I've been trying to find ways to conserve water during this dry spell, and it hit me that I could use greywater from my kitchen sink and bath for watering my garden. The kitchen sink is straightforward – I just catch it in the bowl and pour it on the lawn. However, I'm wondering about the best way to collect water from the shower or bath. I thought about setting up some kind of guttering system to direct the water to my yard, but I'm curious if there are more efficient or practical methods. Am I overthinking this? Should I just use a regular garden hose instead?
6 Answers
You know, the effectiveness of greywater collection really hinges on your home's layout. If your bathroom's close to the garden, a siphon could work well. But if it's not, it might just be more hassle than worth it. In my case, I use buckets to transfer the water which allows me to enjoy some extra steps instead of feeling annoyed about the workload.
For bath water, you can scoop it directly into a watering can or use a bowl to pour it out over your garden. With my setup, I don't generate enough greywater to make a huge difference, but it helps out a little!
One simple method is to put a 30L Gorilla tub under the shower while it's warming up. You can collect the warm-up water and pour it into your water butts before it gets too heavy. If you’re really into conserving water, you could leave the tub under there while showering!
We've been doing something similar with our kid! Instead of a full bath, we stand in a larger container while rinsing off. It collects a good amount of water, and then I just use a watering can to take it outside. Today, I even used my child's bath water to save my hydrangeas!
I actually collect all my shower and sink water for my garden, which comes to about four watering cans worth. It’s become a family thing, and guests humor me when they stay over because they know I'm all about sustainability. It's fun to see some of my plants changing color too!
Consider installing a greywater diverter valve. It's an easy update and allows you to redirect water where you want it. Just keep in mind you need to use the water within a couple of days! Some water companies even offer discounts for using these systems.
If your kitchen sink is external, it’s really easy to adjust the plumbing to drain directly into a watering can. I can get about 40 liters a day this way, but I only use it on mature shrubs and the lawn, avoiding perennials and vegetables for safety.
I do the same! I have a couple of buckets in the shower to catch the initial runoff. It’s a bit inconvenient, but my plants appreciate it!