I wonder is there any reason one shouldn't use bath/shower waste water on
the garden?

Obviously the output from washing machines, dishwashers etc. is a fairly
good path cleaner, but I wonder if any of the preparations, mixes and other
paraphernalia found in modern bathrooms is harmful to gardens.

--
William Tasso

In article , William Tasso
writes
I wonder is there any reason one shouldn't use bath/shower waste water on
the garden?

Obviously the output from washing machines, dishwashers etc. is a fairly
good path cleaner, but I wonder if any of the preparations, mixes and other
paraphernalia found in modern bathrooms is harmful to gardens.

--
William Tasso


Someone has suggested in my thread about saving water for a football
pitch and a Lawn Bowls site I am making, that this 'grey' water can be
used for watering. There will be water from showers in the players
changing room and from the kitchen and bars, so there will be plenty for
us :-))

Mike
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forthcoming reunions. Royal Navy Social Weekend Sussex May 2nd - 5th.
H.M.S.Collingwood Association Chatham May 30th - June 2nd
British Pacific Fleet Hayling Island Sept 5th - 8th
Castle Class Corvettes Assn. Isle of Wight. Oct 3rd - 6th. Plus many more

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer ^W^W^W^W uk.rec.gardening, I
heard William Tasso say...
I wonder is there any reason one shouldn't use bath/shower waste water on
the garden?

Obviously the output from washing machines, dishwashers etc. is a fairly
good path cleaner, but I wonder if any of the preparations, mixes and other
paraphernalia found in modern bathrooms is harmful to gardens.

No. Pa replumbed our house years ago so that all the waste water from
the bath & sinks went into a barrel. In very dry summers he also
diverted the dishwasher & washing machine outflows onto the grass. Made
the grass go yellowish, but by the time it had run down the hill onto
the beds it seemed to have no ill effect on the plants.
--
Fenny
Afternoon snacks have very few civil liberties.

in article , William Tasso at
wrote on 18/4/03 7:49 am:

I wonder is there any reason one shouldn't use bath/shower waste water on
the garden?

Obviously the output from washing machines, dishwashers etc. is a fairly
good path cleaner, but I wonder if any of the preparations, mixes and other
paraphernalia found in modern bathrooms is harmful to gardens.

In the drought of 1976 people were positively encouraged to do this and many
a bathroom had a hosepipe wriggling out of its window. To a lot of people's
surprise, the soap in the waste water did wonders for getting rid of
greenfly!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk

Sacha scribbled:

In the drought of 1976 people were positively encouraged to do this
and many a bathroom had a hosepipe wriggling out of its window. To a
lot of people's surprise, the soap in the waste water did wonders for
getting rid of greenfly!


I remember someone being taken to court for using a hose pipe to do just
that in '76. Apparently some "do-gooder reported him to the water
Auth.During a hosepipe ban the source of the water is not an issue, the use
of a hosepipe is. So yes re use bath water but be careful who is watching!

SR

William Tasso wrote:
I wonder is there any reason one shouldn't use bath/shower waste
water on the garden?


Thank you one and all - that'll do it for me. The bathroom waste water will
shortly be finding an alternative route to ground.

Fenny:: I'm glad the washing machine water worked for you but in my
experience it's a damn efficient way to clear a patch - even takes out
ground elder.

--
William Tasso

Essjay001 wrote:

Sacha scribbled:

In the drought of 1976 people were positively encouraged to do this
and many a bathroom had a hosepipe wriggling out of its window. To a
lot of people's surprise, the soap in the waste water did wonders for
getting rid of greenfly!


I remember someone being taken to court for using a hose pipe to do just
that in '76. Apparently some "do-gooder reported him to the water
Auth.During a hosepipe ban the source of the water is not an issue, the use
of a hosepipe is. So yes re use bath water but be careful who is watching!

er, no. The use of the hosepipe isn't at issue, as it were. I checked
this during a hosepipe ban during the early 90s. You are perfectly
entitled to use your hosepipe to carry grey wastewater to the garden. If
your use of the hose is called into question, then the water company
will/should inspect the hose, looking for the coating of soap scum, shed
hair and other gunge that lines a hose used for this purpose (and it
does, I've seen/smelt it). If the hose has the coating, they know it's
been used for that purpose. If not, or perhaps if the coating is far too
thin to explain a very lush garden, they may conclude you've been using
it for tap water.

regards
sarah

--
"Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view,
is silence about truth." Aldous Huxley

William Tasso wrote:

William Tasso wrote:
I wonder is there any reason one shouldn't use bath/shower waste
water on the garden?


Thank you one and all - that'll do it for me. The bathroom waste water will
shortly be finding an alternative route to ground.

Just don't try to store it for any length of time: the organic content
starts to rot and the standing water stinks to high heaven.

regards
sarah


--
"Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view,
is silence about truth." Aldous Huxley

In article , swroot
writes

Just don't try to store it for any length of time: the organic content
starts to rot and the standing water stinks to high heaven.

regards
sarah


Do you happen to know if this problem can be avoided by,

A) Storage in a covered/sealed tank

and/or

B) Mixed in with the rainwater?

My plans do have rather a lot of water from, a large roof which on the
latest plan is just under 2500 sq. metres, showers in changing rooms,
wash hand basin sinks, kitchen and Bar water (glass washing that is)

To mix or not to mix.
To cover or not to cover.

Would appreciate any advice please.

Mike


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forthcoming reunions. Royal Navy Social Weekend Sussex May 2nd - 5th.
H.M.S.Collingwood Association Chatham May 30th - June 2nd
British Pacific Fleet Hayling Island Sept 5th - 8th
Castle Class Corvettes Assn. Isle of Wight. Oct 3rd - 6th. Plus many more

Mike wrote:

In article , swroot
writes

Just don't try to store it for any length of time: the organic content
starts to rot and the standing water stinks to high heaven.


Do you happen to know if this problem can be avoided by,

A) Storage in a covered/sealed tank
and/or

B) Mixed in with the rainwater?

My plans do have rather a lot of water from, a large roof which on the
latest plan is just under 2500 sq. metres, showers in changing rooms,
wash hand basin sinks, kitchen and Bar water (glass washing that is)

To mix or not to mix.
To cover or not to cover.

Would appreciate any advice please.

FWIW the smell was that of the finest quality rich black
bottom-of-the-pond sludge. And when we washed the container out (about
once each summer) that's what we found in the bottom of it: lovely black
gunge.

Best advice I can give is to use it as quickly as possible, or find some
way of filtering the organics (soap, dead skin, hair, etc) out before
you store it. I have heard/read of people who feed their grey wastewater
through a reed bed purification system, then into a (presumably large!)
garden pond.

We stored ours *briefly* (ie overnight) in a water butt. Leave it two
days and it started to smell. I can't think of any reason that storage
in a sealed tank would prevent the stuff rotting, as I'd guess the
process is anaerobic anyway (Nick?). A sealed tank would mean only you
didn't smell it until it started flowing out onto the garden.

Mixing with rainwater would dilute the nutrients a bit, but they'd still
be there and the conditions would still be appropriate for rotting, so I
think it would still smell. I'd keep the rainwater separate in any case,
as it's useful for lime-intolerant plants and it's cleaner (so to speak)
than the wastewater.

regards
sarah



--
"Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view,
is silence about truth." Aldous Huxley

In article , swroot
writes

FWIW the smell was that of the finest quality rich black
bottom-of-the-pond sludge. And when we washed the container out (about
once each summer) that's what we found in the bottom of it: lovely black
gunge.
This was just from a household's use I assume?

Best advice I can give is to use it as quickly as possible, or find some
way of filtering the organics (soap, dead skin, hair, etc) out before
you store it. I have heard/read of people who feed their grey wastewater
through a reed bed purification system, then into a (presumably large!)
garden pond.
Rather a problem there, in that I am thinking the changing rooms/showers
of a football club :-( I don't see the room for a reed bed or large
pond!

We stored ours *briefly* (ie overnight) in a water butt. Leave it two
days and it started to smell. I can't think of any reason that storage
in a sealed tank would prevent the stuff rotting, as I'd guess the
process is anaerobic anyway (Nick?). A sealed tank would mean only you
didn't smell it until it started flowing out onto the garden.

On your information I think I am going to give the 'Grey Water' idea a
miss, but will offer the advice to those who have the final say when it
gets that far. Thanks

Mixing with rainwater would dilute the nutrients a bit, but they'd still
be there and the conditions would still be appropriate for rotting, so I
think it would still smell. I'd keep the rainwater separate in any case,
as it's useful for lime-intolerant plants and it's cleaner (so to speak)
than the wastewater.

I really did want to keep the rainwater on its own. Mainly for the Bowls
Green, but also for the Football Pitch. The Bowls Green will of course
need/get more TLC :-))

(4 people emailed me 'Do I want a Groundsman?' Not up to me but I will
take names and addresses :-)) Must point out we are only just at the JCB
clearing the scrub stage)

regards
sarah



Many thanks :-))

Mike
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forthcoming reunions. Royal Navy Social Weekend Sussex May 2nd - 5th.
H.M.S.Collingwood Association Chatham May 30th - June 2nd
British Pacific Fleet Hayling Island Sept 5th - 8th
Castle Class Corvettes Assn. Isle of Wight. Oct 3rd - 6th. Plus many more

It doesn't matter what the case was in the '90's. This happened in'76 when
things were different. I kept the cutting from our local paper. for many
years.

"Calling someone a liar makes your nose bleed"


swroot scribbled:

Essjay001 wrote:

Sacha scribbled:

In the drought of 1976 people were positively encouraged to do this
and many a bathroom had a hosepipe wriggling out of its window. To
a lot of people's surprise, the soap in the waste water did wonders
for getting rid of greenfly!

I remember someone being taken to court for using a hose pipe to do
just that in '76. Apparently some "do-gooder reported him to the
water Auth.During a hosepipe ban the source of the water is not an
issue, the use of a hosepipe is. So yes re use bath water but be
careful who is watching!

er, no. The use of the hosepipe isn't at issue, as it were. I checked
this during a hosepipe ban during the early 90s. You are perfectly
entitled to use your hosepipe to carry grey wastewater to the garden.
If your use of the hose is called into question, then the water
company will/should inspect the hose, looking for the coating of soap
scum, shed hair and other gunge that lines a hose used for this
purpose (and it does, I've seen/smelt it). If the hose has the
coating, they know it's been used for that purpose. If not, or
perhaps if the coating is far too thin to explain a very lush garden,
they may conclude you've been using it for tap water.

regards
sarah

Mike wrote:

In article , swroot
writes

FWIW the smell was that of the finest quality rich black
bottom-of-the-pond sludge. And when we washed the container out (about
once each summer) that's what we found in the bottom of it: lovely black
gunge.
This was just from a household's use I assume?

Yes, specifically the bath waste: two showers/day.



Best advice I can give is to use it as quickly as possible, or find some
way of filtering the organics (soap, dead skin, hair, etc) out before
you store it. I have heard/read of people who feed their grey wastewater
through a reed bed purification system, then into a (presumably large!)
garden pond.
Rather a problem there, in that I am thinking the changing rooms/showers
of a football club :-( I don't see the room for a reed bed or large
pond!

I have seen tv footage of a reedbed filtrations system running through
troughs attached to the exterior of building in Holland(?). But I agree
it's complex. There are people who specialise in this sort of thing.
Before you give up on it completely, I suggest you ask about it on
uk.environment, or perhaps contact some environmental consultants.


We stored ours *briefly* (ie overnight) in a water butt. Leave it two
days and it started to smell. I can't think of any reason that storage
in a sealed tank would prevent the stuff rotting, as I'd guess the
process is anaerobic anyway (Nick?). A sealed tank would mean only you
didn't smell it until it started flowing out onto the garden.

On your information I think I am going to give the 'Grey Water' idea a
miss, but will offer the advice to those who have the final say when it
gets that far. Thanks

It's not a dead loss. Perhaps. You could try to ensure that the grey
waste system is plumbed in such wise that you could divert some of it
directly to a hose/hoses supplying nearby flowerbeds/landscaping. It's
not at all noxious when it's fresh, simply leaves a little bit of dried
grey soap scum on the soil surface if you leave the hose in the same
place for too long.

regards
sarah



--
"Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view,
is silence about truth." Aldous Huxley

In article , swroot
writes

regards
sarah



Many thanks for your advice and help Sarah. I have now finished as far
as I can go and emailed the Parish Clerk and suggested that we take this
further with the Chairman, but of course it is up to the locals to tell
us what to do with the site. I think that on the whole they will go
along with the suggestions I have made because I have copied hat has
been suggested.

What we end up doing with umpteen gallons of 'Grey Water' I don't know
:-)) Might be interesting :-))

My wife is very interested in the project because during the very hot
summer of 1976, she 'diverted' the waste water from the washing machine
and sink direct to the veg garden. We had very big gardens then so she
dug channels and formed her own irrigation scheme :-)) we later learnt
that we had a well in the garden :-( Got one now at this house but
don't bother to use it ................ yet ;-)

Not much can be done now as the 'wheels of local Gov.' turn very slowly.
(Besides that I have a meeting in Birmingham on Tuesday)

Many thanks also to those who emailed me with web sites for 'Cleaning
Waste Water' and such.

Mike

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forthcoming reunions. Royal Navy Social Weekend Sussex May 2nd - 5th.
H.M.S.Collingwood Association Chatham May 30th - June 2nd
British Pacific Fleet Hayling Island Sept 5th - 8th
Castle Class Corvettes Assn. Isle of Wight. Oct 3rd - 6th. Plus many more

On Sat, 19 Apr 2003 15:55:41 +0100, Mike
wrote:

Rather a problem there, in that I am thinking the changing rooms/showers
of a football club :-( I don't see the room for a reed bed or large
pond!

I really can't see what there could be found on a dirty footballer
except mud and skin flakes etc. and really can't imagine how these
could degrade to something noxious in water.

Ah ... but the soaps and all the stuff they put in them ..
presumably some chemical anti bacterials to boot.

You are just going to subtly put it about the football clubs that
it's really macho to use soaps and shampoos made from olive oil with
no additives and all those men who use poncy pongy bars and Brut
shampoo are wusses. grin

Huss





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