Image via Wikipedia
In a dry continent like Australia where rainfall is unpredictable, most of us are very aware of the value of using water responsibly.
If you’re keen to do your bit for the environment, you’ll probably have taken steps to reduce water consumption in your household, by installing dual-flush toilet cisterns, shower timers and water-efficient shower heads, or washing cars with water from buckets rather than running water from a garden hose. Like to do more? If a lot of the water consumed in your household is used for watering lawns and gardens, there is potential for wastewater recycling, by reusing some of the used household water that would otherwise go down the drain.
Less than half of the waste water that is produced by an average household is what’s known as black water – effluent from toilets – that must be sent to treatment plants. The main part of waste water is ‘grey water’ from the bathroom, laundry and kitchen, and this has the potential to be reused in the garden.
Recycling grey water contributes to water conservation by decreasing the amount of drinking-quality water that is used to water lawns and gardens. There are two systems of reusing grey water: diversion and treatment.
A basic diversion of grey water takes place when you collect water from the washing machine rinse cycle in buckets for watering the garden. More sophisticated domestic grey water diversion devices require the installation of plumbing, to separate black water from grey water and to move the grey water to a subsoil garden watering system.
If you want to do even more for the environment you may look at installing domestic wastewater treatment systems, which take away chemical pollutants and harmful bacteria from grey water. Treatment systems are more complicated than diversion systems, and entail the installation of tanks where the water is processed before being directed to the garden. Treated wastewater may be suitable for both subsoil and above-ground garden irrigation.
Recycling grey water, whether by diversion devices or treatment systems, has a number of environmental benefits. Reuse of grey water can significantly minimize the consumption of drinking-quality water, and discharge of waste water into sewerage systems, rivers and oceans is also reduced. Use of recycled water can enable gardens to thrive during times of drought and water restrictions. Owners of domestic grey water systems may need to adapt their behavior to be sure that the systems are being used correctly: for example, cleaning materials and laundry products to be used around the home should be selected with care.
Water is one of Earth’s most precious resources, and by reusing your grey water you can make a beneficial difference – to your garden, to your neighborhood, and to the global environment.
Related articles
Related posts:
- Drip Irrigation for Your Gardens Are you planting and getting ready your gardens? If so,...
- Benefits of an IT Recycling Company Recycling companies must work within the WEEE (Waste electric and...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
