General manager of Perpetual Water Craig Richmond said families using his system produced about 660 litres of purified water each day.

The system diverts water from your shower, bath, washing machine and hand basin.

Then the water is treated to be used a second time – to flush your toilet, wash your car, water your garden and wash your clothes.

"It means that you can drought-proof your home," Craig said.

Drought-proof your home

"We can reduce the amount of town water your family buys by as much as 50 to 60 per cent.

"Even if your household was on stage 5 water restrictions, our system means there would be little or no impact on your lifestyle."

AusIndustry has been assisting the company since 2005, firstly with a grant to help early-stage companies, and then with a grant which helps companies commercialise innovative products.

In 2005, Perpetual Water received a $100,000 Commercialising Emerging Technologies (COMET) grant.

The company used this grant to develop its new system for purifying grey water at a single household level.

"With this support, we were able to put time and effort into research and development," Craig said.

"We wanted to produce a 21st century solution to outdated biological treatment methods.

"Biological treatment methods, largely adapted from septic tank systems, use bacteria to break down contaminants. A big problem is that these systems are easily disrupted by common household chemicals and changes in water concentration.

"Our purification process does away with these problems – it’s sterilised, filtered and looks and smells just like tap water," he said.

In 2006, the company received a $720,000 Commercial Ready grant.

This support allowed the company to scale up the process to use in multi-residential developments and apartment blocks.

"The challenge was to process 10,000 litres of grey water a day, all in the space of a single car park space.

"What we have achieved through the grant is a world first, and we are already fielding global enquiries for this product."

Craig said the system had been designed to fit in with busy lifestyles.

"It’s fully computerised. The water is collected for 15 hours and treated for nine hours – and it can be set to suit your requirements.

"We’ve designed the system so you don’t need to do anything, ever again."

Perpetual Water has been recognised with a series of awards including the Water Efficiency Award in the 2006 ACT Sustainable Cities Awards.

Three steps to purified water

1. Grey water is collected in a small in-ground tank called a sump.

2. The water is pumped into a settling tank to begin purification, including absorption, filtration and multiple disinfection barriers. The result is water that looks and smells like tap water.

3. The water is stored in a holding tank ready to use in the garden or back inside your home. The tanks are available in a choice of colours and sizes to suit your home.