Greywater Recycling Do’s and Don’ts

Greywater recycling systems and rain water harvesting tanks are a great way to save water and money; these activities are good for the environment too. With grey water use, there are certain do’s & don’ts outlined by the article below.

The Australian Government Living Greener  website defines greywater as wastewater from a range of sources including the bath, bathroom basin, laundry and shower.

Not to be confused with ‘black water’ – such as wastewater from toilet – properly treated greywater can be used as a way to conserve potable drinking water for use in applications such as:

• watering the garden and lawn irrigation
• toilet flushing
• laundry use (washing machine)

Installing an effective greywater treatment system can significantly reduce the demand on drinkable water, and reduce the amount of wastewater discharged to the environment.

The Living Greener initiative outlines some of the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of greywater use.

Do:

• Wash your hands after watering with greywater
• Use garden-friendly cleaning products that are biodegradable and are free from or low in sodium and phosphorous
• Pipe greywater underground or under mulch to water your garden
• Irrigate your ornamentals and orchards, making sure greywater is not in direct contact with fruit
• Regularly check your greywater system is working properly
• Divert greywater to the sewer during wet periods
• Stop using greywater if someone in the household is sick
• Check your state and local regulations
• Use a licensed plumber to install your system
• Avoid clogged soil by use a coarse filter to reduce the amount of solids in your greywater
• Make sure you contain greywater within your property

Don’t:

• Store untreated greywater for more than 24 hours
• Use greywater to water vegetables and herbs that are to be eaten raw or partly cooked
• Use greywater sourced from washing nappies or soiled clothes
• Use greywater that has disinfectants and bleaches in it
• Use greywater from kitchens, unless it has been treated
• Use greywater that is still hot as it will kill beneficial organisms in the soil
• Spray or hose greywater
• Allow pets to drink greywater

Source: Infolink (Abbrev.)

Click on the links below to find the right JoJo water tank for your greywater system or rainwater harvesting system.

JoJo Tanks South Africa offer a wide range of products such as plastic water tanks and chemical tanks to suit every household, business or agricultural need, including silo tanks and silo tank stands as well as other high quality JoJo Tanks products.  See JoJo Tanks’ VERTICAL TANKS, HORIZONTAL TANKS (transporter tanks), STEEL TANK STANDS and OTHER JOJO PRODUCTS and see JoJo Tanks’ NEW 6000 LITRE UNDERGROUND TANKS. Also see our FAQ and WATER TANK PRICES.