Saving household water
When it comes to conserving water, every household can make a difference. There are simple actions you and your family can take to recycle grey water in and around your home. Read on below for some more information on reusing grey water in your home, or download the 'Greener Cleaner Grey Water Brochure' for information on what grey water is and for some great tips on how you can use it.
Q & A
Q: What is grey water?
A: Grey Water is waste water which comes from baths, showers and the rinse cycle in the laundry. This water, if captured, diverted, stored or treated appropriately, can be reused in gardens and for other domestic chores such as flushing toilets and washing clothes.
This process of reusing grey water can save huge amounts of water for the average Australian home, whether in the city or the bush. It's possible to save around 400 litres of fresh water each day simply by gardening with grey water1 - that's equivalent to most of the water you use in the bathroom and laundry on an average day.
Our green laundry powder ingredients have made recycling grey water easy. So what are you waiting for? Use environmentally responsible laundry detergent and set up grey water garden, washing and cleaning methods.
Q: Is there a difference between grey water from the wash cycle and rinse cycle?
A: Yes. Water from the wash cycle is generally quite alkaline (~pH 9 to 10), so it’s not suitable to use on your garden. It should be discharged into the sewer unless the home has a specially designed grey water treatment unit.
But water from the rinse cycle is great for watering the garden; you just need to keep a few considerations in mind.
- Avoid using grey water on vegetables or edible plants.
- Don’t use rinse water from heavily soiled washes.
- Check with your nursery before you use it on your lawn and plants.
- Test grey water on a small area to make sure your garden likes it.
- Avoid adding fabric softener if the rinse water is going to be used for watering.
- Keep away from kids and pets - grey water is not for drinking.
Q: I know every drop counts, but can household water savings really make a difference?
A: Every household can make a difference, and this difference can be seen in your garden and on your water bill. Sydney Water suggests that approximately 61 per cent of the total wastewater produced by an average household can be used as grey water - making this a great water saving initiative consumers can get involved in. Even if you don't save the lot, every little bit helps.
Reducing your water usage with recycled grey water is one of the easiest ways to create a more environmentally friendly house. There are plenty of other methods that your household can incorporate to contribute to water conservation, just check out our tips for saving water; they’re in the hotspots on top of every page.
Do you know your laundry’s sodium and phosphorus output? Calculate it here.
Download the Brochure
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Click the image on the left to download the “Greener Cleaner Grey Water Brochure”.
Adobe Reader is required for viewing the brochure. If you don't have this software, download it for free from Adobe now.
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1 www.sydneywater.com.au/savingwater/greywater
* The Greener Cleaner study, commissioned by BioZet Australia, polled over 1,000 Australians from around the country aged 16 years and above - exploring attitudes towards household recycling and more specifically, grey water understanding.
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