Domestic water waste..

[shiney]

Does anyone here reuse their bath water etc for watering? I just wondered if its possible to empty your shower/bath water into a butt and use it at a later date. Does the soap in the water break down so it won't kill any plants etc?

[alcina]

I believe that "grey water" is supposed to be used straight away and not stored. I think it's something to do with the slightly warm water, full of human debris (think skin and hair!) and lots of bacteria...becomes a pongy soup very quicky! The soap is fine if you've used biodegradable stuff I think.

Alcina

[shiney]

Gotcha Alcina. If I could use it within a few hours then maybe it would be ok?

[alcina]

Only one way to find out! I'd have thought a couple of hours would be ok, but probably not something like overnight. I guess you'll soon know if it's not ok!

Alcina

[oddballdave]

Biodegradable soap will only degrade when it is in contact with soil.
So storing it in a butt will not remove the soap.

Provided it is not too alkaline and you are not using it on acid loving plants (blueberries) then storing it has no positive or negative aspect. The 'solids' will tend to sink so you would end up with a rather scummy ring in the storage tank. Not pleasant, nor easy to remove.

I always used mine there and then. Straight from the bath to the trench.

Dave

[shiney]

Thanks Oddball, I will just have to do a watering session straight after baths. It's just a thought of using water that isn't so dirty and putting it to good use. Especially if we get a hosepipe ban. We usually manage with our water butt.

[Boots]

Here's what I do with bath water.

Shower is in bath, so we shower and collect. (Which means feet always get a good soak, which is good when you work barefoot, cos that's how bushies in Aus tend to work )

Bath water is then 'stored' (first shower is often topped up for use as a shallow bath...everyone keeps their eye out for the first bath - and sometimes sneaks in a second!) but after that, it become "re-usable" and is used to pre-soak clothes in buckets, top up the gravity fed loo when big WILLIAM the THIRD drops by, water pot plants in and outside the bathroom, clean vehicles (tis a very good bike wash cos it's soft!) and clean basins, tools, shoes, hats, and whatever ever else hits the back verandah in need of a clean. Anything that is there on washing days is then used in the twin tub (We don't have the water to run an auto) and diverted back out into the gardens.

THEN, the bath is cleaned with what's left, the plug is pulled and what is left goes out through a moveable hose onto gardens or the revegetation area.

So in effect, our bath is never empty! It holds water for about 2-3 days, as we wash clothes 2-3 times a week, clean the bath then and start collecting again.

We have no chlorine or flouride here. It is collected rain water, so our water doesn't last very long with additives before turning pretty cacky. Treated water would last a lot longer, I imagine, even with the bodily soils and oils in it.

Diverting your bath, basin and washing machine is not very tricky. Just follow your pipes and look for a place to intercept it with a flexible hose, and use that water to look after that side of the house. You have to move it, but it's one less area you have to worry about, as it is regularly watered!

Still hasn't rained here... My next post might be 'sharing the joys of dust baths'...

[Chickenlady]

That is proper water conservation, Boots! Here in the UK we have always taken water for granted, but need to start rethinking how we use it.

Personally I think all new houses should be built at least with water butts in place and maybe a rainharvesting system to flush the loo. But we just don't appear to able to act en masse unless the situation is dire. So watch this space, as the situation is likely to get quite bad!

Using your old washing up water on your roses, etc is great for keeping the black fly and other nasties at bay. You need to use biodegradeable washing up liquid though.

[Wombat]

The problem with storing grey water for even a day or two in warm weather is that it grows bacteria and STINKS! I have tried it and learned from experience that it is best to use it as soon as you can!

Nev

[Boots]

YUP! You're onto it Nev. I think the trick is to be sure to use it! Maybe water movement might be the key. Since we add to it and draw from it daily it is ok for a few days. But if we leave a 'soak bucket' more than overnight - you end up with a yecky soup that really does reek! (And you haven't saved anything cos ya gotta rinse and rinse and rinse!)

[Millymollymandy]

I stored the water from my cellar sink last year - it's the only place in the house I can recycle water from. I put it in dustbins and used it to water the plants in pots around the house. Yes it smells, but it didn't seem to harm anything. My dustbins had lids so it wasn't a problem as the smell was contained.

[Wombat]

G'Day MMM, Should be OK so long as you don't put it on anything that you are going to eat raw

Nev

[Millymollymandy]

But I did, Nev - the cherry tomatoes! And I am still here to tell the tale!!

(only you can't see that I have grown an extra leg and have horns coming out of my head!! )

[Boots]

... I don't think our first settlers would have hauled extra buckets of water up from the creek to water their cherry tomatoes...

Its my guess a lot of their food was probably bath flavoured .

[albert onglebod]

Wouldnt the water be filtered by the plant as it took it into its roots through the earth? I was planning on using my washing machine water for veg watering this year.We've got ecoballs to wash the laundry so no soap.