Aquaboss - Regulations answered

SA Water Regulations & SA Government Rebate and Regulations

The South Australian Government has recently announced a widening of the Rainwater Tank Plumbing Rebate Scheme.

From 1 July 2006, (retrospectively) rebates of up to $800.00 will be offered for a package including a rainwater tank and the plumbing of a new or existing rainwater tank into an existing home. The scheme will be capped at half a million dollars a year for four years.

The new and widened scheme offers rebates of:

- New tanks: up to $800.00 to purchase a new rainwater tank and plumb it into an existing home
- Existing tanks: up to $600.00 to plumb an existing rainwater tank into an existing home
- Additional tanks: up to $200.00 for a new rainwater tank of 1000 litres or more plumbed into the home. This rebate applies to people wishing to add an additional or replacement tank to their existing plumbed-in system which is compliant (ie is plumbed into the cistern, laundry or hot water service - a single drinking water tap does not comply)
- Switching: Automatic or manual switching between rainwater and an alternative water source ie mains or ground water and proof of installation by registered plumber is required.

(further enquiries on rebates can be obtained from SA Water on 1300 650 950)

BUILDING REGULATIONS:

Changed building rules require new dwellings and some extensions or alterations to have additional water supply to supplement the mains water have come into effect in South Australia from July 1 2006.

Under the changes, the additional water supply will have to be plumbed to a toilet, to a water heater or to all cold water outlets in the laundry of a new home. The same rules will apply to new extensions or alterations where the area of the extension or alteration is greater than 50m2 and includes a toilet, water heater or laundry cold water outlet.

These provisions will assist in reducing demand on the State's mains water supply.

Installing specially plumbed, rainwater tanks will be by far the most common way of meeting the additional water supply requirement.

PLUMBED RAINWATER TANKS

If rainwater tanks are to be used to provide additional water supply, new homes will need to be designed to ensure that rainwater from not less than 50m2 of the roof is:

Collected by gutters and downpipes
Stored in a rainwater tank; and
Plumbed to a toilet or a water heater or all laundry cold water outlets.

If the roof catchment area of the building is less than 50 sq m all the water run-off from the roof must be collected, stored and plumbed.

What size rainwater tank?: The rainwater tank must have a storage capacity not less than 1 kilolitre (1000 litres). The requirement for a minimum one kilolitre plumbed rainwater tank is additional to any other water storage tank requirements that might be required (eg other tanks are required in some areas for bushfire fighting purposes).

Where a number of dwellings contribute to a communal rainwater storage tank, each dwelling must contribute rainwater from 50 sq m of its roof catchment area to the rainwater tank and water from the tank must be plumbed back to each individual dwelling. In these situations, the minimum rainwater tank size required is determined by multiplying the number of dwellings that contribute to the rainwater tank by 1 kilolitre for each dwelling. Rainwater Tank Requirement:

An overflow device must be fitted
A mosquito proof, non-degradable screen must be attached to protect the water quality.

PLUMBING REQUIREMENTS:

The plumbing aspects of the policy are regulated by the South Australian Water Corporation (SA Water) in accordance with the Waterworks Act 1932 and Waterworks Regulations 1996. SA Water require all plumbing to comply with AS/NZS 3500:2003; the National Plumbing and Drainage Code and any SA Variations published by SA Water. The technical requirements for rainwater tanks are contained in Section 14 of AS/NZS 3500:2003 Part 1 and the SA Water Variations. A licensed plumber must:

Install the piping system delivering the rainwater to the water closet, water heater or cold water laundry outlets and
Complete a Certificate of Compliance certifying that the installation has been installed in accordance with AS/NZS 3500 and the SA Variations. The Certificate of Compliance must be provided to SA Water and the home owner within 7 days of completion of the work.

DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS:

From 1 July 2006, all applications lodged for building rules consent for new houses and relevant extensions/alterations for houses will need to include details of how they will meet the water saving requirements. If they are using rainwater tanks, this will include the size, location, area of catchment and plumbing details for the installation of the tanks.

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