Site location: Berkeley, CA These tomatoes were grown using a laundry to landscape greywater system. After the first growing season with greywater irrigation the owner reported, “It seemed like the vegetables were on steroids!” Goals: To replace freshwater irrigation with greywater irrigation, give more water to the garden, and save time. […]
Laundry-to-landscape (L2L) System with Exterior Wall The laundry room in this house has an exterior wall, so the greywater pipe travels directly outside. The hose from the washing machine is connected to a 3-way diverter valve, which controls the flow of greywater. The valve directs greywater to the sewer/septic system or outside to the greywater […]
Branched Drain System from Shower: Exposed Pipes Site location: Oakland, CA Goals: To reduce water use and grow fruit. Site description: The plumbing from the shower is exposed in the unfinished laundry room downstairs. There is enough height to travel outside to the landscape. The yard is already planted with fruit trees, fruiting vines, and veggie […]
Woodchip Biofilters Kitchen Sink Woodchip Biofilters Greywater from the kitchen sink contains grease and food particles, which can cause clogging and slow infiltration into the soil. After years of sometimes foul-smelling experimentation, greywater pioneers have concluded that the best way to trap grease and food particles and create habitat for decomposers is with woodchips in […]
Greywater Systems in Freezing Climates Year-round greywater reuse in cold climates can be a challenge. What to do with all that water when the garden’s under snow? Will greywater freeze in the pipes? Many greywater users divert greywater to a sewer or septic system during the cold season, but it’s possible to reuse greywater even in the […]
Kitchen Sink System- Branched Drain Goals: To replace freshwater irrigation with greywater irrigation. Site description: Easy to access crawlspace, yard sloping towards the front. At this site, the shower and washing machine greywater pipes were much harder to access than the kitchen sink. Fixtures and output One person using the sink, around 10 gallons per […]
Laundry-to-landscape: Raised Beds Goals: To replace freshwater irrigation with greywater irrigation. Site description: This house is a duplex, both washing machines were used to irrigate the yard. Due to the small size of the site, the washing machine greywater alone irrigated the majority of the backyard plants. Only one raised bed was not irrigated with […]
Shower system with electronically controlled diverter valve Site location: Richmond, CA Goals: To reduce water use and grow fruit trees for food security. Site description:A small crawl space, tight shower plumbing and limited space with barely enough slope to exit over the cement foundation. Outside the yard is flat, with a cement walkway. All the trees […]
DIY Pedal Powered Washers Pedal powered washer made from a 55 gallon drum Site location: Oakland, CA Pedal powered washer made from a 50 gallon drum and an old bike.The washing machine was built in 2 days from scrap material. Put your clothes and some soap (garden-friendly, like Oasis) in, fill it up with water, let […]