Adventures in Grey Water systems

I live in Texas and like much of the country, we are undergoing a severe drought.  We were lucky this spring to have quite a bit of rain, but it wasn't enough to break the drought.  It's during times like this that we should take a moment to look at what resources we use and what we can conserve.  I started looking at ways to use some of our grey water to water the gardens and trees many years ago when I was looking for ways to cut our water bill.  I wasn't even thinking about saving water or being green or any of that stuff.  I just wanted pretty flowers, nice vegetables and a smaller bill. I learned that each load of laundry in a regular, top loader uses approximately 66 gallons of water. I spent some time on line looking at other people's systems and deciding what would work for me in my unique location and house and after several (messy) go rounds of trial and error, I came up with the following system.  First, I use a 33 gallon plastic trash can. I drilled a hole and added a hose spigot as close to the bottom of the can as I could.  I used a silicon sealant on the inside and the outside to help with leaks.                                                         

Next, I made a bag out of an old sheer curtain with a draw string at the top to act as a lint filter.  You would be surprised at how much lint comes through in the washing process.  I tried several other things such as orphan socks, but it was difficult to clean the lint out at the end.  With the bag, I just turn it inside out, let it dry and peel the lint out. 

I use the drawstring to attach it to the handle of the trashcan to hold it in place, then I slip the outflow hose from the washer into the bag and hook it over the side of the can.

Then, I do my wash.  I typically only wash in cold water and I use homemade laundry detergent or Soap nuts so I don't have to worry about what is going out into the yard.  As the washer drains, all the water empties into the can.  Be sure to use your longest wash cycle to give the can enough time to drain in between washer drainings.  Ask me how I know this.

The hose runs right out my back door and out into the garden.  

There, I put the end of the hose in the middle of a group of plants or move it periodically during the load.

 I have acquired some 55 gallon plastic drums to use as rain barrels, and the next thing I want to do to tweak my watering system is to set one up in the garden and drain the washer water straight into that, then utilize soaker hoses to water instead of just the hose end.  While it's a good system, it puts all the water in one area instead of spreading it around. I am currently in negotiations with my wallet to purchase enough soaker hoses to cover the entire garden area.   My house is pier and beam and about 5 feet up off the ground so I have the luxury of extra gravity to help drain everything properly.  I do have to help the draining process begin, so with the first load, I will go out and jiggle the hose to get the water flowing.  Once it's going, you don't need to baby it.  It took me a while to figure out that gravity systems work slightly different than pressurized systems. And much slower.  I would recommend never using this system if you're not going to be home.  Again, ask me how I know that.   Once I'm done with my wash and the can is completely empty, I just disconnect the hose and put the can on the back porch, usually upside down so things don't get in it. 

I hope that I've included everything pertinent to my water system here. Feel free to ask me questions if I didn't and I will answer them to the best of my ability.

Just a note: I never asked anyone if I was allowed to do this and I only reuse grey water from my washing machine. 

Deb

Next post will be about cooking with solar energy.