Re-using grey water is a sustainable alternative in times of drought

The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has published a South African National Standard (SANS) that sets the guidelines and requirements for grey water reuse systems.  SANS 1732: 2019 provides for single re-use of grey water for sub-surface irrigation of gardens and the treatment of grey water for flushing toilets.

“In a water scarce South Africa, SANS 1732 provides basic requirements and guidelines for ordinary households to safely reuse water.  Most households cannot afford to install sophisticated and expensive water treatment or collection applications and SANS 1732 offers practical solutions to reuse water from baths, showers and wash hand basins for watering gardens or flushing toilets.

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“The reuse of untreated grey water will significantly reduce the demand on constrained water resources and enable South Africans to contribute towards reducing water consumption,” said Garth Strachan, acting CEO of SABS.

SANS 1732: Grey water Reuse Systems – General Requirements, was locally developed over several months through a technical committee (TC 60), made up of a group of industry experts and specialists.

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Various reviews of international standards; South African needs and development goals; a focus on the safety of people and environment concerns were some of the criteria that was taken into account through the development process.

“Reusing and re-purposing grey water promotes the conservation of water, without compromising public health and the environment.

“While there are additional standards which guide industries and the built environment on the installation and use of greywater, SANS 1732 was developed with the focus on allowing every household to practically adopt basic greywater management,” he concluded.