Doncaster Hill and Manningham Alternative Water Project
We’re working to provide a sustainable, alternative water supply for Doncaster Hill and the Manningham area. It’s part of our plan to use water wisely and protect precious drinking water. This is important as our climate gets hotter and drier, with less rainfall to fill our water storages, and we have more demand for drinking water.
What is alternative water?
These are supplies that provide an alternative to drinking water, like reusing stormwater or recycling wastewater by treating it so it can be used for non-drinking water purposes.
New opportunities to provide alternative water have emerged over recent years and continue to improve. Alternative water can be used for activities like flushing toilets, washing clothes and cars, and watering gardens and shared, green spaces.
Providing alternative water supplies in Manningham
We're assessing options to deliver a practical, climate resilient water supply for non-drinking water uses, for the Manningham community throughout 2026.
We’ve been working towards this by planning a new underground recycled water facility in Tram Road Reserve, to provide recycled water to designated households in the Doncaster Hill area, as well as local green spaces. Since receiving planning permission to build the facility, we’ve learnt that construction costs are higher than expected, and we know that new alternative water options are emerging.
That’s why we’ll reassess plans for the underground recycled water facility alongside other potential alternative water solutions, like different recycled water supply options, or rainwater and stormwater re-use. Our aim is to find an affordable solution that reduces demand on drinking water and supports long-term water security for the community.
Maintaining shared spaces
We know how important open, green space is to you and we’re not considering an above ground recycled water facility at Tram Road Reserve.
Working with our community
We’re working closely with Manningham Council as we carry out our assessments and to ensure we understand what types of options will work in the local area. We’re also supporting the Council’s draft Integrated Water Strategy.
We’ll keep our website up-to-date on project progress, to keep our community informed, and we plan to share our recommendations to provide alternative water options in early 2027.
Project updates
March 2026
Our options assessment is underway, exploring a range of solutions that could provide an alternative water supply for Doncaster Hill, the Tullamore Estate and the broader Manningham area.
We’ll shortlist options that can meet the community’s needs, provide a sustainable alternative water supply for non-drinking water purposes and represent value for money.
We value all feedback we’ve received about this project so far and our community will have an opportunity to provide feedback our findings when we have completed our assessment. We’ll confirm next steps and report back to the community in early 2027.
November 2025
The tender process for Early Contractor Involvement has now finished. Through this process, we’ve learned that the project will need more investment than first expected.
We’re now looking at the best way to move forward to so we can deliver practical, affordable solutions that meet our community’s needs, provide long-term value and protect the environment.
As part of this, we’re reviewing options and exploring new ways to provide reliable, climate-resilient water supplies for Doncaster Hill and the wider Manningham area.
We expect our assessment to take around 12 months to complete. It will not include assessing options for an above the ground recycled treatment plant at Tram Road Reserve.
We’ll share an update and confirm next steps with the community in early 2026.
August 2024
On Friday 31 May 2024 the tender for the next stage of the Doncaster Hill Recycled Water Project was released. When we select our delivery partner, we’ll develop the design and complete early investigation and preparation works. We expect construction will start in 2026.
January 2024
On 12 December 2023, Manningham Council, having considered all objections, awarded a planning permit for the Doncaster Hill Recycled Water Project facility. A video recording of the meeting, along with the minutes detailing the permit conditions, can be found on Manningham Council's website.
FAQs
Are you progressing the Doncaster Hill Recycled Water Project?
We've been working towards building a new underground recycled water treatment facility in Tram Road Reserve to provide recycled water to about 5,000 designated households in the Doncaster Hill area, as well as local green spaces.
As we’ve progressed our project, we’ve identified that the facility will cost more than expected. At the same time, new opportunities to provide alternative water supplies have emerged.
Because of this, we’re taking a fresh look at how best to deliver a practical, climate resilient water supply for the community and ensure value for money.
This includes assessing if the underground recycled water treatment facility is the best way to meet the community’s needs or if other solutions can provide a more affordable and environmentally responsible solution.
What does this project mean for Tram Road Reserve?
The underground facility at Tram Road Reserve is an option we’ll continue to consider along with other potential alternative water supply solutions. We won’t start any construction or make changes at Tram Road Reserve while we complete our assessments. We know how important open, green space is to you and we are not considering an above ground recycled treatment plant at Tram Road Reserve.
What options are you assessing?
It is early in the process and we’re looking at a broad range of options including recycled water treatment, stormwater and rainwater capture and re-use, greywater re-use (water that has already been used in properties and can be used again) and delivering alternative water supplies from other nearby locations.
It is too soon to know what may work at this stage and we aim to update you with more information in September.
Contact us
You can contact our project team on email [email protected] to ask a question or for more information.