In times of drought, or if a house is on a water meter, it is possible to save water with the use of “Grey Water” in the garden.
What is “grey water”? Simply, it is recycled water from the home that has already been used, but is not so contaminated that it will cause damage to plants and other areas of the garden if used as part of the garden watering process.
Grey water is therefore the domestic waste water from baths, showers, washing machines, the kitchen sink and so forth. A washing machine for instance can use in excess of 50 litres of water and therefore a planned recycling of the used water can result in a considerable reduction in metered water use.
Grey water varies in quality, and the hardiness of the plants in the garden to which this water can be applied also varies.
Water contaminated by bleaching agents and dishwasher waste water are too contaminated and polluted for use with garden plants. However, water from baths, showers and sinks can be adequate for purpose and water used when peeling vegetables can actually be like a weak plant feed.
Sometimes filtering is required and garden soils are useful for this purpose. The water can be collected, depending upon the style of the property, by means of outside water buts connected to specific waste water pipes on a similar basis that rainwater from roofs can be collected from downpipes.
Some new home construction is incorporating certain soil and waste drainage systems to keep water too contaminated for recycling use separate from that capable of being recycled. This helps the green credentials of the developers, as well as enabling the occupier to reduce their impact on the environment and reduce their water bills.
23rd July 2010