THE wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Epping will do some harvesting of its own when complete, with 68 million litres of water to be collected from its surfaces every year.
A $9.4 million rainwater harvesting and recycling system will capture water from the market’s 40 hectares of pavement and the roof of the 110,000 square metre main building, returning it for toilet flushing, cleaning and irrigation.
Local parks and gardens including RGC Cook Reserve, homeground of the Sporting Whittlesea Panthers soccer club; the Whittlesea Public Gardens in Lalor, the HR Uren Reserve in Thomastown and the Future Mosaic football ovals in Lalor will benefit from extra water for irrigation.
Major Projects Minister Denis Napthine said the rainwater harvesting system would reduce the reliance on Victoria’s drinking water by 68 million litres each year.
“That’s the equivalent of recycling 26 Olympic-size swimming pools of water every year,” Dr Napthine said. The system will receive $4.7 million in federal government funding through the Water for the Future initiative, with the remaining funding provided by the state government and the City of Whittlesea.
Sporting Whittlesea Panthers vice-president Adam Cuschieri said the new irrigation system was a coup for the club.
“Having access to recycled water to irrigate the ground … will ensure the quality of the ground’s playing surface is maintained right throughout the year,” Mr Cuschieri said.
The market and its rainwater harvesting and recycling system is expected to be completed in 2014-15.
