Nubian receives Green Light Accreditation for Greywater Treatment Technology for South Australia
Australian-owned Nubian Water Systems has now gained accreditation in South Australia for the introduction of its OASIS Domestic Greywater Treatment System (GT600). OASIS takes the greywater generated by baths, showers, laundry and hand basins and treats it to a high quality, suitable for safe garden irrigation using sprays or drippers. The OASIS is a practical and affordable urban solution for garden owners and sustainable landscapers and architects.
One of the benefits of the OASIS GT600 is its capacity to deliver a reliable water supply for gardens in times of drought and tight water restrictions. Since 1 October 2007 South Australian householders have only been able to use drippers and hand-held hoses fitted with a trigger nozzle on their gardens and lawns for a maximum of three hours a week. This is stressing many plants and trees that require more water.
OASIS now provides significant extra water for mature and sensitive plants. Property owners can be assured of a water supply for maintaining their gardens which typically contribute 8% or more to the value of their property.
Gardeners who use recycled water should install smart irrigation systems that control volumes and intervals of flow rates to gardens, to extend the water availability to areas needing water.
The OASIS system is installed by trained and accredited plumbers to ensure compliance with plumbing and health regulations. Nubian finds Green Plumbers are very aware of the advantages of installing systems that create sustainable gardens for environmentally responsible families.
Nubian Water Systems CEO Steve Makins says, The OASIS GT600 accreditation represents a welcome boost for South Australian home owners coping with acute water restrictions for their gardens. Our system provides a regular, reliable source of high quality recycled water for garden use while typically reducing demand on precious town drinking water by 40%. New home owners are able to design sustainable homes by separating greywater and recycling it. This use of recycled water also substantially reduces load on municipal waste systems, which represents yet another important community cost-saving.
He also added, We urge SA Water to offer rebates for purchasers of greywater recycling systems that at least match rainwater tank rebates. We believe OASIS will save over 50% more water on average than rainwater tanks in a four person household in most existing houses due to awkward roof catchment configurations.
Makins says, The sleek, compact, above-ground design of the OASIS GT600 is ideal for urban housing. No excavations are necessary. It looks great and can be up and running within days of installation, as the natural biological process establishes itself.
Makins continues, An important ecological benefit of the OASIS GT600 is that the treated greywater is discharged at PH 7.0, a neutral level which does not affect soil fertility. The treatment process is chemical free so no chlorine or other chemicals are added to the environment. The recycled water is disinfected to make it safe for human contact and allow its use for irrigation of general plants and fruit trees.
An additional benefit of the system is that it decreases the harmful effects of high levels of phosphorus to 3 mg/L which means at this concentration it acts as a natural fertiliser and is of benefit to the garden.
Nubian has estimated that if the 20.2 million people in Australia treated their greywater and recycled it, there would be a saving of over 700,000 mega litres of drinking water, enough to supply the total annual drinking demands of Sydney and Melbourne. In addition, by using a chemical free process, there would be an annual reduction in chlorine of 3,500 tonnes.
Makins says, the market in the eastern states has received the OASIS GT600 launch with great enthusiasm and Nubian have literally been flooded with enquiries and orders.” New housing developers and renovators in particular are finding the Nubian OASIS to be the ideal greywater recycling technology. Porter Davis Homes in Victoria, one of the states largest project home developers have selected our technology.
OASIS treats the greywater in a three steps process. The water is first screened to remove lint, hair and other particles, it then passes through media where contaminants are removed through absorption, biological process and filtration, and it is finally disinfected. The system has a collection water tank, a processor and a treated water tank where the recycled water is stored prior to reuse.
Why is greywater treatment better than greywater diversion?
Treatment systems accredited by Health depts demand high quality water through sophisticated treatment, to ensure safety of consumers when used in above ground sprays and drippers. Diversion systems do not treat greywater, so their water contains all the germs, pathogens and chemicals from showers and laundry – effectively dilute sewage, which can only be safely discharged below the surface. Responsible parents would not want to expose their children to raw greywater that goes septic within 24 hours in storage containers or ponding in gardens. OASIS removes that concern completely.
What sets it apart from all the other greywater systems out there? Is the technology Australian? And can we get a rough idea of cost?
There is no need for excavation like some other systems as it sits above ground and it does not use harmful chemicals to the environment in the treatment process. The cost of the treatment system is now $9100 plus GST, or about $300 a month spread over 5 growing seasons when installed. Installation costs vary according to the site. This is roughly comparable to other systems.
Is the OASIS treated water safe to drink?
The system is not designed to produce drinking water, it simply saves the use of precious drinking water on gardens. In VIC, NSW, ACT and QLD it is also accredited for car washing, toilet flushing and laundry. The company has undertaken a comprehensive and demanding test process supervised by SAI Global to achieve the stringent standards required for the NSW Department of Health accreditation of greywater treatment systems.
How soon after purchasing the OASIS Greywater Treatment System would a client expect to break even?
Our clients do not just purchase our OASIS system to save on their water bills. They see it in the same terms as perhaps the purchase of airconditioning. It adds value to their property, enjoyment and lifestyle choices by guaranteeing the supply of treated water that can be used for gardens.
With a permanent water supply from recycling, they can be guaranteed water for garden use, whatever the water restrictions. This is a form of asset protection, maintaining and increasing the investment in their house, while adding to the pleasure they have in living in the house. Attractive gardens ensure a higher property price should they wish to sell.
Developers use the OASIS as a selling point for new housing as it guarantees the prospect of green lawns and plants to the prospective buyer.
Any person who installs an OASIS is taking a very socially responsible initiative. They save precious drinking water, and reduce the amount of waste that runs into the community sewage system.
The Nubian OASIS GT600 is accredited for use in NSW, Queensland, ACT & Victoria and now SA. Nubian received Highly Commended status in 2007 from Engineers Australia for the Oasis Grey Water Recycling System
25-Jan-2008