Save water in your property : Grey Water

Here's the second installment of a few tips on how to save water in your rental property, adapted from a Yarra Water leaflet, but picking out the highlights relating to renters...

This time, the best ways to utilise greywater.

• Greywater is waste water from showers, baths, spas, hand basins, washing machines, dishwashers and basically water used by another process that's left over, which is generally most of it!
• Buckets are the most basic and easiest method of collecting gray water :
• Either a bucket in the shower
• A bucket in the sink when washing vegetables
• Scooping out water from the hand basin
• Waste water from washing machines can also be collected into a bucket, or if you use a simple long pipe or diversion system it can be sent straight onto the lawn.

There are however, some considerations when using greywater...

• Don't use water from the kitchen sink, it can contain fats and left over cleaning agents, unless of course you are sure the water is fine.
• Apply grey water directly to the base of plants, it can help reduce the survival rate of microbes.
• Always wash your hands after watering with grey water
• Use grey water within 24 hours of collection
• Don't use grey water on sickly looking plants
• Unfortunately you can't really use grey water on vegetables
• Try using grey water friendly detergents and cleaning agents to get the most garden friendly water you possibly can
• Don't apply more grey water than needed, i.e. after rain.

We're aware that not every one in rented property has a garden and we've concocted a few ideas of other things to do with grey water, but we haven't had the chance to test them yet though, so watch this space...!

www.epa.vic.gov.au
www.ourwater.vic.gov.au