Grey Water Treatment System Australia

How grey water can be reused in your home using water systems specifically tailored to
Aussie conditions of living to ensure efficiency and value-for-money.

The exact benefits of grey water recycling

Yes, you save money. Yes, you help the environment. But how exactly, do
you really help?

Lower fresh water use

Grey water can replace fresh water in many instances, saving money and increasing the
effective water supply in Australia where the dry weather requires constant irrigation.
Residential water use is almost evenly split between indoor and outdoor. All except toilet
water could be recycled outdoors, achieving the same result with significantly less water
diverted from nature.

Less strain on septic tank or treatment plant

Grey water use greatly extends the useful life and capacity of septic systems. For
Australian municipal treatment systems, decreased wastewater flow means higher
treatment effectiveness and lower costs which will result in public funding being
redirected to such uses as education and healthcare.

Highly effective purification

Grey water is purified to a remarkably high degree in the upper, most biologically active
region of the soil. This protects the quality of the soil's natural surface and ground waters.

Site unsuitable for a septic tank

For sites with slow soil percolation or other problems, a grey water system can be a
partial or complete substitute for a very costly, over-engineered septic tank system.

Less energy and chemical use

Less energy and chemicals are used due to the reduced amount of both freshwater and
wastewater that needs pumping and treatment. For those who have to provide their own
water or electricity, the advantage of a reduced burden on the infrastructure is felt directly
in the pocket. Also, treating your wastewater in the soil under your own fruit trees
definitely encourages you to dump fewer toxic chemicals down the drain.

Groundwater recharge

Grey water application in excess of plant needs recharges groundwater making topsoil
healthier.

Plant growth

Grey water enables a landscape to flourish where water may not otherwise be available to
support much plant growth due to water being an expensive commodity in a certain
location.

Reclamation of otherwise wasted nutrients

Loss of nutrients through wastewater disposal in rivers or oceans is a subtle, but highly
significant form of erosion. Reclaiming nutrients in grey water helps to maintain the
fertility of the land and promote healthy plant growth.

Increased awareness of and sensitivity to natural cycles

Grey water use yields the satisfaction of taking responsibility for the wise husbandry of
an important resource, which is the water that we use every day. One also learns more of
the ecology and the balance of Mother Nature, by interacting more actively with her
through the use of grey water treatment systems.

Grey Water Treatment System Australia

Grey water treatment system in Australia methods can range from low cost methods such
as the manual bucketing of grey water from the laundry trough or bathtubs, to primary
treatment methods that coarsely screen oils, greases and solids from the grey water before
irrigation via small trench systems, to the best grey water treatment system in Australia
that treat and disinfect the grey water to a high standard before irrigating it via micro drip
or spray systems.

The best grey water treatment system in Australia will be dependant on a number of
factors including whether a new system is being installed or a disused wastewater system
is being converted because the property has been connected to sewer.

Options for reusing grey water are listed below.

Manual bucketing of grey water

In its simplest form, manually irrigating (eg. bucketing laundry wastewater) to absorptive
soils is acceptable provided that relevant health and safety conditions are complied with.
Primary Grey Water Treatment Systems

Primary treatment methods use a sedimentation tank to coarsely screen out oils/greases
and solids prior to irrigation via sub-soil trench irrigation systems that are suitable to
receive the primary treated grey water. These systems are likely to be considered the most
economically attractive for grey water reuse because they require only minimal
maintenance and generally do not rely heavily on electricity or chemicals to operate. The
basic requirements and examples of these systems are given in Appendix 3.

Secondary Grey Water Treatment Systems

Secondary treatment systems further treat the grey water to remove more of the
oils/greases and solids than in primary treatment. This allows secondary treated grey
water to be irrigated via micro-drip or surface irrigation methods (where disinfected),
without the pipes becoming quickly clogged.

These systems are generally more expensive, due to the initial establishment costs
associated with the further treatment needs and the ongoing maintenance costs. However,
the treatment level enables a much more conventional surface irrigation system and less
health risk with human contact.

Other Treatment Systems

Other examples of grey water treatment systems that do not incorporate typical primary
secondary treatment tank systems are considered in a number of worldwide grey water
publications. Examples might include systems that physically capture/filter out solids
from specific grey water streams prior to irrigation and will require ongoing householder
maintenance to regularly clean filters. It is likely that with the introduction of these
guidelines, interest in the use of such products will occur. It is also anticipated that
applications will follow from manufacturers seeking approval to allow the marketing and
use of such systems in Western Australia.