March 1, 2022 – As more parts of the world face drought, reusing water in safe ways makes sense. One of these ways is to reuse “greywater” – water that has been used once in showers, bathroom sinks and showers. The Soil Science Society of America’s (SSSA) March 1st Soils Matter blog reviews how greywater systems work in yards.
According to blogger Josep Ferrer, who works at Greywater Corps in California, “most of our projects involve retrofitting single family homes to separate grey water from black water. We then set up systems to reuse that greywater to feed plants outside.”
“First, we get in the crawlspace under the house and modify the plumbing to separate grey water from black water. From there we install four types of systems, three of which use untreated, raw greywater, meaning no filters and very low maintenance.” They are:
Laundry to landscape (L2L): this type of system uses the washing machine’s internal pump to move greywater. It can irrigate across level terrain or downhill.
Branched drain (BD): this system uses gravity flow directly from plumbing fixtures to move gray water. It can only irrigate downhill.
Pumped system (PS): pumped systems use a motorized pump to move greywater. They can irrigate uphill.
“Greywater can be applied to a wide range of landscape designs and plant palettes, from verdant tropical reveries to riparian habitats shaded by sycamores, to edible gardens bursting with fruit. In low water gardens, grey water can be applied to key plants like fruit trees, shade trees and perennials. Grey water systems generate large amounts of water and discharge it all at once, so they are best paired with larger plants that can absorb it.”
To read the full blog, visit https://soilsmatter.wordpress.com/2022/03/01/how-can-homeowners-recycle-grey-water/.
2022 marks the 50-year anniversary of the Clean Water Act. This Act aims to restore and maintain the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the nation’s water resources. Soil Science Society of America, Crop Science Society of America, and American Society of Agronomy are celebrating the Act by collecting blogs, news stories and research papers here. Be sure to subscribe to the Soils Matter blog to get updated information: https://soilsmatter.wordpress.com
Follow SSSA on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SSSA.soils, Twitter at SSSA_Soils. SSSA has soils information on www.soils.org/discover-soils, for teachers at www.soils4teachers.org, and for students through 12th grade, www.soils4kids.org.
The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is a progressive international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, WI, and founded in 1936, SSSA is the professional home for 6,000+ members and 1,000+ certified professionals dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. The Society provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling, and wise land use.
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Credit: Greywater Corps
Caption: This yard in California is watered with greywater from showers, laundry, and bathroom sinks. Reuse of water in this safe way helps the homeowners enjoy some shade and green space.
Credit: Greywater Corps
Caption: After diverting water from sinks, showers and washing machines, the water flows into a yard with tubing and trenches. Mulch is used to hold the water, which can then soak out into the surrounding soil to provide water for plants.
Credit: Greywater Corps
Caption: Staff from Greywater Corps goes into the crawl space under homes. There, they divert water from sinks, showers and washing machines into the grey water collection system outdoors.
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