The City of Greater Geelong has thrown its support behind a proposal to pipe recycled water from the Barwon Prison complex to Elcho Park, completely replacing the potable water currently used to water the Elcho Park Golf Course and its surrounds.

Council also voted to continue negotiations with Barwon Water and Barwon Prison and to begin discussions with VicRoads to clarify its permit requirements for construction of the pipeline.

Cr Tom O'Connor, portfolio holder for Environment, said Elcho Park was Council's largest consumer of potable, or drinking water.

"Preliminary investigations have been carried out, indicating that a pipeline between the prison and Elcho Park is quite feasible," he said.

"Providing the proposal goes ahead, it will result in a saving to council on completion of the project of more than seven percent of total annual water consumption," Cr O'Connor said.

"It will be a major contributor in achieving Council's planned reduction of 25 percent of potable water consumption by 2015," he said.

Cr O'Connor said it was estimated that the project would cost up to $650,000, depending on the amount of rock encountered along the pipeline's alignment.

He said $240,000 of the proposed cost of the project had been identified in Council's 2007-2008 budget, and a 2008-2009 budget proposal of $310,000 had been requested.

"The project has a payback duration of between four and seven years, based on the 2008-2009 Elcho Park water cost estimate of $106,000 rising to $190,000 by 2012," Cr O'Connor said.

Cr Tony Ansett, who represents Windermere Ward, said Elcho Park was a major asset for the Lara area, and the guarantee of future water supplies that the project would provide would be very welcome.