Plumtree Town (Human Excreta and Dangerous Substances) By-laws, 2025
Plumtree bans growing or irrigating vegetables with human excreta or raw waste water and lets officers slash the crop — but every penalty in the schedule is printed as US$0.
These by-laws prohibit using human excreta or any dangerous substance as fertiliser for vegetables and edible plants in the Plumtree Town area, irrigating edible crops with raw waste water, planting them along raw waste water flows or waterlogged ground, and selling human excreta or waste water as fertiliser.
A designated officer may slash or remove any crop grown with human excreta or dangerous substances, irrigated with raw waste water, or planted on waste water flows or waterlogged areas.
The schedule prints US$0,00 against each of the three listed offences — using human excreta or dangerous substances as fertiliser, selling them as fertiliser, and selling produce grown with them — so the removal power is the operative sanction as published. Shurugwi's equivalent by-laws made a month later set US$500 to US$800 for the same offences.
What changed
- Human excreta and dangerous substances may not be used or sold as fertiliser for edible crops
- Irrigating edible crops with raw waste water, and planting along waste water flows, are prohibited
- Council officers may slash or remove offending crops
- All penalties are printed as US$0,00 as published
Who this affects
- Vegetable growers in Plumtree
- Market traders selling leafy vegetables
- Council environmental health officers
Plain-language summary — not legal advice. Always read the full instrument.