Greywater, Green Landscape

Keep your lawn and garden lush without wasting resources by capturing and recycling the greywater that drains from your sink, shower, and washing machine. This accessible and detailed guide walks you through each step of planning for and installing a variety of greywater systems, including laundry-to-landscape and branched drain gravity-fed systems. After identifying greywater sources in your home and estimating flow rate, you'll learn to pinpoint where to redirect the wastewater for the greatest benefit. No matter which system you decide to build, you'll have the information to construct it yourself or move forward with confidence to hire a professional.  Step-by-step instructions show you how to plan, install, and use simple, low-tech solutions to redirect and reuse greywater from sinks, showers, and washing machines to maintain your home landscape and garden.
Laura Allen is the author of The Water-Wise Home and cofounder of Greywater Action, a collaborative of educators who teach residents and tradespeople about affordable and simple household water systems that dramatically reduce water use and foster sustainable cultures of water. She leads classes and workshops, including the first training program for professional greywater installers, and participates in writing state government greywater and composting toilet codes. She lives in Eugene, Oregon. Part 1: Planning Your Home Greywater System

1  Greywater Systems 101

  What Is Greywater?

  Types of Greywater Systems

  Health and Safety Considerations

  Greywater in Freezing Climates

2  Greywater Sources and Plumbing

  Identify Your Greywater Sources

  Your Home's Drain, Waste, and Vent System

  Undesirable Greywater Sources

  Summary of Greywater Sources

3  Estimate Your Greywater Flows

  Code Estimates vs. Personal Calculations

  Calculating Weekly Greywater Flows

  Finding the Flow Rates of Different Fixtures

4  Soils and Mulch Basins

  Soil Structure and Type

  Identify Your Soil Type with a Soil Ribbon Test

  Determine How Water Flows through Your Soil with an Infiltration Test

  Mulch Basins

  Protect Groundwater and Drinking Water Wells

5  Plants and Irrigation

  Choosing Plants for Greywater Irrigation

  How Much Water Do My Plants Want?

  Plant-Friendly Soaps

6  Choosing a Greywater System

  System Design Considerations

  When Greywater Is Not a Great Idea

  Using Greywater Indoors: Toilet Flushing

  Choosing a Greywater Irrigation System

  Greywater Systems at a Glance

  When to Turn Off the System

7  Codes and Regulations

  A Brief History of Greywater Plumbing Codes

  Greywater Codes: Performance and Prescriptive

  National Codes and Standards

Part 2: Building Your Home Greywater System

8  Install a Laundry-to-Landscape (L2L) System

  Design Considerations

  Installing an L2L Irrigation System

  Irrigation Options

9  Install a Branched Drain Gravity-Flow System

  Design Considerations

  Installing a Branched Drain System

  How to Wire an Actuator

10  Pumped and Manufactured Greywater Systems

  Design Considerations

  Building a Pumped System

  Manufactured Greywater Systems

11  Other Types of Greywater Systems

  Outdoor Fixtures

  Whole-House Greywater Systems

  Subsoil Infiltration Systems

  Greywater for Greenhouses

  Constructed Wetlands

  Sand Filter to Drip Irrigation

  Reusing Septic Tank Effluent for Irrigation

Appendix

  Plumbing Basics for Greywater Installation

  Parts Primer

  Basic Installation Techniques

Resources

Acknowledgments

Index Go Green with Greywater



Save thousands of gallons of water annually and have a beautiful yard no matter the weather by capturing and reusing water from sinks, showers, and washing machines. This empowering and easy-to-use manual offers practical, long-term strategies fo