Gardening With Grey Water

Gardening can be fun and worthwhile if done correctly and affordably. There are numerous essential tips and tricks of modern gardening, and use of grey water is one priceless tip. Don't give up on gardening, or let your crops and flowers dry up, while all along you can create a grey water system for your home.  

Use of grey water collected from waste water is not only cost effective, but has more nutrients than the usual clean water.

Storage of Grey Water

In case you have a tight schedule and you want to monitor the watering process, you can store your grey water and use it later. You may also need to store grey water to allow it to accumulate to an amount that can be used to irrigate, especially during a dry spell.

You can store the water in a plastic tank, no more than 55 gallons: it is recommended not to store grey water in large quantities. Also, note that grey water should not be stored for more than 24 hours because it becomes toxic and harmful to your plants.

If you intend or have to store grey water, it's essential to ensure it's highly treated as well, this helps in maintaining its quality for longer.

Setting Up A Grey Water System

Probably your main concern is whether recycling your bathroom water is allowed and safe for your garden. Worry no more, waste water recycling and use of grey water is legal and recommended by the Australian Public Health department.

The first step in setting up your system is creating a diversion in your sewer system. The diversion separates water collected from the laundry, kitchen, and shower from black water, such as toilet waste water. The next step is treatment of grey water collected. Treatment reduces microorganisms, solid waste and pollutants, hence making the water safe for your garden.

The grey water system can be set-up easily and in a short while: just identify a qualified plumber and have them set it up.

Safety Tips

Soapy water may contain nitrogen, phosphorous, and fats. Phosphorus and nitrogen are among the good agents, however, fats are not because they can make the soil less water absorbent. Use a re-wetting product for the soil to prevent this problem.

Keep children and pets off grey water. You can do this by setting up pipes on the garden to drip water straight into the soil, instead of using sprinklers. Also, avoid using a lot of detergent, when washing dishes and doing your laundry.

Waste water that contains any disinfectants, bleach products, and fecal waste should not be used as grey water. You can easily do this by ensuring that such waste water is poured in the toilet.

Your garden stands to benefit from grey water. Set-up a good waste water system and enhance your gardening experience.