PDA

View Full Version : grey water



margene
7-9-12, 11:52am
Since we're in a moderate drought right now, I started watering my vegetable garden with water from the wash machine. But now I'm thinking the detergent is getting on the plants. What are others thought on this? Has anyone done this?
We've had about an inch of rain in the last two months. Hardly any snow this winter so the grounds pretty dry. I'm on a well 80 feet deep At what point should you be concerned about the well going dry?

nocar
7-9-12, 12:42pm
I use Seventh Generation or Dr. Bronner's as laundry soap & have had no issues using my washing machine's greywater in the garden. If you're using biodegradable detergent, you ought to be fine.
I'm on city water & haven't had a well in years so can't speak to your well issue....

puglogic
7-9-12, 4:00pm
How does one do greywater when all the garden areas you want to water are uphill of the major sources? (washing machine etc) I've been frustrated with that.

Margene, you might ask a local well drilling company that question, as I think there are many factors that go into the answer. What might be correct where we are (colorado) might be all wrong for any other location.

Gregg
7-10-12, 9:36am
The effect of a drought on a well is an extremely localized event. Some 80' wells could last 1000 years where another might go dry after a few dry months. It mostly depends on what the source of your water is and how it gets replenished. Local drillers and County extension agents should be able to give you some clues.

Grey water is illegal to use in a whole lot of jurisdictions. That doesn't stop people from using it 'off the grid'. Like nocar said, if you use good biodegradable soaps and no other harsh chemicals you should be fine. I am guessing that grey water use is going to become a lot more fashionable if the current climate trends continue. According to the Drought Monitor (http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/)compiled by our local University of Nebraska close to 80% of the US now ranges from abnormally dry to exceptional drought. Recycling water is a good thing.

RosieTR
7-15-12, 1:09am
I haven't done grey water use from a washing machine, because ours is in the basement and would be a pain to pump up to use for garden watering. I would like to put in a system that uses water from a master bath shower (upstairs) to water trees and shrubs in the yard (downhill). Not sure the legality in CO and thus the ability to get a plumber to do something like that. In Phx greywater was legal with certain regulations and I observed some nifty systems. I do some very simple "grey water" use in that when I wash greens with a salad spinner, I take the water in the reservoir outside and add that to the plants. Seems fine; we use 7th generation soap for the kitchen. Some garden books advocate using soapy water to wash pests off plants so if your plants are tolerating the detergent it's probably fine. I think the concern with grey water use is from pathogens. Thus, using the water from a load of dirty diapers is probably iffy for veggies, though fine enough for ornamental foliage and also trees. Fruit trees have some sort of barrier between the stem and fruit that prevents bacterial contamination which is not true for herbaceous fruits like tomatoes and squashes. Also, leafy greens can take up pathogens as well. This usually becomes an issue with manure fertilizers that haven't composted properly but I suppose there's an outside chance this could happen if someone in the household were sick and you washed soiled clothes, then used the water for a veggie garden. As for the veggies themselves, if you're regularly watering with laundry water you might want to occasionally intersperse with fresh water to wash out salts or whatever that have built up. If it rains, the rain will take care of that. Otherwise, I think you're good! As for the well, I have zero ideas. My guess is that watering with grey water will likely help extend your well depending on your local geography, if the water eventually filters back into the well from the soil.

Gardenarian
7-18-12, 7:18pm
puglogic - if it is a minor slope, the pumping action from a washing machine will be enough to move the water. If you have a real hill, then you will need to install a pump on the line.

The rule for wells is that the grey water should not get any closer to your well than your septic tank does (varies by where you live - your county agricultural extension office might be able to help.) I agree with RosieTR that the water should percolate down to your water table.

Mrs-M
7-20-12, 10:05am
I've never applied grey-water to my beds, but why not give it a try.

Anther idea you may be interested in incorporating into your watering system, Margene, is a water-collection barrel, where all rain-water/runoff, is funneled into collection-barrels for such use.

Gregg
7-20-12, 10:29am
We're renovating a house that we'll be moving into later. I just installed a separate drain line for the washing machine that leads directly out to a gravel bed that is buried in the back yard, in the middle of several trees. When conditions are dry I will simply be able to move the washer drain hose from the regular drain that leads to the city sewer to the grey water drain. We usually use Tide for clothes washing so will have to change that out when we change the drain. I did not do this with the shower drains for a couple reasons. The women in my house use all kinds of crazy product for their hair and I suspect most of them would not be well received by the trees. Second, there is no control over that kind of drain if we happen to go from drought to a very wet cycle or in the winter when the ground is frozen. If our current moderate drought continues to intensify we can always set buckets in the showers after hair is washed to catch a lot of the water.