"Staycalm" wrote in message
u...
I'm interested in some low cost solutions to using our grey water. Anyone
got any hints on how to go about it? Good website references would help
too.
What sort of detergent is best when on this system?

Liz

if you want to use grey water for the sake of reducing your water usage a
simple option is to have a system that recycles it to flush the toilet. The
grey water ends up in waste treatment but has had two cycles through your
house rather than one. The same amount of water does 2 jobs rather than 1.
This will avoid some of the questions as to what you can spread on your
garden.

If you want to water your garden that is a different matter. Some system of
rainwater harvesting may be more straight forward and chances are the
quality of rain water will be better than grey water.

rob

I'm interested in some low cost solutions to using our grey water. Anyone
got any hints on how to go about it? Good website references would help too.
What sort of detergent is best when on this system?

Liz

Staycalm wrote:
I'm interested in some low cost solutions to using our grey water. Anyone
got any hints on how to go about it? Good website references would help too.

http://www.greywaterreuse.com.au/

I attended a saturday workshop with Ross, and he really knows his
stuff.

Essentially (from memory):

* don't use greywater from your kitchen sink. This water probably
accounts for less than 10% of your greywater production, but the
grease and crud in your sink water will probably give you 90% of
the problems

* don't use on your vege garden. That is the official word, although
lots of people do. As long as you are using drippers it is probably
fine, maybe not for root veg

* if you can use a gravity feed system it will save you a great deal
in setup and maintenance costs

* don't mix greywater with rainwater

* don't save your greywater too long. Empty the tank daily is ideal,
although your plants are probably better off on a 3 day cycle.
Perhaps if you rotate the watering zone...

* your greywater collection system must overflow back into the
sewer

* other stuff that I have forgotten (I haven't actually implemented a
greywater system)

If you are in Perth Ross will come out and prepare a greywater
plan for your block for a very reasonable fee.

What sort of detergent is best when on this system?

Ross showed us a table which had all the brands cross referenced
against phosphates and other salts. A lot of the brands increased
salts when they reduced phosphates and that is bad for your garden.
The liquid detergents however had much lower salt levels, so a good
rule of thumb is to use a liquid detergent and you should be fine.

"Staycalm" writes:
I'm interested in some low cost solutions to using our grey water. Anyone
got any hints on how to go about it? Good website references would help too.
What sort of detergent is best when on this system?

You might get more ideas if you indicate whether your water contains
powdered dishwasher detergent, and whether you are dependent on rain
water tanks or have town water. Also, "garden" is a very broad description
including everything from gum trees to delicate herbs. It's best to avoid
grey water on edible crops and where it might splash onto edible parts of
plants.

But if you are sparing in use of detergents and use almost no chemical
pot cleanser, then kitchen sink water is fine for flowering shrubs (e.g.,
camelias) and fruit trees (e.g., stonefruit, citrus). Ditto for laundry
water. After all, the alternative is death by desiccation. As others
recommend, alternate the grey water with fresh as much as possible. Use
plenty of mulch around your plants to reduce moisture loss and to
encourage microorganisms that will breakdown the organic stuff in the
water.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

In article .com,
wrote:


* don't use on your vege garden. That is the official word, although
lots of people do. As long as you are using drippers it is probably
fine, maybe not for root veg

From what I understand, the fear is that some of your intestinal bugs have
made it into the water from the shower, or via your clothes, and will then
give you gastro when you eat the vegies that they have landed on. Given that
most keen gardeners shovel you-know-what on their gardens anyway, this seems a
bit hysterical. I wrote to Gardening Australia once asking why a bit of human
faecal matter was such a worry given Pete's enthusiasm for ordure, and they
said they were just following what the water/health authorities said. They
carefully refrained from comment on the realities of gardening!

What sort of detergent is best when on this system?

Ross showed us a table which had all the brands cross referenced
against phosphates and other salts. A lot of the brands increased
salts when they reduced phosphates and that is bad for your garden.
The liquid detergents however had much lower salt levels, so a good
rule of thumb is to use a liquid detergent and you should be fine.

I use the Planet Ark low-phosphate detergent. The bananas look fine so far...

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

"Chookie" wrote in message
...
In article .com,
wrote:


* don't use on your vege garden. That is the official word, although
lots of people do. As long as you are using drippers it is probably
fine, maybe not for root veg

From what I understand, the fear is that some of your intestinal bugs have
made it into the water from the shower, or via your clothes, and will then
give you gastro when you eat the vegies that they have landed on.

accepting this may in fact be true, what I wonder is if the greebies
eminated from me in the first place, how would eating food soaked in these
greebies further harm me? If they are inside me, surely the effect would be
the same once they re-enter me in food?

rob

"Chookie" wrote in

From what I understand, the fear is that some of your intestinal
bugs have
made it into the water from the shower, or via your clothes, and
will then
give you gastro when you eat the vegies that they have landed on.
Given that
most keen gardeners shovel you-know-what on their gardens anyway,
this seems a
bit hysterical. I wrote to Gardening Australia once asking why a
bit of human
faecal matter was such a worry given Pete's enthusiasm for ordure,
and they
said they were just following what the water/health authorities
said. They
carefully refrained from comment on the realities of gardening!

Did you see the show where Peter went to a garden that was vitually
run on grey water (maybe 2-3 months ago)? Very lush but the veggie
garden had become water repellant. Cundall said that it was because
of the chemicals in the grey water and not to use it any more.

"George.com" wrote in message
"Chookie" wrote in message

From what I understand, the fear is that some of your intestinal
bugs have
made it into the water from the shower, or via your clothes, and
will then
give you gastro when you eat the vegies that they have landed on.

accepting this may in fact be true, what I wonder is if the greebies
eminated from me in the first place, how would eating food soaked in
these
greebies further harm me? If they are inside me, surely the effect
would be
the same once they re-enter me in food?

Are you the only one who washes their hands in your house or uses the
shower? Are you the only one who eats the veg from your garden?

I don't think I'd like to have a salad at a house where they were
using untreated grey water on their veg.

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"George.com" wrote in message
"Chookie" wrote in message

From what I understand, the fear is that some of your intestinal
bugs have
made it into the water from the shower, or via your clothes, and
will then
give you gastro when you eat the vegies that they have landed on.

accepting this may in fact be true, what I wonder is if the greebies
eminated from me in the first place, how would eating food soaked in
these
greebies further harm me? If they are inside me, surely the effect
would be
the same once they re-enter me in food?

Are you the only one who washes their hands in your house or uses the
shower? Are you the only one who eats the veg from your garden?

I don't think I'd like to have a salad at a house where they were
using untreated grey water on their veg.

Grey water would be suitable for citrus and other fruit trees wouldn't it?

Liz

"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
...
"George.com" wrote in message
"Chookie" wrote in message

From what I understand, the fear is that some of your intestinal
bugs have
made it into the water from the shower, or via your clothes, and
will then
give you gastro when you eat the vegies that they have landed on.

accepting this may in fact be true, what I wonder is if the greebies
eminated from me in the first place, how would eating food soaked in
these
greebies further harm me? If they are inside me, surely the effect
would be
the same once they re-enter me in food?

Are you the only one who washes their hands in your house or uses the
shower? Are you the only one who eats the veg from your garden?

I don't think I'd like to have a salad at a house where they were
using untreated grey water on their veg.

Me and my wife only. I would think that anything she has, or vice versa, we
would share through daily contact or more amorous adventures. I accept your
statement about sharing with other people. Still, if only me and the better
1/2 I still don't see that it would be bad for us. Doesn't mean I will use
grey water on the garden.

rob

Chookie wrote:
The bananas look fine so far...

You've got BANANAS?! You are a rich man! I hope they're insured and
registered. will you auction them off on eBay?


--
ant
Don't try to email me;
I'm borrowing the spammer du jour's addy

"Staycalm" wrote in message
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message
"George.com" wrote in message

accepting this may in fact be true, what I wonder is if the
greebies
eminated from me in the first place, how would eating food soaked
in
these
greebies further harm me? If they are inside me, surely the
effect
would be
the same once they re-enter me in food?

Are you the only one who washes their hands in your house or uses
the
shower? Are you the only one who eats the veg from your garden?

I don't think I'd like to have a salad at a house where they were
using untreated grey water on their veg.

Grey water would be suitable for citrus and other fruit trees
wouldn't it?

Yes. But do note the comments by John Savage and Chookie's comment
about soap choice.

"George.com" wrote in message
"Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow wrote in message

Are you the only one who washes their hands in your house or uses
the
shower? Are you the only one who eats the veg from your garden?

I don't think I'd like to have a salad at a house where they were
using untreated grey water on their veg.

Me and my wife only. I would think that anything she has, or vice
versa, we
would share through daily contact or more amorous adventures.

Maybe, but I suspect that some of the gut goobies can be person
specific.

For example, if your wife picks up Giardia someplace, I'm not sure if
she can give it to you by just day to day contact but it can live in
her gut for months unless treated. I know someone who had it for
months but her partner never got it. I know that it can survive for
months in the "wild".

I accept your
statement about sharing with other people. Still, if only me and the
better
1/2 I still don't see that it would be bad for us. Doesn't mean I
will use
grey water on the garden.

No. Worth exploring though but I'd want to know lots about it before
I'd try it on veg.

In article , "ant"
wrote:

Chookie wrote:
The bananas look fine so far...

You've got BANANAS?! You are a rich man! I hope they're insured and
registered. will you auction them off on eBay?

Woman :-) They're the little sugar bananas, and there are no bananas there
yet. In Sydney, it can take 18 months to get from flower to eating.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

In article , "George.com"
wrote:

accepting this may in fact be true, what I wonder is if the greebies
eminated from me in the first place, how would eating food soaked in these
greebies further harm me? If they are inside me, surely the effect would be
the same once they re-enter me in food?

They belong at the lower end of your digestive tract, and cause problems if
they get into the upper part.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue