The question will definitely come to mind when you hear the term ‘grey water’. You should know that the waste water gotten from your bathroom, septic tank, and over your laundry is referred to as grey water.

Let’s look at all you need to know about grey water.

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1. Understanding the Basics of Grey Water

Grey water can be said to be the water that you get from regular activities done at home. The water gotten from cleaning your bathroom, washing your clothes, and doing the dishes is called gray water.

You should know that water qualifies as grey water when it has not been contaminated with sewage. For instance, water gotten from flushing toilets is not an example of grey water.

It is important to note that grey water can be reused for different purposes. The fact that it is not clean water does not mean that you should immediately dispose of it.

2. Ways to Collect Grey Water

There are different ways you can collect grey water, they include the following:

2.1. Manual Method

This is the easiest way of collecting gray water. In this collection method, grey water is gotten from the kitchen, bathwater, or laundry. You do not have to stress to collect water when using the manual method.

All you have to do is to get a bucket or jug that would be used to manually collect the water. Once the water is collected, you can use the water to water your plants or even for flushing your toilets.

2.2. Piping Method

In this method, an automatic connection between the landscape and the laundry is created. In this method, the connection between the waste drain pipe and the washing machine is used.

Simply put: the grey water flows through the already set underground piping to its destination. It can either be used to irrigate plants or the surrounding.

You should know that the piping method requires a bit of maintenance to guarantee that the pipe does not get clogged with particles from the water. You can construct this system from the comfort of your home. You’ll just need the required materials to get started.

2.3. Integrated Sewage Method

This method basically involves merging your house’s plumbing system into a greywater collection system. This particular system is the most expensive of the three systems. It is also very expensive to maintain.

You should be aware that you’ll have to hire a professional to make sure that the work is carried out properly. After this system must have collected water from the laundry and kitchen sink, the water can be used for different purposes.

Bear in mind that the water collected must be used within twenty-four hours of when the water was collected to prevent bacteria that can result in an offensive smell.

3. Benefits of Greywater Reuse

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They are various benefits of reusing grey water. They include the following:

3.1. Reduced Energy Consumption

When there is reduced demand for the need of freshwater in houses, it implies that there will be a decrease in the demand for energy used to pump the water.

Also, when you reuse water, it helps to minimize the bulk of work meant for treatment centers as they make sure that the water is purified. This helps to reduce the amount of energy required for sewage purifying companies.

3.2. Fresh Water Conservation

When you make use of grey water, you have little need for fresh water for various functions in your household. You can use gray water to irrigate your plants and flush toilets. This act can be beneficial to those living in areas where there is a dry climate or for those experiencing droughts.

3.3. Beautification of Landscapes

You should know that you can use grey water in your yards to water and irrigate your plants. Places, where gray water is reused, are known to provide another use for water instead of letting the water go to waste.

This will help create really beautiful and attractive landscapes because the plants will bloom and continue to keep their greenness even in harsh climates. There have also been inventions like drip irrigation and mulch to help make the water last for a longer period of time on the yards.

3.4. Groundwater Recharge

It is important to note that every grey water used does not necessarily go to waste after use. Most times, the water is sieved by the soil where it goes down to the groundwater.

This helps to make sure that rivers that depend solely on undergrounder aquifers always have water readily available in them.

3.5. Reduced Chemical Consumption

There will be a reduction in the amount of chemicals used in treating water when you reuse greywater. You should know that sewage treatment plants require little or no chemicals. This is very helpful to the environment as it decreases the demand for chemical products and the cost of sewage treatment.

There is also going to be a decrease in the dumping of chemical waste by most sewage treatment companies. One important fact is that when you use grey water on your plants, you will not need to make use of fertilizers. This is because gray water contains the required nutrients needed by your plants to thrive even in harsh weather conditions.

3.6. Reduction of Waster Wastage

When you make use of freshwater for different activities in the house, you end up creating a whole lot of wastewater that goes to the sewer water systems. This is seen as irrelevant and wasteful.

However, when you reuse grey water for different functions, you will produce a little amount of water waste. This implies that you do not have to spend so much on sewage treatment.

3.7. Organic Filtering of Water

You should know that soil and plant action purifies the gray water that is used to water your plants. This is beneficial because you will have no need the use chemicals that might be dangerous to the plant and the microorganisms living in the soil. This also helps to ensure that the environment is safe.

3.8. Reuse of Nutrients

When you use grey water on your plants, this means that you are making use of the nutrients that would have been lost in a branched drain. You should know that your bath and kitchen water has a lot of organic materials that are beneficial to plants.

It helps to provide the plants with a lot of nutrients that aid growth and beautification.

4. Greywater Treatment

Grey water can be treated in various ways to get rid of impurities. Listed below are the ways you can treat grey water:

• Pre-filtration
• Flotation
• Sedimentation
• UV disinfection

You should know that grey water is treated with ultrafiltration technology and this system acts as a barricade to microorganisms like bacteria and viruses.

This is done when the system uses a filtration membrane that distinguishes unpleasant substances from the water. Then, a little amount of chlorine is added to the water to help disinfect the water. This helps to purify the water and make it ready for use.

5. What is Black Water?

Black water is basically coined to describe any water that has fulvic acid content in it. This water can also contain vitamin additives and minerals. Another name for black water is fulvic water.

You should know that black water has a very high pH level. It is also high in alkalinity, hence it is often referred to as natural mineral alkaline water.

6. Benefits of Black Water

Drinking black water has a lot of health benefits ranging from anti-aging, hydration, and improving bone health. Here are some benefits:

6.1. Prevents Aging

Do you know that drinking black water helps to prevent aging? Yes, it does. It also helps to extend life span. Several research has shown that the alkaline content in the water is responsible for improving longevity.

This is achievable by the deceleration of the aging factor and acceleration of survival functions.

6.2. Manages Acid Reflux

Since black water has alkaline present in it, this helps decrease the activity of enzymes in charge of acid reflux.

6.3. Reduces Blood Viscosity

Research carried out has proven that black water can help reduce blood viscosity and rehydration of the body. It was discovered that black water with high pH and alkalinity decreased blood viscosity.

7. Grey Water vs Black Water

You might be wondering what the differences between black water and gray water are. Here are some key points about black water and grey water you should note:

• Both Black Water and Gray water are types of wastewater
• Grey water can become black water when kept for a longer period of time.
• For grey water to maintain its minerals and nutrients, it should not be kept for over twenty-four hours.
• Grey water can be dumped on the ground to help with plant irrigation while it is illegal to dump black water.

8. Parts of Grey Water Systems

Grey Water systems are known to help filter greywater so that it can be reused. You should know that a greywater system is divided into four parts:

• Pretreatment
• Gravel Filter
• Storage
• Irrigation

8.1. Pretreatment

In the pretreatment method, the grey water is often filtered through a biofilter. This biofilter helps to suck up fats and oils and other impurities in the water to prevent build-ups in the sand filter. You should know that excess build-up in the sand filter can lead to clogging and a bad smell.

The biofilter is made up of an organic material and a permeable container. This is because the greywater flows through the filter and material so that the grease from the water can be caught up by the material before it goes into the sand filter.

8.2. Gravel Filter

The sand/gravel filter is one amazing way to filter your greywater because it is very easy to use, set up, and maintain. Also, it makes use of gravity which is easy to navigate, instead of a pump system.

This helps to filter out bacteria, hair, and any other form of debris that must have escaped through the biofilter. The sand/gravel filter has three layers through which the greywater passes:

• Gravel-20%
• Fine Sand-60%
• Gravel-20%

8.3. Storage

After the greywater must have gone through the filtration process, it is then stored in a tank or drum. You should know that greywater shouldn’t be stored for too long to prevent bacteria build-up and unpleasant odor.

It is very important to make use of grey water to prevent foul odor. You can use this water for different purposes like flushing your toilets. The weather temperature of a place also impacts how the gray water can be stored.

8.4. Irrigation

Greywater irrigation is very important. If you do not use the water for your toilet, you can use it on your plants. This helps to reduce water pollution and sends the water into the natural water cycle.

9. Types of Grey Water Systems

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There are different types of greywater systems with unique designs:

9.1. Low-Tech Greywater System

This type of system can be built from the comfort of your house. It is also very easy to use sand filters and biofilters with this system. Here, you depend solely on gravity to transport the water from one place to another within the system.

One important fact about the low-tech system is that you are at liberty to customize it to your taste unlike that of the high-tech system. You should know that they are low maintenance. This implies that you do not have to change the sand filter regularly. It can be replaced every five years, depending on how structured the biofilter is.

The increase in the life span of your sand filter is based on if there are no grease clogs. Since low-tech greywater systems are DIYs (Do it Yourself), the productivity will be based on how well the pipes are installed. If there are leakages in the pipes, it means that they weren’t installed properly.

9.2. High-Tech Greywater System

This type of system is the most well-structured and efficient. They are very portable and can help to save water and recapture heat. You should know that they are mostly installed by the manufacturer. They are also very expensive and are regarded as the most expensive greywater systems available on the market.

This is because they consist of really expensive filters that should be changed regularly so they can function properly.

9.3. Wetland Greywater System

This type of system is the most sustainable and low-maintenance of all greywater irrigation systems. Here, greywater moves directly into the system where it is dispersed over the surface bed. Then, it goes down into a wetland bed to the drainage.

The use of biofilters and sand filters in this system is not needed. This is because there are marsh plants embedded in the system. Since it requires little or no maintenance, the wood chips should be changed regularly. This is to ensure that the plants are all in good shape.

10. In The End

Greywater shouldn’t be discarded but should be put to good use. There are greywater systems that have been made readily available to help recycle the water. Using Greywater can help reduce the amount of energy used from water treatment.

Last Updated on February 2, 2024 by NamitaSoren