 grant from the State Government’s Smart Water Fund.
The project will involve re-using backwash water from the Leisureworks pool to irrigate the adjacent Tormore Reserve, with excess water being used for flushing toilets, dust suppression and tree watering.
The study also flags the possibility of rainwater from a roof catchment apparatus being harvested and used to supplement the outgoing water from the pool.
The water will be filtered at an on-site treatment plant and transported via a pipeline to the adjoining oval.
In addition to the water conservation benefits, savings of around 45 tonnes of greenhouse gases per year could also be reaped with the introduction of a heat recovery system, which would transfer the heat from the backwash water back into the pool’s filtration system.
The water-wise project attracted a flood of praise from Knox’s Environment Advisory Committee chairman and Tirhatuan Ward councillor Mick Van De Vreede.
“This project is an excellent example of council taking a leadership role in an attempt to reduce water usage in our community,” he said.
“It would reduce council’s reliance on drinking water and could save up to $35,000 per year.”
Yarra Valley Water managing director Tony Kelly added to the congratulatory deluge.
“This project will be of great benefit to the local community, and will serve as a benchmark for other councils and sporting associations,” he said.
Cr Van De Vreede said Knox was hoping to implement the project in time for the 2008 football season.