The message
from "Sparks" contains these words:

I have installed a complete irrigation system in my garden, but would like
to use grey water if possible. (Water would be from the bath, shower and
hand basin)

Am I allowed to use it in my own garden?

If you have a hosepipe ban, it's a ban on the use of hosepipes per se,
and even rainwater must not be supplied through a pipe.

During a hosepipe ban, you can still use a watering-can, but what the
eye doesn't see...

Otherwise, no problems. Just don't use the water from a washing machine
or dishwasher.

If so, do I need to do anything to the water to make it suitable for use?

Nope, but don't use it if you've (for instance) soaked fabrics in the
bath/basin with a washing powder/fluid.

The current system takes water from the roof and stores it in 2 1450 Litre
containers (above ground)
The filtration I have on this is a simple mesh bucket (Used for planting
plants in ponds) followed by a bucket of gravel (The exit holes at the
bottom of the bucket are covered with smaller pond plant pots, so the gravel
doesn't escape!)
This then drains into a small water butt, a pump then pumps the water into
one of the 1400 litre containers, this is then connected to a second one at
the bottom, and a high pressure pump then delivers the water to the
irrigation system.

I was thinking of installing a small tank with another pump (with a float
switch) that would also feed into the 1400L containers, but was unsure if
the water needed some kind of treatment to remove soap etc.?


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You can make a sand filter out of a piece of plastic tube, dustbin, etc.

In the bottom have large pebbles, on top of those, smaller ones, then
smaller, then gravel, then sand. This is to prevent the sand washing
through and out of the outlet.

Then, reverse the process on top, but cap the stones with some large
ones. The stones at the top act as a coarse filter, but more
importantly, to prevent the inflow of water stirring-up the sand.

Begin by passing rainwater through it, and after a couple of weeks,
there will be a build-up of algae coating the stones and grains of sand,
and these will eat any bacteria, nitrates, etc, and then pass your grey
water through, and it will break down soap, etc, and the water which
comes out should be drinkable.

I'm about to install something very similar.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/