Wastewater reuse in the absence of water scarcity and a market: A case study from Beaconsfield Tasmania (Australia)

This paper describes the formation of the urban water industry in Tasmania. The recent commencement of a wastewater reuse scheme to irrigate a tree-lot in Beaconsfield (Tasmania) may represent a prescient view of the future of wastewater reuse in Tasmania. The paper finds that governance structures and past underinvestment present challenges to a hastened search for a balance between providing a return on assets and rapidly achieving the goal of sustainable water management. The understanding of these challenges is critical for decision makers when assessing the costs and benefits of upgrading assets and reforming the industry.