Grey Water - your options
Water Plus has been in business for almost 16 years and can provide a wide range of advice and sales on water filtration, water treatment and drinking water appliances.
What is Grey water?
The term 'grey water' refers to waste water from your hand basins, laundry tub, washing machine, shower and bath. Waste water from the toilets and the kitchen sink is referred to as 'black water' and must go to sewer. Grey water can be treated and sanitised for storage and reuse in a variety of ways or simply diverted to your garden untreated. It can be between 60 to 80% of the waste water from your home and is a valuable resource for you to reuse. Each person in the home uses on average about 150 to 200 liters of water per day. This accumulates to many times the volume of water that can be captured into a rain water tank every year.
Untreated Grey water and public health concerns
Untreated or partially filtered grey water diversion is where water is usually diverted to sub-surface irrigation. If used on the garden surface, pooling of water, odours and runoff to drains or neighbouring properties need to be avoided.
Whilst untreated water may be cheap to reuse it may contain substances that are harmful to public health, the environment and may attract insects and rodents. It cannot be stored for more than 24 hours.
ACT Grey Water Guidelines
Please refer to Greywater Use Guidelines for residential properties in Canberra published by the ACT Government which states:
To reduce the potential risks associated with the use of untreated grey water it is strongly recommended that you ensure:
• children and pets should not come into contact with the untreated grey water; and
• untreated greywater is clearly labelled to prevent accidental misuse
Our Recommendation
Our recommended grey water treatment system is the Australian designed and manufactured ultraGTS. It provides a safe and most cost effective means for you to treat, sanitise, store and recycle grey water. Imagine enough water for a lush and vibrant garden, beat water restrictions and increase the resale value of your home. You also have more control, ensuring that water is only being put to your garden when required.
The availability of water in suitable quantities is an essential part of a civilised way of life and with erratic weather patterns and intermittent rainfall, Greywater recycling is far more efficient than relying on rainfall.
ultraGTS meets the standards
Grey water, under the ACT guidelines can be stored for reuse, provided it has been treated and sanitised to be within prescribed health and environmental standards. ultraGTS meets these standards therefore treated water can be stored for reuse back into the home for toilet flushing and laundry as well as used for irrigation, general cleaning and car washing.
Making your home grey water ready
Grey water treatment systems are best value for money if they are included as part of a new home. Retrofitting systems to existing homes is usually too expensive. Grey water is separated from black water in new homes. Ask your builder to go one step further to firstly join the grey water pipes and then direct them to a single underground sump, holding tank or collection well. The Water Plus sump is suitable as a harvesting point for any grey water diversion system and grey water treatment system.
If you wish to divert the untreated water from the sump then 2 pumps are inserted into the sump. One pump diverts the water to your garden and the second pump will ensure that the sump is empty of water every 24 hours.
If you wish to have the water stored for discretionary re-use then a single pump is installed into the Water Plus sump which is controlled by the ultraGTS treatment processor. A reuse tank will also be required. Water Plus has a range of above and below ground storage tanks for you to consider.
When the homeowner is ready to harvest the grey water, a section of the pipe running through the sump is removed and grey water runs into the sump.
Be wise about your water needs.
For further information or advice please contact Water Plus on our contact form or call us on 02 6280 8125 where a friendly member of staff will help meet your water purification or recycling needs.
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Water Plus.