Greywater Reuse

Greywater is water from washing machines, laundry tubs, showers, hand basins and baths. It does not include wastewater from toilets, urinals, bidettes and kitchens.

Greywater may be contaminated by micro-organisms, chemicals and physical material such as lint.

In sewered residential premises, greywater may be reused in one of three ways:

Further information:

Manual Bucketing

Greywater may be collected from the washing machine, shower or bath tub in a bucket and then immediately used to irrigate gardens, lawns and outdoor pot plants. The water must not be stored.

The water may also be used to manually flush toilets by pouring directly into the toilet bowl.

When manually bucketing water:

Be careful lifting and carrying buckets
Select garden friendly detergents that are biodegradable and low in phosphorus, sodium, boron, chloride and borax
Reuse greywater in several locations
Monitor plant and soil response to irrigation
Occasionally irrigate with drinking or rain water to flush salts from the soil
Apply a wetting agent every six months
Wash your hands after watering

When manually bucketing water DON'T:

Reuse toilet or kitchen wastewater
Reuse greywater for irrigation during rain
Use in areas accessible to children or pets
Reuse greywater generated from washing of nappies or soiled clothing
Reuse greywater when a resident has diarrhoea or is sick
Reuse greywater contaminated by cleaning chemicals
Reuse greywater to top up rainwater tanks or swimming pools
Store greywater
Wash paths, driveways or cars
Allow greywater to flow into stormwater drains
Use on plants or fruit that can be eaten raw
Let greywater go beyond your boundary

Greywater Diversion Device

A Greywater Diversion Device receives greywater from bathroom and laundry fixtures and diverts the water from the sewer to a subsurface irrigation area by means of a hand activated valve or switch. The system does not store greywater and diverts the water back to the sewer when not being used.

Single dwellings in sewered areas are exempt from obtaining approvals to install and operate these systems provided they meet the following conditions:

Not diverted from kitchen or toilet plumbing
No on-site sewage management facility/septic
No storage or treatment other than primary screening or filtration
Sub-surface irrigation only, no human contact
Manual switch to divert to/from sewer
Must be a WaterMark licensed device
Must be installed by a licensed plumber
Includes non-storage surge attenuation
Sydney Water is notified by the plumber
No diversion devices below fixture trap
Landowner must comply with any guidelines, including NSW Guidelines for Sewered Residential Premises (Single Households) Greywater Reuse.

The land disposal area must comply with the NSW Guidelines for Sewered Residential Premises (Single Households) Greywater, which includes a buffer distance of 1 metre from the property boundary and being buried 100 mm below the surface.

NSW Health have a register of Greywater Diversion Devices.

When using a greywater diversion device:

Install a greywater diversion device that has a WaterMark Licence
Sub-surface irrigate only (100mm below surface)
Have non-storage surge attenuation
Calculate the water balance to estimate amount of water that can be used
Use detergents that are biodegradable, low in phosphorus, sodium, boron, chloride and borax
Use liquid washing detergents, as they are comparatively lower in salts
Monitor plant and soil response to greywater irrigation
Occasionally irrigate with drinking or rain water to flush salts from soil
Apply a soil wetting agent every six months
Use a filter to screen solids when using a diversion device
Regularly maintain the system, clean out the filter weekly
Use irrigation drippers with large openings
Mark and label all pipes and use signs to indicate greywater reuse

When using a greywater diversion device, don't:

Leave the diversion device on all the time
Reuse toilet or kitchen wastewater
Reuse greywater for irrigation during rain
Reuse greywater generated from washing of nappies or soiled clothing
Reuse greywater when a resident has diarrhoea or is sick
Reuse greywater contaminated by cleaning chemicals
Reuse greywater to top up rainwater tanks or swimming pools
Over-water
Store greywater
Wash paths, driveways or cars
Allow greywater to flow into stormwater drains
Use on plants or fruit that can be eaten raw
Let greywater go beyond your boundary
Install any component of an irrigation system within one metre of the property boundary and buildings
Install greywater diversion devices below the fixture trap.

Greywater Treatment System

Approvals to Install and Operate Greywater Treatment Systems are required under section 68 of the Local Government Act 1993.

These systems store, treat and disinfect the water before it being used in spray or subsurface irrigation, toilet flushing or use in the laundry. In sewered areas, the system will have an overflow to the sewer.

Only those systems that have NSW Health accreditation may be installed.

Applications for an Approval to Install must be accompanied by the matters listed in clause 26 of the Local Government (General) Regulation 2005.

Once satisfactorily installed, an Approval to Operate will be issued for a limited period, depending on the risk factors associated with the system.

Greywater Treatment Systems are required to be maintained every three months by an appropriately qualified person, with a copy of the service report sent to Council.

When reusing greywater treated by a greywater treatment system:

Make an application to Council to install
Install a greywater treatment system that has been accredited by NSW Health
Reuse treated greywater for irrigation (including surface irrigation), toilet flushing and washing machines only
Undertake a water balance before installing to calculate the amount of water that can be reused on the premise
Select garden-friendly detergents that are biodegradable and low in phosphorus, sodium, boron, chloride and borax
Select liquid washing detergents, as they are comparatively low in salts
Monitor plant and soil response to greywater irrigation
Occasionally irrigate with drinking or rain water to flush salts from the soil
Apply a soil rewetting agent every six months
Ensure that regular maintenance of the greywater system is undertaken
Use irrigation drippers with large openings
Mark and label all pipes and use signs to indicate greywater reuse.

When reusing greywater treated by a greywater treatment system, DONT:

Irrigate with greywater during rain.
Reuse greywater from the washing of nappies or soiled clothing
Reuse greywater when a resident has diarrhoea or is sick
Reuse greywater generated by cleaning in the laundry or bathroom, or when using hair dye or other chemicals
Reuse greywater generated by washing rags used for painting or for maintaining machinery
Reuse greywater to top up rainwater tanks or swimming pools
over-water
Irrigate if the premise is located on an aquifer that is used for drinking water
Reuse greywater on plants that will be eaten raw or where fruit has fallen to the ground
Use greywater to wash paths, driveways or cars
Reuse greywater so that it flows into the streets or down stormwater drains
Install any component of an irrigation system within one metre of boundary lines and buildings
Let greywater go beyond the premise and cause a nuisance to neighbours.