What is involved in recycling one's "grey water" from one's house, to use for irrigation?

Question

Grey water is the water that is used and goes down the drains of your kitchen and bathroom sinks, your shower, and your dishwasher.

I've heard that this water makes excellent irrigation water for your lawn and gardens, if you can capture it. That way, you're not wasting clean, potable water on your landscaping.

Problem is - my house is set up the traditional way, where all the grey water runs into the sewer. Is it possible / economically feasible to retrofit, or should I just wait until I build my next house?

Answer 1

Like someone else said... you just have to redirect the water.  Someone I know did this, but the real expense came in when he had to then pump the water out of the reservoir he used.  If you're thinking low key, like a small green house, you should be able to pick up a pump, 50 gal. drum and the hoses/pipe you need for fairly inexpensive, say around $300 I would think.  Also, I suggest using the water from the washing machine... Good Luck!

Answer 2

ask a few plumbers.  Seems to me there is "code" on everything in counties and cities and you may or may not be allowed to do that thru the pipe system.  I do know that back in my grandparents time they had a container under the sink like a large pail that they took outdoors to water the plants with. Seems that would be awfully heavy to drag outdoors though.   Maybe you can more easily open your kitchen window or out a door near the kitchen that you could just swing your bucket and water the lawn without going outdoors.  When I was a kid my job was to wash the sidewalks but I'd use a gentle dishwashing detergent to first scrub them and then rinse....and all that would water the lawn on the sides but the other good thing was that soap gives bugs diarrhea and it kept the bugs away from the house too.

Water that goes back into the county's system IS treated and recycled so if you were thinking it's being wasted, well it is not, it's just that the county is doing it instead of you.  Then the county or city sells it back to you as recycled water for your lawn.   Maybe just using less water in showers would save you money that you could then invest in a county recycled water program.

Answer 3

Yes it is.

Simply tap into your outfall pipes, sinks, showers and bath, washing machine and just re-direct the flow elsewhere...Ive done it on three homes and it is very simple to do and now supports what I call my intensive care area for garden plants.

Answer 4

I am in no way an expert on this, but I did work for a sustainable book publisher in WRJ, VT. They are Chelsea Green and you can reach them on the web at www.chelseagreen .com--they have lots of books on sustainable living such as: alternative building, organic gardening, and subjects that pertain to using your grey water. Check them out. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

That sounds like what most houses in my neighborhood are doing right now.  The only reason is because we have a septic system and are not linked to a city sewer supply.  All septic systems have to get rid of excess water or the tank would have to be emptied everyday.  What ours does is get rid of the water through sprinklers after its been cleaned and disinfected.  Some septic systems have underground pipes which do the same thing.  If people already have a septic system, it shouldn't be that hard to convert that into a sprinkler system.  I don't know how you would be able to to that to your house though, you'd have to comply with your city's code too.  If you're going to build your own house then put a septic system in it.  BUT YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE SEPTIC SYSTEM! For obvious reasons.