Updated: Jun 15, 2021
There is a rapidly growing trend all over the world.
To combat the extreme loss of natural fresh water, humanity is waking up to the fact that water can be reused before it is considered "waste". With the use of "grey water", fresh water is utilized twice as much, which in turn causes the demand of natural water sources to be decreased by nearly half!
There are some misconceptions with using grey water, mostly because of a misunderstanding what it actually is. Essentially, "grey water" it is any water that has been used once and is free of fecal contaminants. Water from baths, sinks, laundry machines, and other sources of water make grey water. Water from toilets is known as "black water" and must not be used for consumption. Black water is typically sent to a septic or could still be sent to a sanitation department if the current infrastructure is to continue.
Toilets account for the largest waste of water in the household. Therefore, in a water smart house toilets use grey water to flush. This idea alone has the potential for saving the planet if it were to be implemented as soon as possible on a global scale. Homes can be retrofitted for these types of systems.
There is hope in this regard. Many countries and cities have either adopted grey water usage, or in some cases mandated it!
In these forward thinking communities of the world, grey water is being utilized to make the planet green again. On a household level, it is being used to water plants, both outside and in greenhouses. Public parks and natural spaces are another place to make the most out of recycled water.
Of course great care must be taken and an understanding of water systems is absolutely essential for the installer of a grey water system. For instance, grey water must be continually circulated in order to prevent stagnation, as well as black water can be accidentally consumed if the plumbing is not exact.
So while there are some things to consider when starting a grey water system, or converting a traditional system, there is one thing that is certain. We must change our impression on reusing water and be implementing grey water systems as soon as possible.
The very future of available fresh water is counting on it.