Greywater recycling

There are many studies on the safety of reusing greywater. A consensus among studies is that greywater is not safe to ingest, and thus greywater systems should keep greywater in pipes and soaking into the ground to prevent accidental ingestion. This page contains summaries and links to several studies on greywater.

You can find many greywater system materials at a local salvage yard. Each type of system requires a few specialty parts that can be found from online stores, large plumbing supply houses, and irrigation stores. Read more about where to find parts for your greywater system here.

TaroWetlands are nature's water purifiers. They remove nutrients filter sediments from floodwaters, and can be designed to remove nutrients and other pollutants from stormwater and wastewater.Although greywater used for irrigation does not need treatment, constructed wetlands can be used to treat greywater for destined for the aquifer or a local creek, river, pond, or estuary, or to create backyard wildlife habitat.

When thinking about treating greywater in a wetland, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Apple tree watered with greywater.Whatever your water source, grow plants that produce food, provide habitat to wildlife, or create other beneficial uses like mulch, fertilizer, fuel, or building materials!

Read more about how and where to irrigate plants with greywater, what to consider when choosing plants, and how to keep plants healthy.

In a well-functioning greywater system, greywater soaks into the ground without  pooling or running off. In general, clayey soils drain very slowly, while sandy or gravelly soils drain quickly. A home percolation test is a simple way to measure how quickly your soil drains and to determine how much area you need to infiltrate the greywater.