Gray water cannot contain hazardous chemicals such as antifreeze, mothballs or solvents. Do not include wash water from greasy or oily rags in your gray water. Gray water must not contain water used to wash diapers or other infectious garments. This water must be discharged to a residential sewer line.
Dr. Bronner's brand is a popular choice for safe use in greywater systems.
Gray Water Tanks: Store non-sewage wastewater from sinks and showers. Black Water Tanks: Contain human waste from toilets. Fresh Water Tanks: Hold the clean water supply for all your needs.
The Greywater Cocktail: Pollutants and Composition
Pathogens, which are a concealed threat, are present in the darkest parts of greywater. Greywater contains worrying levels of faecal-borne pathogens, with faecal enterococci found in at least 70% of analyzed samples, according to studies.
Don't use greywater on edible plants. The exceptions to this are certain fruit trees, such as apples and pears, olives, stone fruit, grapes and feijoas. Greywater use around soft leafed greens, herbs and root vegetables should be absolutely avoided. Don't store untreated greywater for more than 24 hours.
For example, grey water should not be used for growing asparagus, beets, carrots, cucumbers, lettuces and other salad greens, garlic, onions, potatoes, melons, squash, bush beans, radish, turnip, unstaked tomatoes, or strawberries.
All-purpose cleaner: Mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Add a few drops of essential oil for a pleasant scent. This solution works well for various surfaces and is safe for greywater systems.
Greywater treatment by mechanical systems is typically based on filtration or treatment with chemicals. In filtration, the aim is to remove impurities using filters, with typically a few or several filters in a row in order to guarantee good results.
Baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice are all easy to source, great cleansers and won't harm your plants when diluted and processed through a greywater system.
The average greywater system installed on a single-family home can save about 2,600 gallons of water per year, and have a lifespan of 10+ years. The cost of greywater would be about 10¢ per gallon, 20x more than municipal water costs.
When it comes to the grey tank, bleach again is the key. First scrub the shower and sink drains thoroughly, and then dump the grey tank at an appropriate facility. Then pour one cup of bleach for every 15 gallons of waste water into the grey tank.
Bronner's, is perfect for greywater as is Oasis dish or all purpose cleaner. For shampoo and conditioner look over the labels to ensure that you are not using a lot of sodium.
If you use a tank solution, use a smart one. Avoid those enzymes, harsh chemicals, and biological concoctions that are designed to break down waste into sticky, smelly pancake batter. A great alternative solution is our recommended mixture of Calgon, Pine Sol, and water.
Grey water tanks should be pumped out every 6 to 12 months on average. It is important to regularly empty your grey water to avoid a build-up of sludge on the bottom of the tank.
Greywater is the water that comes out of the drains of showers, baths, sinks, and washing machines and is distinctly different from black water, which is what gets flushed down the toilet. Greywater can be used for watering houseplants, landscaping, or even flushing the toilet, so it's a resource we can use twice.
Use Baking Soda
By flushing 1/2 cup of baking soda down the toilet weekly, you can help to maintain the pH balance in the tank and encourage beneficial bacteria to break down waste.
Charcoal powder has been used in greywater treatments before, and it can replace chlorine as a natural disinfectant; the seeds contain a protein with an antimicrobial effect in water filtration; and the corn has the ability to trap chemicals in its pores and soak in excess salts like calcium and magnesium.
Two chemicals used to disinfect water are chlorine and iodine, with chlorine being more common. Not only is it readily available (as household liquid bleach or at swimming pool supply houses) and relatively inexpensive, but it is stable in storage and will, in time, vaporize from the water after disinfection.
Not using greywater for irrigation causes the septic tank and drain field to filter more water. That's why septic tank owners should install a gray water system to utilize their wastewater instead of overusing their septic tank. Most septic systems already have a gray water system, but some older ones don't.
Avoid chlorine-based products such as chlorine bleach. Instead, use oxygenated bleaches such as hydrogen peroxide. Do not overuse disinfectants since they kill beneficial microbes in the soil. I prefer to use Oasis brand laundry detergent and dishwashing soap.
Dish soaps are usually applied to plants and grass diluted with water, typically in around 2-3 percent concentration. Experts recommend mixing a bit of vegetable oil with household liquid dish soap and water in a bottle and spraying it directly onto the affected areas of your lawn, then letting it soak in.
Baking soda and vinegar are safe and effective cleaners for your household drains and, best yet, they are 100% safe for your septic tank and drain field. Bleach and ammonia-based cleaners (i.e. most of the cleaning aisle at the big-box stores) can be harmful to the good bacteria in your septic tank.