The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has published a South African National Standard (SANS) that sets the guidelines and requirements for greywater reuse systems.
SANS 1732: 2019 provides for single re-use of greywater for sub-surface irrigation of gardens and the treatment of greywater for flushing toilets.
“In a water scarce South Africa, SANS 1732 provides basic requirements and guidelines for ordinary households to safely reuse water,” said Garth Strachan, Acting CEO of SABS.
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“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 and flushing toilets. The reuse of untreated greywater will significantly reduce the demand on constrained water resources and enable South Africans to contribute towards reducing water consumption,” Strachan says.
“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,” concludes Strachan.