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Recycled water pilot proposed for ports in Australia
Greywater and blackwater: improving the compliance gap webinar speaker outlines a plan to supply surplus recycled water to ships at Victorian ports
Innovation Approach Oz chief executive Kayla Peperkamp will use the Greywater and blackwater: improving the compliance gap webinar, to be held 30 October, 09:00 GMT, to trial a proposal to supply surplus Class A recycled water to vessels at Victorian ports, supported by approaches to ministers and an operator expression of interest.
“I began my career in water and environmental services, holding diverse roles across operational control, compliance and regulatory engagement,” said Ms Peperkamp.
“Today, as chief executive of Innovation Approach Oz, I lead cross-sector projects spanning wastewater reuse, biosolids pyrolysis and sustainable maritime practices.”
Explaining the route into maritime work with Innovation Approach Oz (IAO), she said, “Water and waste challenges do not stop at the shoreline,” adding that experience in sewerage and stormwater reform pointed to the need to extend sustainable practice into shipping and ports.
Her current interest is “a hybrid water recycling and bunkering system for cruise ships for using surplus, treated non-potable water on board to reduce reliance on scarce fresh water at ports.”
Ms Peperkamp has written to Victoria’s ministers for water, ports and climate action seeking backing for “a pilot initiative… to enable the supply of surplus Class A recycled water to vessels docking at Victorian ports.”
IAO believes the pilot would conserve drinking-water supplies, align with Marpol Annex IV and AMSA Marine Order 96, and provide an additional revenue stream for water corporations.
The IAO proposal has been shared with EPA Victoria and the Port of Melbourne.
She framed the objective in practical terms. “Seeing the impact of untreated discharges and inefficient water use first-hand sparked my passion,” she said. “Oceans connect us all.”
The intended outcomes combine environmental protection with cost control, “Sustainability in shipping is an opportunity, not a burden… operators can protect oceans and unlock long-term cost savings and resilience.”
An IAO expression of interest (EOI) document has been prepared to register operator interest in the pilot, with options to request technical details and to discuss participation in the 2025–26 season. The EOI is described as non-binding and designed to inform discussions with regulators and infrastructure partners.
A short IAO pilot pitch circulated to operators stated surplus Class A recycled water would be delivered for non-potable uses – toilets, laundry, HVAC and firefighting – through a berth fitted with purple-pipe infrastructure and a sampling system, and monitored under a recycled water quality management plan.
IAO stated the pilot would align with Mapol Annex IV and AMSA Marine Order 96.
A policy briefing note accompanying the IAO proposal set out the rationale and the compliance stack – international, national, state and port layers – and invited input from CLIA and Shipping Australia “to ensure the pilot reflects operator needs and compliance priorities.”
It also referred to potable-water replacement of up to 80% for ships’ non-potable consumption.
Looking ahead to the webinar, Ms Peperkamp said progress will come from collaboration between regulators, operators and innovators, with digital monitoring and verification used to simplify compliance.
“The next five years favour closed-loop systems,” she said. “By embracing water reuse, cleaner energy and smarter compliance, operators can protect oceans and unlock long-term cost savings and resilience.”
Riviera’s Marine Environmental Protection Webinar Week will be held 28-30 October. Use this link for more information and to register for these webinars.
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