Reusing Household Greywater

What is greywater

Greywater is the term that is used to describe the wastewater we generate from our bathrooms, laundries and kitchens, but does not include toilet wastewater. The opportunity exists for greywater to be re-used to irrigate gardens and considering the dry environment in many parts of Western Australia, it is important that water is used efficiently and conserved whenever possible. Most households won’t produce enough greywater to supply the entire garden needs. However re-using greywater should make a significant contribution to water conservation. To encourage the re-use of greywater the City has reduced the cost of gaining approval to install a greywater system by 50%.

Installing a Greywater System

The Code of Practice for the Reuse of Greywater in Western Australia outlines acceptable greywater re-use practices to ensure the conservation of ground and surface supplies and the protection of health standards. The installation and operation of all greywater systems must comply with the code. The installation of a greywater system requires local government approval. For greywater re-use systems where there are more than ten occupants in a building, approval from the Executive Director of Public Health is required.

Please note the operation and maintenance of the greywater system is the responsibility of the householder.

Steps to obtaining approval for a greywater re-use system:

1. Please submit to the City a completed application form – Application to Construct or Install an Apparatus for the Treatment of Sewage (with the reduced fee - 50%), site plan (2 copies) and plumbing layout plan (two copies)
2. Once your application is received, an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) will assess the application and carry out an inspection to ensure the site conditions are suitable for the greywater re-use system. Once satisfied, the EHO will issue an approval
3. At this stage a plumber may install the greywater re-use system
4. Once your system has been installed, you (or your plumber) must advise the City that the installation has been completed. An EHO will conduct an inspection to ensure that the installation complies with the approval. You will also be required to supply the City with an ‘as constructed plan’, which your plumber will provide. The City will then issue a ‘Permit to Use the Apparatus’ certificate

You may then commence using your greywater system. Please note that the operation and maintenance of the greywater system is the responsibility of the householder.

For further information please contact the City on 9400 4933.