Recycled water and human health effects

Recent drought conditions and diminishing drinking water storage levels in Australian capital cities have led to increasing attention being directed to water recycling and the use of alternative water sources for urban domestic use. Despite the 'in principle' acceptance by the Australian public for water recycling, support for proposed schemes is constrained by public perception of possible adverse health effects from exposure to micro-organisms and chemical contaminants.

This article describes current research investigating the health impacts of using recycled water for urban nondrinking purposes.

Two complementary research approaches, quantitative microbial risk assessment and epidemiology, may be employed to assess health impacts of using recycled water for nondrinking or drinking purposes. The first of these approaches involves water quality monitoring and experimental studies. The second involves disease surveillance in which genera practitioners may play a part.