View Single Post
  #3   Report Post  
Old 23-09-2014, 11:35 PM posted to rec.gardens
David Hare-Scott[_2_] David Hare-Scott[_2_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Sep 2008
Posts: 3,036
Default Washer draining for watering lawns

Guv Bob wrote:
Anyone know if there are any goofy Calif rules regarding diverting
washing machine water to a container for watering the lawn? In my
case I only use off-the-shelf liquid detergent and no softener or
bleach.

If some special Kooky Calif rule soap is required and it works OK, I
would gladly switch if that keep from having to dump so much water
down the drain.

Thanks in advance.

Bob



I cannot answer about your local goverment rules you would be in a better
position to ask them rather than an international group.

As far as using grey water goes it is not recommended that you store it, or
if you do only do so for a short period of time. The risk is that if it is
left around microbes will start to grow and it may become more dangerous.
Recommended grey water systems distribute directly on to the garden where
the chance of the bugs in it taking over from those in the soil is very low.

Aside from microbes another consideration is the amount of salts in your
cleaning products. Many washing-up and laundry cleansers have high amounts
of sodium carbonate. This can raise the pH of your soil and sodise it . It
depends on the amount applied, the type of soil you have and the amount of
clean water applied to flush the salts out but it could kill your soil or
greatly reduce its fertility.


--
David

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A better world requires a daily struggle
against those who would mislead us.