Plumbers Guide
Table of Contents Welcome... 3 Contact us... 3 Plumbers guide... 4 Safe and reliable... 4 Connecting to Pitt Town recycled water... 4 Steps to connect... 5 Plumbing the house... 5 1. Standard Property Connections... 5 2. Licensed Plumbers Responsibility... 5 3. Property Resale... 6 4. Recycled Water Connections... 6 5. Approved Uses for Recycled Water... 7 6. Using Recycled Water in Washing Machines... 7
Congratulations, you are connecting to a low carbon and environmentally friendly water system, setting new sustainability benchmarks. Welcome Welcome to Pitt Town Water s sustainable water community. We are an Australian first water recycling community, providing Vermont homes with high quality recycled water for toilet flushing, clothes and car washing, and irrigation. We are located on the corner of Bootles Lane and Johnston Street in Vermont. We are unique because our recycled water saves homeowners up to 70 per cent of drinking water; is used in washing machines and purified locally; saves energy and carbon by reusing a waste otherwise pumped over long distances and released into the ocean creating environmental damage; uses small decentralised pipes not large gravity sewers. At Pitt Town Water, our aim is to create communities that understand and embrace responsible water management. Contact us Connection If you have any questions about connecting to the Pitt Town Water recycled water network please email us at connect@pitttownwater.com.au or call us on 1300 134 403. Emailing us is just as effective as calling us. Emergency In an emergency please call us on 1300 134 403. In case of an emergency please call 1300 134 403
Plumbers guide This guide will assist plumbers in correctly installing recycled water services to NSW Health standards. It will also inform plumbers of compulsory inspections that must be undertaken in all recycled water serviced properties. In Australia, recycled water cannot be used for drinking, cooking or bathing, but it has a range of other uses, helping households reduce water consumption by as much as 70 per cent. Domestic use of recycled water is an exciting new development in Australia, enabling residents and families to take control of their local water supply. It delivers cost savings and environmental benefits beyond the home into the entire community. Our Pitt Town Water network harvests wastewater from 900 homes, purifying it to the highest Australian standards, sending it back to homes for toilet flushing, irrigation and for use in washing machines. Safe and reliable Pitt Town Water s recycled water is treated to the highest Australian standards, undergoing seven purification processes, including Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) breakdown and Ultra Violet (UV) disinfection. The Pitt Town Water treatment processes meet strict Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling set out by the Environment Protection and Heritage Council, the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council. Recycled water is a safe and reliable non-potable water source. At the Pitt Town Vermont community recycled water is used for: Toilet flushing Washing machines Irrigation and watering the garden Recycled water is not subject to water restrictions and can be used anytime. Connecting to Pitt Town recycled water Pitt Town recycled water must be connected to: 1. All toilets 2. Cold washing machine taps 3. At least one outside garden tap
Pitt Town recycled water must not be connected to: 1. Kitchens 2. Bathrooms 3. Swimming pools 4. Spas 5. Outdoor taps used to water or wash pets 6. Outdoor taps used to water vegetable gardens Steps to connect Homeowners and Builders must undertake a number of steps to connect their home to the Pitt Town Water recycled water network. These steps are clearly spelt out on the website: http://www.pitttownwater.com.au/get-connected/homeowners/ If you are a Plumber acting on behalf of the Homeowner or the Builder, you also need to follow the Steps to Connect. Please go to the website, download the Builder s Guide and follow the instructions. This will involve paying for the connection, a series of inspections by Certifiers or Council, and the receipt of an Activation certificate. Plumbing the house 1. Standard Property Connections Two water service pipes will enter the property. The prelaid property service pipe and stop tap for recycled water will be identified by a purple coloured pipe in accordance with AS2700 and a warning tape will be attached to the pipes. The meter stop tap will be locked shut with a Pitt Town Water locking pin for security of the system and will not be removed until completion of the final inspection by Pitt Town Water The prelaid drinking water property service will not be colour coded and will have a locking pin supplied by Sydney Water. 2. Licensed Plumbers Responsibility It is the responsibility of the contracted licensed plumber to contact Hawkesbury City Council (HCC) who act on behalf of NSW Office of Fair Trading, to audit each stage of the installation of the recycled pipe work. The following auditing schedule must be followed: 1. Inspection criteria for recycled water system
All works shall be installed tested and commissioned in accordance with the NSW State Code of Practice, Australian Standard AS3500 and Pitt Town Waters Guidelines for Recycled Water. a. Main to meter no inspection necessary. Previously inspected by Pitt Town Water; b. Meter to house no backfilling of the trenches until Hawkesbury City Council passes inspection. A passed sticker will be left on the recycled pipework in the open trench, it will be purple in colour and dated. c. Internal plumbing pipe work of dwelling no wall sheets to be installed until the purple passed sticker has been sited. The recycled water notification of inspection sticker by Hawkesbury City Council will be attached to the pipework in the bathroom and laundry areas. d. Final cross connection control test inspection a licensed plumber to be present on site. 2. Booking Inspections Inspections for Meter to house and Internal plumbing pipe work, i.e. step b and c above may be booked together or separately. The Final Inspection cross connection control may only be booked if the inspections of a and b have been recorded and passed by HCC. 3. Final Plumbing and Drainage Inspections At the satisfactory completion of this final plumbing and drainage inspection Pitt Town Water will be notified to schedule sewer and recycled water connection. Follow up inspection of b, c and d may be required at times when noncompliance issues arise. Licensed plumbers will be required to book an inspection with Hawkesbury City Council for follow up of non-compliant work. 3. Property Resale Current guidelines require properties to be inspected prior to resale. This is currently being reviewed by the Department of Health, Sydney Water and Hunter Water, with the preferred option that the owner engages an Accredited Certifier to issue a certificate of compliance of the property s compliance with the recycled water guidelines. 4. Recycled Water Connections No cross connection is permitted between the drinking water and recycled water systems other than at the dual water meter testing area. Pitt Town Water has locked the recycled water meter tap off with a pin and lock. This lock may only be removed by an authorised Pitt Town Water representative and is removed after the final flow test has occurred.
Recycled water meters are of a different thread pattern to drinking water meters. Licensed plumbers may obtain meter unions and flare elbows from their local plumbing supplier. Within the Pitt Town Water area of operations, all recycled pipe work must be full purple in colour. All underground pipe work must have: warning tape (marked recycled water) pipe work must be backfilled with sand 100mm above the pipe Recycled pipe work must be separate from other services 300mm between pipes in ground 100mm internal plumbing no pipe shall be located directly above or included in conduit with recycled pipe work Recycled water hose taps must have: 5/8 inlet threaded fully coloured purple have a removable handle signage must be located above the house tap the licensed plumber shall provide 5/8 bsp number 2 (sold as part of the tap kit) 5. Approved Uses for Recycled Water Department of Health have approved recycled water to be fit for use in washing machines. Washing machines are typically the third highest user of water in the home. Using recycled water in washing machines can save about 20,000 litres of drinking water a year. Pitt Town Water requires the inclusion of a recycled water washing machine tap on all new works. This means there will be three taps located above the washing machine - hot, cold and recycled. 6. Using Recycled Water in Washing Machines NSW Health has also approved the use of recycled water in washing machines connected to the Pitt Town Water recycled water network. Recycled water must be supplied to the washing machine only. Recycled water is not to be used in laundry tubs. All recycled water tap handles and cover plates must be clearly marked with either a warning sign or a prohibition sign as outlined in with AS 1319 and AS/NZS3500.1.
Recycled water cover plate Recycled water clothes washing machine tap indication Recycled water washing machine