| Grey
water is the subject of some debate and regulation. As described, grey water
is not drinkable water, but is not sewage. It is water from our dishwashers,
showers, washing machines, etc. Checking with your local water district or other
water utility should be done before any time or effort is wasted in rerouting it
to your garden. Due to the possibility of contaminants such as fecal coloform, testing should
be done on potential grey water discharged to the environment (garden, lawn).
The typical contaminates are the same nutrients that plants need - phosphorous.
It is a balance.
A very
thorough web site is greywater.com.
It discusses this in much more detail and includes water quality
comparisons. |
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| Grey
water accounts for 50-80% of residential waste water. It has nutrients in it
that are beneficial to plants. Instead of it going down the sewer and being
treated as sewage, it goes back to the environment and actually will help recharge
aquifers which are getting lower every year. You can also use it to flush your
toilet, saving fresh, drinkable water from going down the drain. |
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| Separate
plumbing can be installed, which may not be cheap if it's going to meet the codes
in the area in which you live. Other ways to transfer the water are bailing,
which is labor intensive. A sump pump dedicated to the cause an be hooked to a
garden hose and used to empty the water collected from bathing or showering. If
the tub is upstairs, gravity might negate the need to use a pump. Other simple cost
effective systems can be installed.
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