Water Operations

To reduce the impact of water use and emissions to water, several key operational and purchasing decisions can be made. Following are details on how to reduce these impacts.

EMISSIONS TO WATER

Sources of potential hazardous emissions to water at events include:

* Personal products in showers and from hand wash
* Urination
* Cleaning Products
* Catering waste water
* Paint wash up water
* Toilet Treatment Products

Use Chemical Free Products
* Food outlets should use chemical free cleaning products to ensure waste water is not polluted.
* Chemical free cleaning products & disinfectants will be used for bathroom cleaning.
* Use biological toilet treatment products rather than chemical.
* Use non-toxic paints so wash up water is not full of toxic pigments.

Protect Waterways
* If disposing of grey water through run off or soak-aways, ensure it is chemical free and 100m from a water way to protect the riparian zone, the region between land and a waterway, from any activity or impact.
* Set up a grey water catchment system, storage and treatment so it can be recycled and used again at your event site.
* Ensure the supply of adequate toilets to avoid urination on land and waterways.
_________________________________________________________

WASTE WATER MANAGEMENT
Waste water can either be disposed of through a sewage treatment plant or directly onto the land. Events that are not connected to municipal sewer lines will need to arrange for their waste water to be pumped into tankers and taken by road to sewage treatment plants, or to work out a way to dispose of it onsite.

Soak-aways
This is basically a big hole dug in the ground which fills up with waste water, and naturally drains away back into the water table. Soakaways need to be positioned away from water ways. The soil acts as a natural filter, and as the water drains away, any residue that was in the water, will be left in the soil. In using this system for water disposal, it is very important that no chemicals or other contaminant are in the water.

Grey Water Treatment & Re-Use
If you have decided to give the waste water another chance to do its job by recycling it for one more use then and there on your land, you will need to store, treat, re-store it. Having prevented it from going to the sewer works, it can be used to flush toilets, for dust suppression or irrigation.

Grey water treatment processes can use a completely natural system such as a reed bed, or a system of chambers and filters. Depending on volumes, consistency of use, etc, a more technical grey water treatment set up may be the way you end up going. Temporary events that are getting volumes of water at once, need to treat it and get it used, even if it is to give the event grounds a good old watering over a couple of weeks. If you wish to tackle grey water treatment and re-use at your event, you are advised to seek out an expert and have them work on this project with you. If you own your own event site, you could consider putting in reedbeds, an excellent natural treatment process.

TOILETS
Toilets at any event with large numbers of people invariably end up in a terrible state and are often a key operational challenge.

The key areas of impact which must be considered when looking a ‘sustainable’ toilet management at your event include:

• Water use
• Chemical use
• Transport of kit and sewage
• Treatment of sewage
• Emissions both methane & CO2

For outdoor events, we are in a whole different universe. There are a myriad of portable toilet options including:

• Portaloos
• Cabin toilets
• Long Drops
• Urinals
• Compost Toilets

The key to reducing the impact of toilets at the event are to:

• Use water free toilets. (Compost loos/Dry Toilets)
• Use low flushing toilets.
• Use biological treatments rather than chemical products.
• Use recycled toilet paper
• Environmentally sound hand soap & cleaning products.

Look for toilet suppliers in your region that can offer ‘eco’ loos.