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What is grey water? How is it different to black water? Where can grey water be used?

• Grey water is household water (e.g. bath, shower, spa, hand basin, washing machine) that can be diverted without treatment to the garden.
• Approx 60% of waste water is grey water. Everyday a house produces 350L of grey water that can be recycled.
• Grey water systems directly divert to the garden or treat water to make it suitable to use in toilets and to be stored for longer.
• Treated grey water can be used for irrigation or toilet flushing. Treatment systems disinfect water, to remove pathogenic micro-organisms.
• The pH level of grey water should be checked regularly and grey water should not be used on vegetables, fruits or herbs.

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How green is grey water?

Elizabeth Graham

08 December 2009. Posted by WellBeing Natural Health & Living News

How would you like to be able to water your garden regardless of the mandatory water restrictions throughout many parts of Australia? The solution lies in your very own home, or rather the water that leaves your home. Grey water recycling is an old idea enjoying a new surge of interest as more Australians turn to alternative irrigation methods in this time of severe drought.

Grey water is generally classified as household water that has been used in the bath, shower, spa, hand basin and final rinse cycle of the washing machine. This water can be diverted without treatment to the garden. Water from the kitchen can only be reused if treated and all water must be treated before reuse in the house (for example, for toilet flushing). Grey water doesn't include water from the toilet; this is termed "black water" and requires extensive treatment before it can be reused.

Benefits of grey water

In your home, grey water makes up approximately 60 per cent of waste water. Sydney Water Corporation estimates the average household (3.5 people) produces 586 litres of waste water per day, which means every day every house produces at least 350 litres of grey water that could easily be recycled.

If you're wondering how it's possible for one house to use that much water in a day, consider these figures:

• Brushing your teeth with the tap running uses five to 10 litres of water.
• A single toilet flush uses 15 to 20 litres.
• Taking a bath uses 60 litres.
• Taking a 10-minute shower uses 100 litres.
• Doing a load of washing uses 225 litres.

In view of the depleted water levels in dams around the country, these figures are alarming. On the bright side, here you have an amazing untapped resource for watering your garden, with the average household producing enough grey water for at least 30 minutes of irrigation per day.