DEVELOPMENTS in Tamworth could become costlier and more complicated with the council's recycled water agenda.
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Councillors were in unanimous support of a push to urgently progress a "water sensitive urban design plan" to help ensure future developments in the city were more water wise.
The plan could see a greater use of greywater diversion and recycling in new residential areas.
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The council's acting planning director Sam Lobsey confirmed new subdivisions designed with greywater schemes be more costly.
But he said the council would work with industry to meet its needs once any new development controls were introduced.
Mr Lobsey said the benefit would mainly be the water saved.
"It is simply about being water wise, Tamworth is an area that is going through a significant drought and it is constantly under that sort of pressure," he said.
"But having subdivision developments that are completely water wise ... there will be a loss of cost in their water fees."
He said Tamworth was following the lead of metro councils, local government in Forster and Port Macquarie which have developed similar plans.
"Hopefully, one day it will be the norm," he said.
"Recycling, hopefully, one day it will be like people with solar panels, the acceptance people have for solar panels.
"Tamworth is at a place it needs to be a normal thing to accept we need to reuse this water."
The notice of motion put forward by Helen Tickle also called for an education program on greywater reuse to be rolled out by the council.
There are already greywater diversion systems people can install without council approval.
The council encouraged people to talk with a plumber about options available.
People were also welcomed to meet with council's development hub staff to discuss the options what approvals would be needed.