{"id":15553,"date":"2019-10-01T18:49:23","date_gmt":"2019-10-01T21:49:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/?p=15553"},"modified":"2024-12-05T20:26:38","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T23:26:38","slug":"greywater-system-landscape-irrigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/landscaping\/greywater-system-landscape-irrigation\/","title":{"rendered":"Is a Greywater System Right for Your Landscape?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine that instead of flowing into the sewer system, water discharged by your bathtub, dishwasher, kitchen sink and washing machine was pumped instead into your landscape.<\/p>

The systems that perform this task are called greywater systems (also spelled graywater, grey water and gray water). They sound eco-friendly and resource-conserving, and they are. Whether they\u2019re right for you depends on your appetite for a parallel plumbing system in your home.<\/p>

What are Greywater Systems?<\/h2>

Greywater Action<\/a>, a group that promotes greywater systems, defines it as \u201cgently used water from your bathroom sinks, showers, tubs, and washing machines. It is not water that has come into contact with feces, either from the toilet or from washing diapers.\u201d An estimated 60% of used household water is greywater.<\/p>

Greywater may contain traces of dirt, flakes of skin, food, oils, or grease. If not used within days, it turns foul. That sounds undesirable (and downright unsafe) for drinking or further washing \u2014 so much so that many states ban its use. However, where it\u2019s legal it has strong advocates, who argue that gently used water can still serve a very good purpose: watering plants.<\/p>

Potential Savings<\/h2>

Arizona is an example of a state where water is a precious resource, water conservation critical. The state regulates and permits any greywater reuse. Those that discharge 400 gallons per day, a category that would include most individual household systems, are lightly regulated. The state restricts greywater use<\/a> to irrigation purposes and requires that greywater be contained within the permit-holder\u2019s property (see chart below of state regulations).<\/p>

\u201cUsers of greywater can save money [on] their regular water bill while also helping ensure Arizona’s water supply,\u201d says David Dunaway, manager of the Aquifer Protection Permit program Arizona\u2019s Department of Environmental Quality. \u201cUsing greywater ultimately saves money and energy, and reduces the strain on the city\u2019s potable water supply.\u201d<\/p>

Potable water requires energy and resources to purify at a treatment plant. After that, it burns up even more resources during transit to the urban areas where water resources are needed. We all pay for that purification and transportation through our water bills.<\/p>

Advocates of greywater systems point out that in addition to helping preserve scarce resources, you could save on your water bill by reusing non-potable water. Estimates of savings run from $300 to $600 per year.<\/p>

This can be an immense environmental burden \u2014 especially in dry, desert regions like Arizona. \u201cArizona is dependent on water from the Colorado River and our limited supply of groundwater,\u201d said Dunaway. \u201cUsing graywater for landscaping helps offset the need for otherwise potable water.\u201d<\/p>

\"DIY<\/a>
While the simplest greywater systems can be DIY projects, a full system requires a parallel plumbing system be installed. Credit: SuSanA Secretariat<\/a>, CC 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>

Challenges of Greywater Systems<\/h2>

In theory, if everyone used a gray water system, it would reduce pressure on natural resources. But anyone considering the move needs to know the challenges.<\/p>

Greywater systems are inaccessible to most people owing to:<\/p>