Van der Hoeven’s Perfection Fresh greenhouse was the first semi-closed greenhouse with artificial lighting in Australia. To meet its water demand, Perfection Fresh uses both conventional and nonconventional resources. Rainwater is harvested on the roof, while treated domestic wastewater is collected from the Virginia Irrigation Scheme: Australia’s largest water recycling project. Here, more than half the output from Adelaide’s largest treatment facility, the Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP), is made fit for unrestricted use in irrigation of vegetable crops.

This is achieved by feeding the treated wastewater effluent from the Bolivar WTP into a dissolved air flotation / filtration plant (DFF). Because cultivation in a hydroponic high-tech greenhouse has higher water quality requirements than open-field irrigation, the DFF effluent must undergo additional treatment before it can be applied in the greenhouse. For this reason, Perfection Fresh has an on-site treatment facility where advanced treatment technologies are used to further purify the treated wastewater. Together with the closed watering system, it is a reliable and sustainable way to guarantee a consistent supply of water, independent of the availability of natural water resources.