How a former lawyer was in a position to remodel his inner-city Sydney house into a very ‘off-grid’ terrace that makes use of RECYCLED water – so what does his household suppose?

A lawyer-turned-gardener saves $3,500 a year living completely ‘off grid’ with no connection to city water, electricity or sewage.  

Michael Mobbs, 75, bought his Chippendale terrace in 1978 for $23,000 and, during a renovation in 1996, decided to make some drastic changes.

He installed solar panels on the roof, a water tank to collect and filter fresh rainwater for drinking, and set up a recycling system for his wastewater.

More than one million litres of dirty water – from showers, the dishwasher and the toilet – is drained into a pipe before it undergoes a recycling process underground.

Once sterilised, it is used for flushing toilets, the garden hose or washing clothes.

‘There’s a growing distancing by property and apartment owners from fixed charges and energy and water costs,’ he told the Daily Mail.

‘Because I’ve been doing this for 30 years, the idea has credibility with people who are deciding to put their own money into copying.

‘Being off grid I feel free, safer from gaslighting governments, companies and all those who greenwash.’

Mr Mobbs, who worked as a lawyer for almost two decades, said it was his work as a consultant in the Environment Protection Authority’s review of Sydney Water that sparked a desire to take matters into his own hands. 

‘I’ve been disappointed with the solutions or the choices, rather, about how to use Sydney’s water and stop ocean pollution,’ he said. 

‘The decision was being made to just extend the sewage outfalls three kilometres further away.

‘Because I grew up on a farm where you have to get your own water, have to manage your own sewage, and sometimes grow a lot of your food, I knew the decision was wrong. 

‘So, for the light of my life – earth – and for my family, in 1996, I disconnected from the town water and sewer, put in solar panels, and it was like there’d been a burst of sunshine in my heart.

‘I felt truly free, truly liberated, accepting responsibility, not just for my own waste, but for the kids and my now ex-wife.’

The home, a three-bedroom terrace with a classic balcony and small backyard, is as typical as any household, but with touches of Mr Mobbs’ personality. 

There’s his partner’s piano, well-thumbed books, an encyclopedia botanica, garden tools and, hanging beside the kitchen entrance, a tote bag featuring Julian Assange.

Is he political? Mr Mobbs nods at the Assange tote bag: ‘I find him wonderful.’

When someone tours the house – which is open to the public – the lights work with an ordinary switch, the toilet flushes and there is a fridge, washing machine and shower.

The gas cooktop and oven, which has remained unused since it was disconnected from the gas system – sits near his electric induction cooker.

In the garden, the rainwater and recycling tanks are hidden beneath decking leaving plenty of space to admire the tomatoes, citrus trees and herbs.

But the decision to renovate the home sparked questions from Mr Mobbs’ then-wife and his two young children, who were six and 10 in 1996.

‘My then-wife said, “Yes, but if we do that, can we sell the house?” Because in 1996, no one had done this, not in Australia, and only one other place in Canada. And I said, “I don’t know”,’ he said.

‘After we did it, the kids weren’t really interested (but) they got really fed up with me (when) I had media almost seven days a week for about three or four years.

‘My son had come home from primary school, he would have been aged nine or 10, and said, “Dad, everybody knows about the house. Now stop talking to the media”. 

‘Kids don’t like to be embarrassed. They don’t like to be different. I’ve never asked if they’ve forgiven me, or if they’re okay with it, but I think they’re proud of it now.’

Mr Mobbs’ daughter appears to have inherited his green thumb, growing fruit trees and herbs at her home, which features similar sustainability features. 

But the main pushback on the home has come from Sydney Water.

‘I owe them $1,974.40 after 30 years of not paying them for storing stormwater, even though they send me bills every three months,’ Mr Mobbs said. 

‘I’ve told them about the house, and I invited the chair Niall Blair to come in, look at it, and hopefully, common sense will prevail.

‘By not paying Sydney Water, I am aiming to achieve this goal: to save cost of living bills for all Sydney households that have rain tanks and other solutions to stop or reduce stormwater leaving their properties.

‘In Perth, property owners are required to keep rainwater on their land. So, what I do here can be done if council or water businesses wants to support property owners.’

A spokesperson for Sydney Water confirmed Mr Mobbs did owe a sum to them for an unpaid stormwater drainage service charge.

The spokesperson said it applies to properties located within Sydney Water’s designated stormwater drainage areas.

‘This charge contributes to the maintenance of Sydney Water’s stormwater network that manages rainwater runoff from streets, hard surfaces and surrounding properties across the catchment,’ they said.

‘It applies to all properties within the drainage area, regardless of whether they are connected to Sydney Water’s drinking water or wastewater services.

‘The Chippendale property is located within one of these drainage areas and has been billed the standard fixed stormwater charge of less than $30 per quarter. 

‘As the charges remain unpaid, an outstanding balance has accrued over time.’

The spokesperson said Sydney Water has engaged with the customer on multiple occasions over several years. They did not confirm whether Mr Blair will attend the property, as offered by Mr Mobbs.

Despite his conflict with Sydney Water, Mr Mobbs is proud of his work to spread his message about small actions with big impacts. 

He now predominantly works as a gardener and has introduced ‘coolseats’ to his area and as far away as Melbourne.

Coolseats are benches fitted with soil‑filled troughs beneath the seat, designed to reduce waste and give back to the environment.

‘It’s a saving of about $3,500 a year for this house,’ he said, adding that he hopes it will inspire other Australians to make small changes.

‘There’s a sense of I’m doing the best I can. You don’t have to do everything I’ve done, even if just including LED lights or installing a rain tank.

‘You don’t have to be a gardener, but you can grow things really simply, on your balcony or in the street, in a park or in a community garden.’