Eildon greywater discharge rules to stay unchanged for another year
New rules about how Lake Eildon houseboaters minimise greywater discharge delayedAround 700 houseboat owners who call Victoria’s Lake Eildon their home away from home will have to wait another year to see the result of a review of how they will need to treat grey wastewater.
Lake Eildon is the only inland body of water where houseboats are permitted. However, because the water is used for irrigation, houseboat owners are legally required to carefully manage their wastewater while out on the water.
The current regulations covering how houseboat wastewater was managed were set in 2013 and were due to expire on June 12. Under the current regulations, houseboat owners must store blackwater – water and waste that is flushed down the toilet – in a holding tank, but greywater – water from kitchens and bathroom sinks, showers, dishwashers and washing machines – can be discharged overboard.
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The current regulations have now been extended by another 12 months as the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action gives itself “more time to test the changes that are being considered through additional consultation and technical work”.
Under the current (2013) Houseboat Regulations, all houseboat blackwater is captured in specially designed onboard tanks and then pumped into special barges.
Blackwater is transferred from the barges to the Eildon Treatment Plant, where it goes through the same treatment process as wastewater from local houses and businesses.
Under the current regulations, houseboat owners need to make sure their blackwater systems are working properly so that human waste can’t escape into the lake.
“There are no current regulations for treating or capturing greywater that houseboats produce. On most houseboats, greywater flows directly into the lake,” the department said.
“This means that the soaps and detergents, food scraps and anything else that goes down a drain, ends up in the lake.
“We are working with houseboat owners and builders, the Environment Protection Authority, the Department of Health and independent experts to improve this,” it said.
“It involves finding and testing new greywater options that suit the Lake Eildon houseboat fleet.”
One of the options being considered is small shore-based food waste bins and composting systems where houseboat owners can easily dispose of food scraps that would otherwise end up in the water.
The Victorian government had previously required all houseboats on Lake Eildon to install greywater treatment plants by 2000, but the decision was reversed in 2018 after extensive industry lobbying.
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