In the light of the Gauteng water restrictions as authorities urge residents to help reduce their water consumption by 15%, installing a grey water system is the way forward.
How do grey water systems work?
Grey water systems are designed to use water that would otherwise go down the drain and get contaminated by black water (sewage). The systems work by diverting the flow of water into the gray water tank, filtering the water and then pumping the water out to irrigate your garden.
Where do you connect the system?
The tank is submerged in the ground so that it is at the lowest point of the water inflow. Gravity does the rest and water from the bathroom and washing machine (but not the toilet or kitchen) are collected in the grey water tank. All that is required is a little plumbing to hook the grey water system into the outflow of the bath, basin, shower and washing machine. Plug the system in and the filtered water from the grey water system is pumped out through a garden pipe to irrigate your garden.
What are the advantages of using a grey water system?
The old filling-a-bucket method is not practical for the modern lifestyle, once installed the grey water requires very little maintenance (just empty the filter once in a while).
It uses water that you would be using anyway, cutting down on your water bill as you get two jobs done with the same water.
It gives you peace of mind knowing that you are doing your bit to help save water.