Using Grey Water

[Adam from Oz]

Dear All,

Happy New Year!

Apologies if this has been brought up in the last day or so but I really couldn't be stuffed searching

Melbourne = BIG DROUGHT.

Melbourne = STAGE III WATER RESTRICTIONS

Yes, I have a caps lock key.

I'm allowed to water with the hose for a designated period two days a week.

It's bloody hot.

So, I'm going grey.

Am worried about the pH problems and am looking for tips to keep the guys in the garden alive until it starts to rain on this continent again.

Tips?

Help?

Someone to carry my buckets?

Any and all advice appreciated.

EDIT: And to that guy from Africa who sent me the pm wanting me to bring his family out. Sure! Just hand over the $200,000 as a show of good will....idiot!

Cheers,

Adam

[spockvr6]

Weve had so called "grey water" or "reclaimed water" over here for years.  It works great.

[Adam from Oz]

^^cool.

for some reason, my grey water in the bathtub is blue......

Now, the tips?  

Newbie at these different colours of H2O here!

Cheers,

Adam

[quaman58]

I think clairification of "grey water" is important. My understanding of it is this: the water that drains out of the bathtub, as is, is grey water. Not to be confused with "reclaimed water", (partially treated or filtered, but not for drinking). Am I correct in this? The latter, I'd have no problem in using. The former? I'd have to think about that, considering soaps; etc.  

Bret

[Adam from Oz]

Yup,

The grey water here is the liquid gold from the shower or the bath tub.

Am minimising my use of soap (and smell like it).

Have been going through all the advice online and one of the no-no's always mentioned is not to store it beyond 24 hours.

Hmmm.

Will I create new forms of life if I let it go longer?

Also, am throwing in some nitric acid (just a bit!) to try to lower the pH and form some nitrates which will act as fertiliser.

See how new I am to this!  ???

Cheers,

Adam

[redant]

(quaman58 @ Jan. 04 2007,10:36)

QUOTE

I think clairification of "grey water" is important. My understanding of it is this: the water that drains out of the bathtub, as is, is grey water. Not to be confused with "reclaimed water", (partially treated or filtered, but not for drinking). Am I correct in this? The latter, I'd have no problem in using. The former? I'd have to think about that, considering soaps; etc.  

Bret

Bret you are correct.

What ticks me off is in S. FL they will have water restrictions and at the same time be dumping billions of gallons of reclaimed water a day into the ocean or deep well injected. They need to make that water available to home for irrigation like Larry's place.

[PalmGuyWC]

This may be a "touchey" subject but I think I've seen it mentioned in Principes before.  I'm blessed with privacy on the back part of my property, and I could run around naked.....if I wanted to, but I don't.

In the summer when I might have 6 or 8 visitors, swigging on beer, and running around the pool area, I encourage them to go in the back and pee at the base of a palm tree.  I do the same.  Urine is additional moisture and it's loaded with nitrogen when it breaks down.  Saves on toilet flushes too, but there is one reserved in the house for the ladys.

I don't recommend this practice if you live on a busy street.

Dick

[Adam from Oz]

Um, Dick.......(mildly appropriate here... :: )

Aussies have been p*ssing on their gardens since the First Fleet!

I once went to a 21st where the "Gents" was a lemon tree. "Interesting" chats you have with 10 other blokes at this stage......

Why waste all that urea?

Urine also has the advantage of being sterile.

Cheers,

Adam

[Alan_Tampa]

grey water is usually water waste from the washing machine, dishwasher, or shower/tub.  Not toilet water.  That is effluent which is called "reclaimed" by those too polite to say "sh** water".

Alan

[Adam from Oz]

Toilet water (not the stuff to dab behind your ears!) is known as "black water" here and is a no go.

Gives a whole new meaning to eau de toilette.

Now, what am I doing with this grey water again?

Cheers,

Adam

[spockvr6]

(quaman58 @ Jan. 04 2007,10:36)

QUOTE

I think clairification of "grey water" is important. My understanding of it is this: the water that drains out of the bathtub, as is, is grey water. Not to be confused with "reclaimed water", (partially treated or filtered, but not for drinking). Am I correct in this?

I think you are correct.

The "reclaimed water" we have here has been treated and gets redistributed through a completely separate piping system than the potable water.  So, it is a many stages more complex than collecting bathtub water!

The reclaimed water is pretty much indistinguishable from potable water without some sort of laboratory test.  I sipped a little of it before and it tastes fine!

[PalmGuyWC]

Adam,

Thanks for the chuckle.  You Aussies do have a lot of fun.

Dick

[Zac in NC]

Adam- I use grey water too. I heard from my friend who is a Canadian living in your town for a few years because of his parent's job. He was telling me about the stage III restrictions and watering on Weds and Sundays or some rubbish like that. Sorry to hear that, but you aren't the only lament I have heard out of Melbourne. I used shower and bathtub water last summer to irrigate my bananas and palms and there were no averse reactions that I could notice(including on my Trachy, your dear, dear friend       mwuhahahahahaha). Hope the rain comes back soon, but until then, grey water all you want.

Zac

[chris.oz]

Funnily enough the restrictions include the allowance to hand water the garden for a total of 8 hours a week.    Back in the good old days last week when I was allowed to use my automatic watering system,  I had it set for 30 minutes every second day,  so now ironically I can legally use more water than I was actually using before.  If I ever get bored  watering,  an IPOD might be useful,  but watering  actually gives me a chance to relax.

However stage 3 has made me take action, I have diverted all my roof water into the garden,  It used to go down the drain.  

Adam, fear not, rain is on the way !!

[John Case]

(Adam from Oz @ Jan. 04 2007,11:38)

QUOTE

Um, Dick.......(mildly appropriate here... :: )

Aussies have been p*ssing on their gardens since the First Fleet!

I once went to a 21st where the "Gents" was a lemon tree. "Interesting" chats you have with 10 other blokes at this stage......

Why waste all that urea?

Urine also has the advantage of being sterile.

Cheers,

Adam

Be careful using the urine therapy on your palms. While the nitrogen fix may be helpful, if your trees are salt sensitive, you may be risking their health, as urine is normally loaded with salts of many kinds.

Good luck!

John Case

[Walter John]

I use shower/bath water to flush the toilet and "grey water" from the washing machine into the garden. I keep a big blue barrel next to the machine where I send the water too. I bucket it to the garden. The detergent is non phosphorous and my alexander and roystonea vioalcea get the most. I've been doing this for years, pre water restrictions. The palms love it.

[spockvr6]

(Wal @ Jan. 04 2007,14:45)

QUOTE

I use shower/bath water to flush the toilet and "grey water" from the washing machine into the garden. I keep a big blue barrel next to the machine where I send the water too. I bucket it to the garden. The detergent is non phosphorous and my alexander and roystonea vioalcea get the most. I've been doing this for years, pre water restrictions. The palms love it.

Golly....you guys are hardcore over there!

I fear that the average Joe over here would not commit to such efforts.  

I know Id rather just flush and not worry about where it goes until it comes back all nice and clean through the purple pipes  

(All reclaimed water pipes are colored purple for ease of identification).

But, very little is wasted in the reclamation process as the organic "sludge" separated apparently makes a very good quality fertilizer (and is sold off as such).

[DoomsDave]

Adam!

Nice to hear from you again!

Happy new year!

Sorry to hear about the drought.

I use grey water from my washing machine to water my palms and have been for a long while now.  

By default.  The comedians who were the previous owners of my place didn't run the gray water into the septic system, which is what most people do.  Instead, they let it run out onto the ground of the backyard, where I channel it to various palms, in particular some Archotophoenix maxima.

So far, they thrive on it.  Detergent doesn't harm plants from what I can see, with a few exceptions I'm sure.  

And, I also freely use yellow water as well, and I'm going to encourage my male visitors to do the same, though only lift one leg at a time . . . .

dave

[chris.oz]

(Wal @ Jan. 04 2007,14:45)

QUOTE

I use shower/bath water to flush the toilet and "grey water" from the washing machine into the garden. I keep a big blue barrel next to the machine where I send the water too. I bucket it to the garden. The detergent is non phosphorous and my alexander and roystonea vioalcea get the most. I've been doing this for years, pre water restrictions. The palms love it.

Ok Wal you have inspired me,  diversion of washing machine water is now on the agenda here.

Makes a change,  Queenslanders being ahead of the states in the deep south!

[ariscott]

Adam,

There are people who specialize in installing grey water system in your house. Although, you can always do it manually and just put them in tubs... Try to get environmentally friendly washing powder, soap, shampoo and diswasher tablets.

Rainwater tank is a good idea too.... Can you install them in Melbourne? For some reason, you can't install rainwater tank in Darwin city area... Since we are rural, we can install as many as we want.... I am a firm believer in rainwater tank. We have 11,000L tank now, and we are getting 25,000L tank, when we can afford it.

Good luck. I hope you get rain soon. El nino is certainly here, moonson trough has not arrived yet and it is usually here by Christmas. They said it might be another month before it actually gets here. But, we do get rain from convection. The plants love it!!

Regards, Ari

[Palmy]

Well we have a huge pool in our backyard. I can let my palms last several years with this water. We also have a creek down our hill that seems to be endlessly running. Isnt there a polymer that stores water and keeps soil moist for a few days? I use it, and it works. Im not sure whats it called but it costs a lot for just a little and it goes a long ways. Make sure its atleast 2 inchs below the soil so the sun doesnt bake it out.

[Utopia Palms]

Hi Adam, You guys have had it hard down there but so has brisbane i think parts of brisbane are now on level 4, best idear is to get yous self a water tank!!by the looks of the wether map there is rain comming so catch it and save it. every one should have at least one water tank!  

As for gray water we have our own treatment plant and all the water is reused but this is not cheap!! So the tank and afew of the ideas above would be the best.

Clayton.

[tim_brissy_13]

Adam, nice to hear from you, I've been considering using grey water for a while, adding a bit of nitric acid may be the way to go.  Stage 3 restrictions have brought in new rules, most Melbourne palm people will be affected by the restriction to water gardens twice a week.  One new rule I found amusing was that we can refill pools with a watering can or bucket but not with a hose.

[Adam from Oz]

Hi to all those who said Hi!

We can use water tanks. There would be lots of things I could do. Get a whopping great water tank and have the house replumbed, etc, etc.

$$$$$

My doing it on the cheap is keeping the guys alive. Just takes time.

Funny thing about the "rain" in Melbourne. One of my colleagues has a child (eeek! $$$$$) of about 6 years old. Apparently he asked if it had ever rained all day in Melbourne. The junk we're getting is just that. Junk rain. Cr*ppy drizzle. Spots from a passing storm. Sand through an hourglass.

Wets the leaves - leaves the soil  

Thank Gawd that Trachycarpus chips make such lovely mulch.

Have done some research and will be using bath and shower water and during my two allowed watering days and hours go absolutely ape sh*t to leech out any harmful salts.

Have my pH paper and nitric acid from work. (I work at a pH paper and nitric acid factory)

Can you still use grey water during Stage IV in QLD? If we can't do it here, I'm in big trouble!

hehehe @ white water, grey water, black water and now yellow water. "Red water" may be used soon.....

Some decent rain water wouldn't go astray.

Still trying to work out why my cache of bathtub grey is a beautiful blue colour.

Probably spawning the next pandemic. It talks to me.....

Any English out there? 5/0  

Cheers,

Adam

[calyptrocalyx&licuala freck]

Hello Adam The blue colour you maybe looking at might actually be  copper ,I,d get your water tested if this is there   You will havr to contact your local water board,

Bewarey drinking this water you may get pretty sick. let me know how u go . they get this problem happen when they connect up new lines, or old ones leech.Don,t  use on any of your broms and tillies ,,, copper kills these beautys.

[ariscott]

I don't think water restriction affects use of grey water or water from rain water tank. I know the tank is a lot, although if you can afford it, it is worth to get as you already has guttering. You don't need a huge one for suburban block. All you need then is a pressure pump, a tank, and a hose, if you want to do it manually.

Sometimes it rains heavily in Melbourne. Lived there for 4 years, admittedly not during drought... When it does, then you won't waste the water coming down from the gutter... Or, you can get 44gal drum and redirect your gutter??

Regards, Ari

[Adam from Oz]

^^ You'd be right about the copper.

Don't know what I can do to get rid of it!

As for drinking that muck......it's straight out of Beelzebub’s backside so has NO chance of being drunk by me (guzzles spring water)

Interesting observation: Just finished distributing about 250 litres of the junk on a stinking hot evening and the worms in the soil hate it! If a worm could run.....thought I saw one doing a somersault.

Tomorrow is one of my watering days...oh sweet bliss....so I can flush all the garbage out of the soil.......between the hours of 6 - 8am and 8 - 10pm...... and that's how I spend my Saturday night.

An aside. You know it's summer as the utter rubbish "King of Queens" is on TV. It's set in New York. I like to look at all the palms in the background shots ???

Cheers,

Adam

[palmtreesforpleasure]

We have 2 rainwater tanks totalling 3000l

Now looking at digging out under the house and putting 20,000l tank in sometime in the next 6 months.

With the last rainfall of 20 mills per day not increasing dam levels in Sydney only stabilising them until the rain stopped, buckets use only cannot be to far away as the dams are only around 36% and has been dropping on average .1%-.2% per day.

Collecting and storing your own will be the only method in the future and it will be better for the garden anyway.

regards

colin

regards

[Walter John]

otherwise Col just drinks his grey water  :laugh:  :laugh:

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Wal,

That drink you gave me when visiting i thought tasted like 4XXXX Beer, grey water, $XXXX  beer nearly the same really  :laugh:

regards

colin

[Daryl]

Here on the Gold coast, we've been on minimum Stage 3 restrictions for many years. Now we are on Stage 4 for some bizarre reason. Lucky it has been raining well this past 12 months. If Brisbane to our north doesn't get any significant dam filling rain, they will go to Stage 5 restrictions...too bad if you want a garden of any sort!

Daryl

Stage 5 restrictions...

[PalmGuyWC]

OMG!!!  This is getting too gross.

Dick

[Adam from Oz]

(palmsforpleasure @ Jan. 05 2007,05:33)

QUOTE

We have 2 rainwater tanks totalling 3000l

Now looking at digging out under the house and putting 20,000l tank in sometime in the next 6 months.

Collecting and storing your own will be the only method in the future and it will be better for the garden anyway.

regards

colin

Yikes!

Sounds expensive!

Hate to say it but my garden smells.

Very odd whiff as I exit.

"Occasional rain" is forecast for today - that will be reduced to, "showers" and then, "showers at times" and then, "mostly fine".

Oh, how the bureau taunts me...

BTW. If So Cal is so dry and so populated, just where do you get all your water from? Do you have restrictions?

I'm a bit irritated that a city of only 3.7 million people such as Melbourne should not have the adequate resources.

Cheers,

Adam

[Kathy]

(Adam from Oz @ Jan. 05 2007,11:46)

QUOTE

BTW. If So Cal is so dry and so populated, just where do you get all your water from? Do you have restrictions?

Both amusing and enlightening thread, this one.

Regarding California, politics has entered our water wars for quite some time.  What is happening to you has happened for various parts of the state at different drought times, but never all of the state because of water contracts that keep different areas more "protected" from cut-backs (No ill will SoCal guys!!  It's our crazy politics at work -- not you!).

NorCal gets their water from various resevoirs that fill from Sierra runoff from winter storms.  When the snowpack is less, and especially if rainfall is also less, our resevoirs can be way under capacity and then watering restrictions and tiered billing systems go into place in NorCal.  

SoCal gets it's water from different contract sources (you SoCal guys can chime in here), including the Arizona river and NorCal sources.  

There are huge fights going on right now, for example, trying to determine when is the best time to drawn down larger amounts from NorCal sources and its effect on the environment.  For example, the local Delta waters right now have certain fish stocks that are 98-99% depleted in just the last 5 or so years!  The debate is that they recently changed the time of draw-downs and is that affecting fish larvae development.  Huge fights are on the horizon regarding water in California.

[Adam from Oz]

Thanks for that, Kath (sorry my Australian  genes insist I must abbreviate!)

So, am I to understand that SoCal has NO WATER RESTRICTIONS?

Hmmm.

Another aside - you know I love them - but another problem here are the bushfires that have been going on for months.

If we get an easterly wind, we cop the sweet smelling smoke:

Been a bit of eye irritation.

Cheers,

Adam

[Kathy]

One of the SoCal guys will have to answer about restrictions.  But the media around here makes it out that when we're suffering restrictions that SoCal is largely not because of delivery guarantees.  SoCal guys?

And those bush fires look hard on the eyes and lungs!

Oh, and you can call me Kat or Kath;  all my friends do.

[Zac in NC]

Daryl- Now thats desperation. I saved that in my funny pics folder.

Zac

[Adam from Oz]

Yeah, this pic is a bit of a worry:

That's Tasmania at the bottom

Cheers,

Adam

[chris.oz]

Adam,

Looks as though Esperance got all the rain from the remnants of the cyclone; about 150mm in 24 hours, that leaves "precious little for us"   nature can be  cruel,  the weather bureau are like spin doctors sometimes !@!!

Looks like its the end of the Alocasias and Colocasias in my garden !

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Hi Adam

If you look around for farmers water tanks instead of the householder tanks that are advertised all the time, You find heavy duty tanks can be a lot cheaper than household tanks. Digging out under the house will not be 2 bad as most of the soil was taken away when the house was built, so it only needs some finishing off

regards

colin

It definitely wiil not cost as much as replacing the garden!!!