Episode: VIC Waterwise Special ? Our Changing Climate
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane

When we think about recycling water there is often a yucky thought of having to drink something from the sewer, which is not a very appealing thought at all.

The truth is there has never been a new molecule of water created. The water you drink has been used before. In other words water is moving through our biosphere in a state of perpetual recycling.

So wouldn?t it make sense to use recycled water for horticulture?

If you love a drop of the red or maybe white you will be proud of the efforts of the team at Dromana Estate Winery in historic Tuerong Park. They have been ensuring that the quality of the grapes produced are never compromised by drought or prolonged dry periods. For the past 5 years they have been using recycled water to gain optimal growth in the vines and ensure they are producing the finest quality grapes possible.

For intensive horticulture, recycled water is a guarantee of consistent high quality high yield cropping, so chief winemaker Rollo Crittenden was wise to take Dromana Estate Winery down the road of a guaranteed supply. The water originates from the Mt Martha treatment plant and the winery can take up to 80 megalitres of recycled water per year.

The sewerage is processed, producing over 6000 megalitres of C class recycled water a year. Now the funny thing is the process of winemaking takes only the highest quality water, but in the process there is a huge amount of good water lost as waste. The winery sends the waste water back to the Mt Martha plant, which would have to be one of the most environmentally friendly things a winery could do.

You are probably thinking, well how good is the wine? Trevor recommends it and thinks the cabernet, pinot and chardonnay wines produced from Dromana Estate Winery are exceptional.

The fact that the water used to irrigate the vines is recycled is nothing but a bonus for our environment but it is a great example of how commercial horticulture, or viticulture specifically, is capitalizing on using what was once a waste product that would end up in our waterways.

There are now 12 vineyards in the south east water region using recycled water and it will not be long before it is an industry standard source of supply. It is nice to think those original water molecules are being used productively again and if you are a bit unsure about how good the wine is ? well the proof is in the bottle.

Dromana Estate Winery
RMB 555 Old Moorooduc Road
Tuerong Vic 3933

Ph: 03 59 744 400 (Cafe & Function Bookings)
Fax: 03 5974 1155

email: cellardoor@dromanaestate.com.au
www.dromanaestate.com.au