What is Waste Water?

1. What is Waste Water? Waste water includes both “grey” and “black” water. Graywater: Any wash water that has been used in the home, except water from toilets, is called greywater. Dish, shower, sink, and laundry water comprise 50-80% of residential "waste" water. Blackwater: toilet flush water

2. The average home produces 25-40 gallons of waste water per person, per day. • That’s about 1,000 gallons a week for an average family of four. • That’s a lot of water!! • What happens to it all?

3. What happens to waste water when it leaves my house? • Septic System: An onsite, small scale sewer treatment that treats household wastewater by temporarily holding it in a tank where heavy solids and lighter scum are allowed to separate from the water . The water then flows evenly into a network of buried pipelines. Drainage holes at the bottom of each line allow the water to drain into gravel trenches where it slowly seeps into the subsurface soil. The soil will further filter the water. If properly functioning, the groundwater is ideally not polluted.

4. What happens to waste water when it leaves my house? • Sewage Treatment Facility: A plant for processing large amounts of wastewater. Solids and grit are separated out, water is then disinfected with sodium hypochlorite, chlorine or chlorine dioxide. This treated water is then discharged into the nearest body of water: river, bay, ocean, etc Sewage Plant Tour

5. Another Option: a greywater system • Recycle your household greywater for irrigation.

6. Using Greywater… • Rocks, sand, soil and other organic matter has the ability to filter and clean water • Plants can use many of the minerals from our household grey water to help them grow • The water from your house will find its way back into the water cycle in a simple and natural way

7. Think before you put it in your water! • The majority of particles that get washed down household drains are not harmful to the environment and can even have nutrients from which plants can benefit. • Lint, hair, food bits, dirt, oils from skin and dishes, etc. • Use as little cleaner or detergent as possible • Avoid cleaners with Boron (Borax)-toxic to plants • Avoid chlorinated and non-chlorinated bleach • Use cleaners with little to no sodium- sodium buildup can harm plants • Use biocompatible or biodegradable soap/cleaner

8. Where can graywater be used? • Ornamental shrubs and landscape • Non-edible trees • Flowers • Fruit trees • Vegetables (excluding leafy greens) that will be cooked before eating

9. Simple Graywater Systems • Dishpan dump—draining directly from kitchen or bathroom sink into a large bucket. When the bucket is full, simply take it outside and pour it in a flower bed or at the base of tree or shrub. • Garden hose from the bathroom—attach a hose to the sink drain, washing machine drain or place it in bathtub to act as a siphon (rather than using the drain). Move the hose around your yard/garden to water plants, trees and landscaping as needed.

10. Simple Graywater Systems • Drain into mulch basin—water can be drained directly outside the house if certain precautions are taken. • Earth outside must be slopping away from the house • Pipe water away from foundation at least 2 feet • Drain into ditch filled with mulch • Outlet is covered with rocks to prevent dirt and sediment from entering pip • Mulch basins will clean/filter water much like water is naturally filtered in a wetland or through the soil.

11. But…Why use Greywater?

12. Lower fresh water use • Greywater can replace fresh water in many instances, saving money and your regional water supply. Residential water use is almost evenly split between indoor and outdoor. All except toilet water could be recycled outdoors, achieving the same result with significantly less water diverted from nature.

13. Less strain on septic tank or treatment plant • Greywater use greatly extends the useful life and capacity of septic systems. For municipal treatment systems, decreased wastewater flow means higher treatment effectiveness and lower costs.

14. Less energy and chemical use • Less energy and chemicals are used due to the reduced amount of both freshwater and wastewater that needs pumping and treatment. Also, treating your wastewater in the soil under your own feet encourages one to dump fewer toxic chemicals down the drain.

15. Plant growth and Reclamation of nutrients • Greywater enables a landscape to flourish where water may not otherwise be available to support much plant growth. • Loss of nutrients through wastewater disposal in rivers or oceans is a subtle, but highly significant form of erosion. Reclaiming nutrients in grey water helps to maintain the fertility of the land.

16. Just Because • Using greywater can yield the satisfaction of taking responsibly for an important resource • It’s fun and interesting to experiment with

17. Would you use Greywater? • Complex and beautiful example With the person sitting next to you, write: • 5 reasons you would want to use a graywater system • 5 reasons you would not • Convince someone to or to not use greywater in one sentence…