Domestic greywater re-use: Australia's challenge for the future

Abstract

Under a grant from the Urban Water Research Association of Australia, the Brisbane City Council has advanced Australian research into domestic greywater re-use. This hard work has established that domestic greywater does contain chemicals and microorganisms that can be harmful to public health and the environment. Greywater can even emit noxious odours. However, if domestic greywater could be re-used to water lawns and ornamental gardens, the average household potable water usage could be reduced by between 30–50%. Public acceptance of the principle is high, but this must be balanced against the incorrect perception that greywater is innocuous. The challenge now facing Australian Water Authorities is how to fully utilize this valuable resource without: compromising public health, causing detrimental impact to the environment or down grading the livability of our residential areas. Only through total management and public awareness of the issues is this possible. To help achieve these goals the Brisbane City Council is presently developing guidelines for the application of domestic greywater re-use for sewered areas in Australia. This paper provides a brief overview of this research and an insight into the direction of these proposed guidelines.