Graywater is defined as all household wastewater except for that which is used in toilets. The amount of graywater that we use is considerable. With only a few modifications to your plumbing and a switch to biodegradable detergents and soaps, graywater can be safely used to water the plants in your garden.
Graywater systems of this type do not require a permit and are legal within the city and county of Santa Cruz.
Graywater systems not only decrease the burden on septic tanks $500 per pumping and leach fields, they also serve to slow the contamination of groundwater and aquifers.
Consider these statistics: 30 to 60 percent of household water is used for landscape irrigation. A top loading washing machine uses 30 to 50 gallons per load while front-loading machine use 10 to 20 gallons per load older models use more water than newer models.
Showers use a minimum of 25 gallons for a 10 minute shower that figure assumes you are using a low flow shower head. Taking a bath uses 30 to 40 gallons. Kitchen sinks use 5 to 15 gallons per person per day and bathroom sinks use 1 to 5 gallons per person per day.
When these numbers are multiplied for a family of five, over a period of a week, we are talking about thousands of gallons of water going to waste.
A graywater workshop put on by Mama Earth Matters has been scheduled for March 27. It features Laura Allen of Bay Area Greywater Action.
This workshop is designed to instruct the do-it-yourselfer on how to reroute the water from the household washing machines into the garden.
Even areas that are slightly above the elevation of the washing machine can be irrigated, since washing machines are equipped with a pump that gives the water about a five-foot lift. Laundry-to-landscape systems are a practical and simple first step to using wastewater for irrigation.
For one, diverting laundry water doesn't usually require having to go under the house to redo the plumbing. Most of the time it is only necessary to pull out the washing machine and run one section of ¾-inch PVC outside, to make the necessary adaptations. The other good thing about the laundry-to-landscape system is that it doesn't mandate that everyone in your household must make an immediate switch over to organic soaps and products.
Human nature is such that old habits die slowly and expecting everyone to change overnight is not always workable. If suddenly altering the hygienic habits of your teenage kids or your in-laws seems like a daunting prospect, converting your washing machine discharge might seem a good place to start.
The key components of the laundry-to-landscape system are a diverter valve also called a three-way valve which either sends the water into the existing plumbing, or out into the landscape. Then it is necessary to install an antisiphon valve, which prevents water from being sucked out of your washing machine or running back into it.
Somewhere between the antisiphon valve and the garden, it is suggested that a tee be installed with a female garden hose connection. This enables the occasional flushing of the system to clear it of lint and debris.
The final component is a network of distribution tubes similar to drip systems, which takes the water to the individual plants. Digging water retention basins for larger plants and trees, then mulching are also important steps to this system.
For those rural homes using septic systems, the reasons to install a graywater diversion system are especially compelling. Graywater puts an immense strain on leach fields, and helps to max out your septic tank. Diverting your graywater into your landscape helps alleviate this problem and actually leads to less contamination of groundwater.
In fact, the ecosystem of a mulch basin around a plant makes for a very effective wastewater treatment system. and wastewater is filtered more effectively when released on the surface of the ground rather than under it.
The microbes in the soil convert organic impurities in the wastewater into nutrients, which are then available for uptake by the roots of the plants. The result is water that is purer than what is discharged from a sewage treatment plant.
Backyard Graywater Workshop -- Laundry to Landscape Oasis
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 27
Cost: Sliding scale $35-$75
Where: Maha Mandala Homestead, 2591 Mattison Lane, Live Oak
Details: 464-9664
For More Information
Please contact me if you'd like more information about our community or real estate market:
Walter Stauss, Lifestyles Real Estate
500 Seabright Avenue, Santa Cruz, California 95062
Cell: 831.246.4663, Email: walter@831.com, Web: http://www.831.com DRE #01105052
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