How to Reduce Your Water Bill Using Grey Water Systems

Water shortages are becoming critical in many parts of the world, necessitating drastic measures in order to reduce the drain on precious fresh water supplies.
One country suffering the effects of severe water shortages is Australia, which has been in the grip of drought for a decade, resulting in a decrease of one percent of the A$940 billion (US$789 billion) economy, according to an article by Rob Taylor and Michael Byrnes published by Reuters News Service on April 20, 2007.

"It is a grim situation and there is no point in pretending to Australia otherwise. We must all hope and pray there is rain," Australia's Prime Minister John Howard cautioned at a news conference held at Parliament House in Canberra.

The truth of the matter is that fresh water is becoming scarcer as the world's water needs increase. It is a matter of planetary responsibility for every citizen to recycle and reuse the fresh water they consume.

Luckily, the technology that can facilitate this critical change is currently available, viable and economically feasible. Let's look at two options; using greywater and catchwater systems to recycle household water.

Using Greywater Systems

Since 80 percent of the residential water used (dish, shower, sink, and laundry water) is used once and then goes down the drain, you are wasting water if you only use it once.

Once used water (greywater) can be safely and efficiently recycled to be reused primarily to irrigate your landscape.

Using a greywater system offers multiple benefits including: saving money on your water bill; reducing your fresh water usage; reducing wear and tear on a failing septic tank; decreasing the amount of chemicals used to treat the water you pour on your fruit and vegetable gardens; reclaiming nutrients in the water to re-invigorate the soil; and increasing the level of clean, local ground water.

Flush toilet water is not used in the greywater system; it is sanitized in a separate containment area and then sent to the gardens and lawns.

Greywater systems also help insure the purity of the water used on your edible plants, while reducing your water bill and decreasing your impact on the local environment.

There are two types of greywater systems; gravity fed manual systems and packaged, stand alone systems. As the name infers manual systems work using gravity to send the greywater to the areas where it is needed without electricity or pumps. Packaged systems require electricity and can be installed indoors.

Take a Look at the Future of Housing- The Earthship

The Earthship is a futuristic dwelling unit made from local recycled materials. Earthships are one of the few residential buildings with a water recycling module that utilizes greywater an unprecedented four times.

The household water used in bathing, washing dishes and from the faucets is used the first time, and then it is considered greywater. The water is sanitized and cleaned for a second time for use in the interior garden, called a botanical cell. The third use of the water is in the flush toilets, then that water is treated again, and used a fourth time on a lush garden that grows on the outside of the Earthship, called an exterior botanical cell.

Catchwater Systems

Another way to reclaim otherwise wasted water is to use catchwater systems on your property.

In a catchwater system, the water that accumulates on your roof overnight is channeled through silt catches and fed into cisterns. The cisterns hold the water that was collected, and then pumps it to a filter. The filters clean the water for consumption and cleaning use, then the system pumps it back into your home.

According to the Earthship.com website, "The objective is to eliminate the need for public sewage systems and un-contained septic systems that pollute the earth, while getting multiple uses out of all water collected in the catchwater systems."

These systems can be adapted for urban applications, and are economically feasible considering you begin saving on your water bill the moment the installation is complete.

With a double or triple return in benefits, by using a residential water recycling system you are contributing to a cleaner environment for your family, and for the planet.