Your Guide To Green

Every day we are letting a valuable resource flow right down our drains.  Greywater is defined as any water that runs down the drain of your sinks, showers and washer, but does not include ‘blackwater’ from your toilet or kitchen sink. Greywater is a beneficial resource that we can use to irrigate our landscapes and cut down on the amount of water we use on a day-to-day basis saving a valuable resource and money on our water bill.

The trick is to figure out how to get the water from our drains to our landscape. One way to redirect your greywater is to replumb your sinks so that they run outside, a harrowing job for even the most skilled homeowner. But there are other alternatives:  Hang a hose over a tree limb to create your own simple outdoor shower;  keep a 5 gallon bucket in the bathroom and catch the water as your shower warms up; and always consider adding greywater to your remodeling projects.

At the Urban Farm we have integrated the notion of greywater in the remodeling of our outdoor patio, by designing the outdoor vegetable rinse sink and shower to drain into the landscape. Think about ways of using this greywater asset to replace your landscape irrigation water.  Normally landscape irrigation water is used directly from the city water supply and is only used  once, while your greywater is being used twice.

Greywater notes:

• There are special soaps you need to use when utilizing greywater.  Click here for the full article on biocompatible soaps. 
• Greywater use is legal in the State of Arizona. Simply follow the thirteen best practices outlined by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality in its document, Using Greywater at Home.  Check with your state or municipality for the legalities of greywater in your area.
• When it comes to designing and installing your greywater system, the premier book on the subject is Create an Oasis with Greywater by Art Ludwig. This book outlines the many systems that you can build and includes great graphics, charts, and pictures to assist any do-it-yourselfer. Just remember that greywater is always best put directly into the ground where your landscape plants can us it rather than to store greywater in a container, as it can have a tendency to smell rather quickly.
• Don't forget the biocompatible soap!  We have a full line-up.  Click here to browse our soap offerings.

Greywater is simple to utilize once you understand the concepts.  Enjoy working with water in a new way!