Approvals & Red Tape For Greywater Reuse in Australia

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APPROVALS REQUIRED FOR GREYWATER REUSE IN AUSTRALIA?

Without exception, before any greywater reuse system/product can be used in Australia, it must first have the necessary authorization and acceptance from the state or territory onsite wastewater disposal regulator and/or the state or territory plumbing regulator. This approval is not one the user is required to obtain but is the responsibility of the system/product manufacturer to obtain before offering the product for sale.

Whilst a number of unauthorized greywater products continue to be promoted & sold (particularly over the web), generally they can not be legitimately used. Purchasers of these products can therefore find themselves in the situation of not being able to find a plumber willing to install the product they purchased in good faith

Whilst consumer protection laws technically make sale of these type of unauthorized products illegal, consumers should always ask the seller if the product being offered is in fact approved by the state wastewater and/or plumbing regulator for installation and the intended use in your state.

STATUS OF THE NYLEX GREYWATER PRODUCTS

The Nylex Greywater Diverta is an authorized plumbing product for use Australia-wide under the National Certification of Plumbing and Drainage Products Scheme, administered by Standards Australia and it is also approved by the necessary state/territory wastewater regulators. These authorizations permit it to be used in both sewered and unsewered areas of QLD, WA, SA, NSW, Vic, ACT & NT and in unsewered areas only in Tasmania. Likewise, the Nylex Grywater Irrigation System has been approved by all State Wastewater Regulators that formally issue greywater irrigation system type approvals.

Some states have exceptions and peculiarities in certain localities (eg. some areas where they already reuse all wastewater and in locations where a local government has chosen not to receive applications). You will need to check the specific requirements in your area by downloading the instructions and by asking your local government.

ARE ANY OTHER APPROVALS REQUIRED?

Yes. Before even an authorized greywater product can be installed and used it is generally a requirement that the local government issue an approval permit to install the system. This approval generally requires that a septic tanks application be made (because that is the only box with forms available for local government to consider the concept). Fortunately this is no longer required in all states and regulators are slowly beginning to rethink new boxes and ways to deal with greywater systems.

Whilst obtaining this approval is a relatively simple exercise, this approval which is usually more expensive than buying the actual greywater system it is nevertheless the responsibility of the property owner. Ask your local government Environmental Health Officer or Plumbing Inspector for their advice about this as changes are afoot in some states to remove this red-tape. Local approval requirements can be seen for your state/territory on page 14 of the instruction download.

Take a look at the DivertaTM & Irrigation System Instructions by downloading these but Please Note that requirements are rapidly relaxing throughout Australia and the Instructions have not kept up with those relaxations. Most sisnificantly in NSW & Victoria a local government approval is no longer required subject to certain user requirements, in QLD greywater reuse is now permitted in sewered areas unless the local government has decided it does not have resources to deal with the applications.

TALK TO YOUR LOCAL GOVT. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICER TO BE SURE