Using Greywater Safely to Save Money

We all have a responsibility to think about the environment, and protecting the planet is just one of our daily duties. Your home is the only place you have total control over, so it's time for you to consider how you can cut back on your carbon footprint. Whether it's natural Essentia mattresses, tankless water heaters, energy friendly fridges, or a hybrid car - find a way to reduce your energy consumption and waste.

One of the best ways to reduce waste at home is to reuse and recycle greywater. Greywater is the water that you usually end up wasting, but may not actually be dirty enough to throw out. If you want to save on energy and protect the planet, it's time to collect and reuse grey water.

Collecting Grey Water

Here are some easy ways that you can collect grey water at home:

Place a bucket in the shower -- It probably takes a minute or so for the water to get hot, so a lot of water is wasted as you stand outside the shower. Just put a bucket in the shower to catch all that excess water, and you'll be amazed by how much you can collect.
Don't throw out drinking water -- You may not want to drink your child's half full cup of water, but don't throw it away. Save it or use it.
Wash in bowls -- Got some fruit that needs washing? Use a bowl or dish basin to wash your fruits, and use the water once you're finished. If you have dishes to wash, use that excess water from the dish pan, or fill a dish basin.
Empty your bathtub -- It may sound silly to scoop the water out of your bathtub, but you can actually collect a lot of greywater by doing so.
Collect washing machine water -- If you collect the wash water, that will be very dirty and soapy. However, why not collect the rinse water? It's fairly clean, and you can reuse it.

Reusing Grey Water

Where can you reuse the grey water you have collected?

Water the garden -- Bath water may be too dirty for you to wash dishes in, but you can certainly water the plants or flowers in your garden. They don't mind the skin cells you've washed off.
Wash dishes -- With the water you've collected waiting for the shower water to heat up, you've got enough to wash at least one meal's dishes. You'll find that you can get all of your dishwashing done with very little water, but it's the rinsing that takes more water.
Flush toilets -- Rather than letting gallons of water go to waste with every flush, use the greywater you've collected to flush the toilets.

Just remember:

NEVER USE GREYWATER WITH SOAP OR CHEMICALS.
NEVER USE TOILET WATER OR WATER FROM THE DISHWASHER.
Don't use the greywater on vegetables or fruits that you plan to eat.
Don't wait too long to use the greywater, as letting it sit for more than 24 hours can cause bacteria to form.

By collecting and reusing greywater, you'll be able to cut both your waste and your water use significantly!

Earth Protect Blog

Using Greywater Safely to Save Money

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