Current restrictions

Currently under the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002 (PDA) blackwater must be discharged to sewer in a sewered areas. It is an offence not to do so. Blackwater is defined in the PDA to mean the water discharged from a toilet. By comparison, sewage is the combination of both greywater and blackwater. This means that the PDA prevents the approval of any projects seeking to explore the treatment and re-use of blackwater in sewered areas.

This must contrasted with the treatment and re-use of sewage in unsewered areas. In unsewered areas, treated sewage may be used for irrigation provided the effluent is treated appropriately and the land also suitable.

All on-site sewerage treatment plants must undergo strict and rigorous testing by an approved testing agency over a 6 month period prior to approval. Approvals are granted by Building Codes Queensland, part of the Department of Infrastructure and Planning. The PDA does not affect sewer mining proposals conducted by a service provider under the Water Act 2000. In these circumstances, the service provider can take the sewage off-site, treat it and re-use it, without infringing the PDA.

Proposed blackwater re-use trials

Inherent risks associated with on-site treatment of blackwater have highlighted the need for significant research, testing and evaluation before widespread blackwater reuse could be considered in Queensland's urban areas.

Amendments to the PDA will allow a small controlled trial of 1-3 sites, over a period of two to three years, to provide the necessary research to underpin an effective regulatory framework for future implementation.

On-site sewerage treatment plants approved for trial will be required to meet rigorous standards and will need to be reliably maintained.

This approach will allow for any inherent risks associated with blackwater reuse to be clearly identified.

The trial will be limited to building classes under the Building Code of Australia:

• 2 - a building containing 2 or more sole occupancy units each being a separate dwelling
• 5 - office building
• 6 - shop
• 9b - school.

It will also be limited to South East Queensland (SEQ) Region, meaning the SEQ region under the Water Act 2000 section 341.

Guidelines will be developed in conjunction with, and applications for testing assessed by, the Department of Infrastructure and Planning with:

• Queensland Health
• Department of Natural Resources and Water
• Environmental Protection Agency.

Conditions will be imposed on testing approvals that provide a period of testing of the treated water to ensure the standard of the treated water is adequate before the chief executive gives approval for the treated water to be used for surface or subsurface irrigation or for discharge to a toilet, or to the sewer.

The PDA will also be increase the penalty to 500 penalty units ($37,500) for building or installing an on-site sewage treatment plant in a sewered area without chief executive approval and without complying with all of the conditions of the approval.

Amendments will also require local governments to ensure their operation is in accordance with compliance certificate conditions to make sure that the facility is not adversely affecting public health, amenity or the environment. Expansion of blackwater re-use will not be permitted until controlled trials have been concluded and government approval obtained.  These changes come into effect in early 2008.

Traditionally, the installation of the installation of on-site sewage treatment plants and on-site sewerage facilities was licensed work. This is presently unlicensed work and of concern as we are considering the introduction of blackwater trials in sewered areas. The PDA has been amended to ensure that only licensed and competent persons perform the installation of these on-site sewerage treatment facilities. This change came into effect on 1 January 2008.