Lower Your Water Bill Recycle water – Grey Water System on the cheap

Grey Water home systems or gray water systems divert waste water from laundry machines, showers, sinks, etc through filtering systems and recycle water onto a home’s landscape irrigation system.  Toilet water is not part of a graywater system. These systems are great way to save on water and reuse wastewater and reduce water consumption by 10 to 50%. Some systems require filters, others are more simple, utilizing gravity. Complex graywater systems can filter and disinfect graywater before it is used to flush toilets. They are expensive to have professionally installed, so some renegade sites have popped up with plans on how to roll your own cheaply.

On August 4, 2009, California changed its grey water standards, following Arizona, Texas, and other states.  The new code lets you install basic, inexpensive systems yourself, with no permits needed for most. No expensive filters or pumps are needed.

• Grey water cannot stagnate or pool up
• It cannot make contact with animals or humans
• Cannot touch fruits or vegetables, nor can it run into other people’s yard
• The pipes need to be several inches underground or under mulch

Grey Water Resources:

This site has more information on Laundry to Mulch Basins systems.

Greywater Guerillas has some gray water suggestions.

Greywater action helps educate homeowners on ways to reuse graywater

Instructables.com has some detailed plans on how to construct them.

You can always catch rainwater with big garbage pails and save the water for less rainy days.

Related posts:

1. Water Saving Tips – Save Water and Money
2. Hot Water Recirculating Pumps
3. Water Saving Tips Continued
4. Save Money with Water Filtration – Non Green Bottled Water
5. Recycle My Old Fridge
6. Hybrid Water Heaters – GE GeoSpring Water Heater
7. Ways to Save Energy, Money on your Energy Bill
8. Tankless Water Heater

Posted on June 6th, 2011
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