Fifty five million people will be drinking purified recycled water in the next 25 years. or signup to continue reading Research by the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) shows more than 100 cities could be using purified recycled water as part of their drinking supplies and the number of people consuming it is expected to double by 2050. WSAA's Danielle Francis said the research considered how different water utilities were managing the " ". "When you look around the world, what you see is that pretty much all the water utilities are facing the same challenges," she said. "They've all got growing populations and they all have varying rainfall to different degrees. "So they're all working out how to best address that ... we're finding that we're in a bit of a transition period." Australia has always been reliant on rivers and dams for its water which Ms Francis said will "always be the backbone of our water supplies". "We've kind of realised that can leave you quite vulnerable in times of low rainfall because you're really depending on rain." Rain-independent solutions have begun to be adopted around the world to create . "You're seeing a lot of places adopt desalination and purified recycled water to help complement their traditional sources of supply. "It's a philosophy of we don't put all our eggs in one basket by having a diverse water supply." The purification process for recycled water involves three additional treatment processes. Ultrafiltration removes micro-organisms, suspended particles, and large molecules, reverse osmosis removes viruses, and most chemicals before UV disinfection and advanced oxidation eliminates any remaining chemicals. The water is then blended with raw water in natural waterways and flows into dams and reservoirs. Eighty per cent of Sydney's water supply now comes from dams but introducing a desalination plant and a new purified recycled water discovery centre was a nod to the future. "I think it's a great thing for communities to be aware of this option and realise how well proven it is around the world, it's incredibly safe," Ms Francis said. There are now 35 cities worldwide with purified recycled water schemes in place with a full map . "If you hear your water utility is doing their planning, make that they're including this option," she said. Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, covering the local community. Got a tip? Send it through to me at joel.ehsman@austcommunitymedia.com.au. He/Him Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, covering the local community. Got a tip? Send it through to me at joel.ehsman@austcommunitymedia.com.au. He/Him DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement AdvertisementAP News Summary at 6:15 p.m. EST

Man sentenced to probation, jail on sex charge