If I ask if you have grey water at home most likely you’re going be a little bit disgusted and confused. However, every home has a significant amount of greywater (up to 80% of water in a home can be classified as grey) and it’s going right down the drain every single day.
Simply put water that comes into your home as newly treated water is “white” water, water that goes out as contaminated from the toilet or garbage disposal is “black” and “grey” water is everything in between. Water you wouldn’t want to drink but could still use. By reusing greywater you can save a significant amount on your water bill and reuse that perfectly good water!
People who own their home can have a greywater collection system installed (which will do things like divert water from the washing machine). Some apartments are installing these as well or allowing tenants to install them. The greywater can be treated to be used again as drinking water or re-directed to other areas. Greywater Action are the experts and have a phenomenal website. Systems can be as simple as diverting the drain pipe from the bathroom sink into a large bucket to whole house systems. Every state and municipality has different laws so you’ll want to check those out first.
Installing a system may be a bit too much for some people but there are simple ways to handle greywater in your home without fancy equipment (just a bucket or plastic bin) or extra energy. You’ll then be able to reuse this water!
Easy ways to collect Greywater:
- Put greywater container in the shower while the water heats up to collect the water
- Bonus- for a big bath-tub/shower combo keep the bucket in there while you shower
- Dump the water from the final rinse on a dish into your grey water bucket (that water is usually pretty much completely clean, right??)
- Pour “old” drinking water into your grey water bucket
- Collect the water you use for washing your hands and face, and brushing your teeth in the bathroom
- Collect rainwater or melt snow (check with local laws first)
Make sure to use up greywater within 24 hours so it does not collect bacteria.
Uses for Greywater
- Water plants- this is what most people use greywater for (it is critical that non-toxic products be used and the water poured into the soil and not onto the edible parts of the plant. Plants LOVE a lot of the components in non-toxic products)
- Flush the toilet
- Rinse or soak dishes
- Put out campfire or firepit (collect your greywater at a campground shower!)
- Clean something really dirty (I like to use greywater from the shower to clean mud off my son’s toys and then give them a good rinse)
What do you think? Is greywater something you think you can start collecting? Let me know in the comments below or email me at blog@keeper.com and let me know what you think or if you have questions!
Here’s to giving water a second life!
~Olivia
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Olivia lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and 4 year old son. She enjoys spending time in the mountains, studying about essential oils, natural remedies and herbs, as well as upcycling/ DIY projects. Olivia’s family made the move last year towards becoming a Zero Waste household. They have gotten down to one bathroom sized trashcan a month of garbage but hope to be totally Zero Waste by the end of 2015.
Like this? Check out the rest of our Waste Less and Be Green in 2015 series for more tips!
Commenting on last month’s challenge is a bit of a stretch since I don’t really like baths. I’ll soak for 15 minutes if I’m sore, but that’s about it. Now, as far as showers go, to stay green, I don’t run the water unless I’m rinsing. The “5 minute shower” suggestions I see circulating online drive me MAD, because there’s no way I could possibly scrub all the dirt and grime off myself (love my garden) in 5 measly minutes. However, collecting the water from the first rinse in the bottom of the tub to soak my feet (I’m barefoot whenever possible), and taking the time to comb conditioner through my hair (affective for removing flora, and likely fauna) uses less water to greater effect than rushing through my regiment in 5 minutes. I think it also helps to have a detachable shower head.
That sounds good but i dont think i can do it… j have a baby so i cantnhave buckets of water sotting around my house. Plus my dogs wohld probably drink it
Similar issue here with cats, but I keep the gray water covered, of in going to use it. I’m lucky enough to have an oversized sink with no divider, so I can fit a collapsible tub in there to collect and move liquid.
[…] month we’ve been diverting a significant amount of waste by learning about greywater, shopping in bulk, and cloth grocery bags. How does it feel to be saving money on your water bill […]