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Disadvantages and
Cautions
with Greywater |
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Handle greywater carefully because it can contain bacteria and viruses. |
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Do not drink greywater or apply it to anything
that may be eaten. |
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Do not use greywater to irrigate food root crops such
as carrots or potatoes, etc. (Fruit trees are OK if
irrigated below the surface at the roots. |
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Do not water lawns with greywater using a
sprinkler. |
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Do not use greywater to wash patios, walkways, or
driveways. |
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Greywater collection, storage, and subsurface irrigation
systems are usually cheaper and easier to install during
construction of a new home. Re-plumbing an existing
building can be expensive and may be impractical. |
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Greywater may not meet
all of your landscape irrigation needs all year round.
Some times of the year, your plants may need more water
than can be supplied by your greywater irrigation.
Other times of the year, your home may generate more
greywater than your plants can use. |
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Some chemicals in greywater can be harmful to plants.
(See information about
plants that
may be suitable for greywater). |
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Grease and oils can cause problems with distribution
piping, so be careful to manage what goes down the drain! |
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6 inches below surface Greywater irrigation must not be used above ground. It needs to be 6
inches or more below the surface. |
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If separating greywater from blackwater is a problem, you
might want to consider using a
Subsurface Drip System
(a type of septic treatment system). |
