Time to check your recycled water connection

South East Water is encouraging customers with homes connected to recycled water to conduct an annual check to make sure there’s no cross-connection with their drinking water.

More than 62,000 homes across Melbourne’s south east enjoy the benefits of using recycled water, including for washing clothes, flushing toilets and outdoor watering.

South East Water General Manager Service Delivery, Tim Lloyd emphasised the importance of maintaining a safe connection to recycled water supplies.

“While recycled water is safe, reliable and of high quality, it’s important for customers to check their supply to make sure there’s no cross-connection with drinking water. 

“The check is especially needed if customers have undertaken plumbing, landscaping or renovation works on their property,” Mr Lloyd said.

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.

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 in 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the property.

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 you continue to have water gushing from your drinking water taps after the isolation valve has been isolated for 10 minutes you may have a cross connection. This is where the 2 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 or 13 28 12 outside of business hours.

Learn more about recycled water and plumbing: Recycled water | South East Water 

In 2023–24 South East Water supplied around 7 billion litres of recycled water to homes, businesses, agriculture and open spaces, helping to save precious drinking water supplies and protect the environment.