In Australia it is illegal to dispose of paint waste water into the sewer or stormwater system without treating the water first to remove any paint chemicals.
This is because paint waste water contains chemicals that kill the micro-organisms that break down sewage at sewage treatment plants, and if they end up in stormwater they contaminate the streams and rivers that stormwater flows into.
Paint waste water can only be released into stormwater systems or sewer systems with a permit from the local council, after appropriate treatment to remove the chemicals.
Most councils allow paint waste water to be released onto a flat, grassy area which is a minimum of 10 metres from any drain or from where the water has the potential to drain away.
Most professional painters now use a waste-water treatment unit, such as the Mobile PaintWash System. These systems seperate the chemicals in the waste water from the water itself, and allow the solids to be solidify as sludge, ready to be dried and disposed of in landfill.
The active chemical additive in these systems is a type of flocculent; either aluminium sulphate, or a liquid polymer similar to that used in swimming pools.
Watch a video below demonstrating how these systems work:
Accredited GreenPainters are fully licensed or registered by the relevant State licensing authority, specially trained in sustainable painting and then accredited by GreenPainters.
As a GreenPainter you can perform all the normal service…
