Reuse of wastewater in aboriginal communities in Western Australia

Western Australia is a very arid area and freshwater is a precious resource. The wise and efficient use of this resource is essential for the establishment of communities in this region. Wastewater reuse in Aboriginal communities is a very recent development. Initially leach drains disposed of wastewater. Due to their failure most of the major communities now have the effluent from the septic tanks collected by a small diameter reticulated sewerage system and directed to oxidation ponds for treatment. The overflow from the oxidation ponds is allowed to flow over land or to a creek without any specific use. This paper discusses available reuse options as well as the options specific to Aboriginal communities in Western Australia. It is intended to demonstrate that in arid regions reuse wastewater can act as a water conservation and pollution control measure.