ecobites.com

Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

Water used in the house can, in theory, be recycled. The garden is an obvious recipient. How readily recyclable your used water is depends on what you have put into it.

Laundry and kitchen water are more suitable if you use low-phosphate detergents or soaps. Liquid detergent, especially concentrate, is preferable to ones with fillers and softeners.

Salts in detergents, particularly powders, cleaners and softeners, may alter the soil PH, making it more acid or alkaline.

This can affect how the soil drains, especially if grey water is adding to existing salts in the soil. Signs of problems include water sitting on the soil rather than soaking in, 'burnt' leaves and stunted plants.

Boron in some laundry products may poison plants. Bleaches and disinfectants can poison plants and destroy useful micro-organisms in the soil. Nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen in grey water may be beneficial for some plants but harmful to others; be selective about where water is used.

Oil and grease in kitchen water may form a waterproof barrier over the soil, preventing water seeping in.

Utilise shower water on the garden or lawn compact, discrete, simple & low maintenance. The design and features of FLO-to-GO portable and automatic fluid transfer system helps to create an economical, compact, simple grey-water re-use system that meets most customer's requirements.
http://www.flotogo.net/

Removing grease from kitchen waste water
Ewater systems has a great new oil and grease remove system for commercial kitchens. The Grease Guardian will remove grease and solids from water before it enters the sewage system, thus reducing the amount of grease entering into the sewage system. The Grease Guardian will help commercial kitchens reduce sewage blockages and improve the efficiency of wastewater treatment processes.

http://www.ewatersystems.com.au/how-it-works-

If you take into account that approximately one third of your water (and of your water tax money) goes down the toilet, wouldn’t it be a good idea to do something about it?

The Canadian designed Brac Grey Water recycling system takes grey water run off from your bath, shower and laundry and stores this water for use in flushing your toilet.Why flush perfectly clean water down the drain? When you can use grey water. It is an incredible waste of a precious resource. These kinds of grey water recycling systems should be be made mandatory in all new homes.

http://www.bracsystems.com/water-systems.html

Here’s an interesting article on an underground greywater movement promoting the re-use of greywater from the shower and laundry. The gray water guerrillas website is dedicated to promoting the re-use of water from your shower and laundry. Check it out for some great pointers for setting up your own greywater system at home.

http://www.greywaterguerrillas.com/index.html

Eco friendly Laundry Powder

The average household creates between 200 and 800 litres of grey water from washing clothes every week!

Planet Arks detergent has been independently tested by Sydney Environmental and Soil Laboratory for their suitability for use in irrigation (including watering the garden). The grey water was found to be suitable for salt-sensitive plants. and phosphorus-sensitive plants.

http://www.planetark.com/productspage.cfm/newsid/14/newsDate/5/story.htm

Designed to recycle all typical household wastewater (grey and black) to Class A+ reusable water quality -and to Class A quality for irrigation without further disinfection, such as chlorine or UV.

http://www.econova.com.au/detail.php?ID=73

Shower Buckets

A more convenient bucket for collecting your shower water or for bucketing out the kids bath water is this collapsible bucket from Ripple Products. It collapses to conveniently store in the bathroom.

Instead of scooping up the water with a conventional bucket, the Ripple bucket is able to be fully submerged. No more trips out to the garden with a half empty bucket!

http://www.rippleproducts.com/shop/productdetail.asp?id=7&catid=2

Grey Water for Gardens

The H2grO Greywater for Gardens irrigation system allows you to use your water twice.

Greywater from the shower or laundry is sent to the garden via the diverter and irrigation pods.

http://www.h2gro.com.au/

NewWater offer a great range of Rain Water tanks and an Aqua Reviva greywater systems.

http://www.newwater.com.au/greywater_recycling.asp

Nubian has a great grey water system for the home. The Oasis Domestic Grey Water Treatment System (GT600) is an affordable domestic grey water solution and can save a household up to 400 litres per day.

http://www.nubian.com.au/Oasis.asp

 If you think water, act water, to reduce water wastage, you will not only save money, but help reduce your impact on the environment.