South East Water is encouraging its customers with homes connected to recycled water to conduct an annual check to ensure there’s no cross-connection with their drinking water.
Acting South East Water general manager Service Delivery, Andrew Forster-Knight emphasised the importance of maintaining a safe connection to recycled water supplies.
Customers can identify a recycled water supply by its purple pipes, taps and meter. In new housing estates, these are installed at the time of a home’s construction.
How to check your recycled water connection in 4 steps:
1. Turn off the isolation valve at your drinking water meter. Leave the isolation valve at the purple recycled water meter turned on.
2. Turn on all sink, bath and shower taps (hot and cold) one-by-one. All taps should run dry after a short time.
3. After the taps have run dry, flush all toilets. They should refill as normal.
4. Turn on all outdoor taps. All outdoor drinking water taps (if you have them) should run dry, while the purple recycled water taps should continue to flow. If this doesn’t happen it could mean there’s a cross connection, which is where the two water supplies are connected to the wrong outlets.
Customers who suspect a recycled water cross-connection with their drinking water are urged to contact a South East Water Recycled Water Officer on 03 9552 3219.
Learn more about recycled water use and plumbing: Recycled water | South East Water
