WATER SERVICES

Non-drinking water and purple pipe: the rules

Non-drinking water, recycled or otherwise, has to be impossible to confuse with the drinking supply. That is what the purple pipe is for, and the separation rules that come with it.

What counts as non-drinking water

Recycled water, rainwater used for certain purposes, and other non-potable supplies all fall here. The risk is simple and serious: someone drinks, or cross-connects, water that was never meant to be potable.

The purple identification rule

Non-drinking pipework has to be identified as purple along its whole length, either purple pipe or pipe fully sleeved or wrapped in purple, with no gaps or exposed sections. The point is that anyone working on it later can see at a glance it is not drinking water.

Separation from drinking water

Non-drinking pipework also has to be kept separated from parallel drinking water pipes, by a minimum gap or a physical barrier, so the two cannot be confused or cross-connected. Outlets are arranged so the non-drinking supply cannot be mistaken for, or joined to, the potable one.

What to photograph

• The purple identification along the run, including any sleeving.
• The separation from drinking water pipework.
• Outlets and any signage.

Elemetric documents the install so the identification and separation are on record.

Common questions

Why does non-drinking water have to be purple?

So anyone working on it later can see at a glance that it is not drinking water. The identification has to run the whole length, with no gaps or exposed sections.

Can purple pipe run next to drinking water pipe?

Only with the required separation, a minimum gap or a physical barrier, so the two cannot be confused or cross-connected.

General information for licensed tradespeople, not legal or regulatory advice. The licensed plumber remains solely responsible for compliance. Refer to the current AS/NZS 3500 standards and the Building and Plumbing Commission (formerly the VBA) for authoritative requirements.