What water can I use?

[Uller]

I'm trying to save every drop of water that I can to use on my veg. I'm using water drained from pasta/potatoes etc, the water left over when I rinsed out the collecting bin on my vacuum cleaner etc. Can I use old dish-washing water if it is to be used on a food crop (use Ecover washing up liquid). What about the water I wash my hands in (again, eco soap). I tend to water all my plants at the root rather than foliage. Where should I draw the line?

[contadino]

Washing-up and washing water's fine. I'd be a bit careful with pasta water, though as it (presumably) has got salt in it. It'll be fine, I'd have thought, so long as you don't always put it on the same plant. Spread it around.

Next week we're putting in a dedicated drain from the washing machine and dishwasher* so that it goes directly onto a veg bed.

* Again, with dishwasher water you have to be careful if you live in a hard water area, as the dishwasher will add salt. Fortunately, all our water is rainwater, so it won't be a problem.

[Uller]

Thanks. We are putting all our water into a water butt so that anything that is included (the odd bit of dust, dirt, washing up liquid) will be diluted by 'clean' water we add - saved from the shower while waiting for the water to get hot etc.

I am a bit tight with water, trying to reduce what I use and think I have probably underwatered - everything is looking a bit lacklustre. My tomato plants are a bit small and straggly, there is only one cucumber on each plant and so on. Lettuce and spring onions seem to be OK but everything else just looks blah. I want to save as much water as I can so I don't feel guilty using it!

[Millymollymandy]

I was under the impression that potato water works as a weed killer and I have just sprayed the weeds in my veg patch paths with it!!! So I hope for your sake it doesn't work.

[Peggy Sue]

I'm not sure if it will be the case with eco friendly detergents but alot of detergent will cause bacteria to multiply rapidly, take care if it goes in the water butt if it's not all used quickly you may get lots of gunge

I think this is likely to be phosphates, which you normally don't get in eco friendly detergents but there may be other elements here involved...
Oh and if you water potatoes be aware this will be alkaline and you may encourage eel worm....mind the brassicas will love it!

Why not flush the loo with anything you're not sure about?