Wastewater legislation
Wastewater regulations & codes have been formulated to reflect trends in wastewater management practice and protect public health
An on-site wastewater system is a system used for the on-site collection and management of wastewater generated at the premises where:
Toilet water, greywater and some kinds of trade waste are all considered as “wastewater” and can cause disease if not treated correctly to prevent a risk to public health.
In many areas of the state, wastewater is directed to a sewer.There are many other areas where on-site wastewater systems are the only option for wastewater collection, treatment and reuse. These include:
Approval must be given before installing or altering an onsite wastewater system by the relevant authority. In most cases this is the local council and will be processed by the council’s Environmental Health Officer. Larger systems, greater than 40 EP (effective persons), and those in areas not covered by local government administration are processed by SA Health.Application requirements are detailed in Onsite Wastewater Systems Code (PDF 111KB).
A 40 EP system will receive 6000L/day or have a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) of 2000g/day.Systems receiving more than this will require referral to SA Health.Details on sizing the system can be found within the Onsite Wastewater Systems Code (PDF 111KB).
It is recommended that you discuss the proposed installation with the appropriate officers in the early stages of planning a property development. There may be important design considerations that need to be identified before planning decisions are made. If you have any questions regarding the approval process or are unsure how to size your system, contact your local council or SA Health's Wastewater Management Section on (08) 8226 7100 for further advice.
Complete the Application for wastewater works approval (PDF 89KB) form for all onsite wastewater systems. This will normally be supplied by your local council.
All installation and alterations of onsite systems must:
Regular maintenance of onsite wastewater systems is important for its efficient operation. See the following fact sheets for information on the following: