EPA consultant says Class A treatment at Wannon Water facility should be made a requirement in five years

Environmental Protection Authority consultant Jennifer Lilburn, director of Kismet Forward, has recommended the EPA "requires" the plant "to undertake tertiary treatment and production of Class A water within five years".

Tertiary Class A treatment removes inorganic compounds from sewage water, recycling it to a high quality that could be used for gardening or toilet flushing.

Campaigners have demanded Wannon Water "re-think" water treatment quality at the plant as it seeks to start a $40 million expansion to increase the site's treatment volume by 50 per cent.

Ms Lilburn is overseeing consultation about the upgrade, which the EPA had received 65 submissions opposing, and 13 in support but subject to conditions.

Beach campaigner Colleen Hughson said water recycled to a higher quality made environmental sense.

"You can reuse it, then whatever is being put out into the ocean isn't going to be contaminated with phosphorous and other nasties that aren't good for the environment," she said.

Ms Hughson said she wanted industry and the state government to pay for the upgrade.

Wannon Water hasn't ruled out treating water to a higher quality but says the $40 million upgrade is a "first step".

But the water corporation has also said tertiary Class A treatment could cost a further $30 to $40 million, an average cost of between $1700 to $2300 per customer.

Warrnambool-based Deakin University aquatic ecotoxicology associate professor Julie Mondon said installing tertiary Class A treatment was "not straightforward".

"There's no standard off-the-shelf process for recycling water. Each method that is used at water treatment plants around the area is specific to the local environments and the requirements of where the wastewater is coming in and where it's going to," Professor Mondon said.

"Ideally, if money was no object we would definitely be pushing for full Class A tertiary treatment waste water. But money is an issue.

"Our little outfall, despite being a concern for us, the impact is nowhere near what some other communities around the world are exposed to."

She said she was optimistic there would be a future case for water treatment improvements.

"In time when it becomes more difficult to access drinking water people will become more accepting," Professor Mondon said.

Wannon Water managing director Andrew Jeffers said the corporation had received a report including the recommendation and "understands the views expressed by the people who participated in the conference".

"As a state-owned, not-for-profit corporation, we try to keep costs minimal for customers," Mr Jeffers said.

"That's why we will consult with our customers to determine the level of support for tertiary treatment or any other optional quality improvements."

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