Greywater Info

So what is greywater?
Greywater! A few years ago this was a fairly uncommon term to most of us, but nowadays we cant
go to the nursery or turn on the television without encountering greywater. But, what is it? How do
we use it? What effect will it have on my garden? Is it actually grey?
Greywater is technically household wastewater from the laundry (including the washing machine
and tubs) and the bathroom (including showers, baths and basins). Toilet water and kitchen
wastewater are regarded as blackwater and are not suitable for reuse in domestic gardens, due to
the potentially high levels of bacteria, fats and solids contained in this wastewater.
The diversion of greywater from the house and into the garden has become an extremely popular
way of irrigating our precious green spaces in these times of low rainfall and water restrictions.
When done correctly, it is an excellent way of saving water and money. It is amazing to think that
one average household (2.5 people) expels 124 100 litres of greywater a year! (from
www.westernwater.vic.gov.au) Thats more water than most established gardens need in the same
period. And, unlike rainwater, greywater is available all year round, regardless of the weather!
But Ive heard greywater use is bad for plants is that true?
Firstly, let me point out that research regarding the long-term impacts of greywater on plant and
soil health is seriously lacking, so the affects of usage are, at this stage, a bit of an unknown
quantity. Also, the greywater we are discussing here is untreated greywater (that is, one that has not
been modified or had its quality improved by an approved greywater treatment system).
Remember, the quality and performance of greywater irrigation can vary dramatically, dependant on
a number of factors. These include
the type of greywater used (eg: washing machine vs. bathwater)
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the types of chemicals included in greywater (eg: soaps and washing powders)
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the irrigation method
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the type of plants being watered
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the length and duration of watering
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the soil structure and type
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the presence of soil organic matter and so on.
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That said, there are some straight forward dos, donts and no-you-didnt regarding greywater and
these have been popped together in an easy to use reference chart for you all.
Do consider a professionally installed, fail safe greywater treatment system saves you time time,
stress, effort and may make you eligible for a rebate
Do monitor your soil check pH, smell, life forms eg worms, bugs etc.
Do monitor your irrigation needs if it doesnt need water, dont water it!!!!!
Do disperse the water subsurface either on top of soil and under mulch, or trenched into soil. Its
better for your plants, your health, and your back pocket (will avoid a big fat fine!).
Do allow your garden a rest from greywater turn it off in autumn, and back on in spring!
Do think carefully about the products you use inside the house, and what affect that will have
outside eg: disinfectants, hair dye, bleach, cleaners
Do restrict greywater use to your garden untreated greywater is not suitable for washing cars,
hosing down paths, washing windows etc.
Do filter out as many solids as you can.
Do get to know greywater rules and regulations your local council, state water board and the EPA
are great places to start
Dont store untreated greywater for over 24hours its against EPA regulations, its really bad for
you and it stinks!
Dont water just because the greywater is there youll drown your plants and your soil, so check
the soil moisture levels first and then decide
Dont water your vegie patch with greywater for so many reasons, this is just plain wrong!
Dont shandy greywater with rainwater in a tank or similar you still cant store it, and you run a
serious risk of harbouring E. coli , among other things
Dont allow pets or people to play in pooled greywater thats revolting!
Dont hose it around it can be really contaminated always disperse your greywater under mulch,
or in the soil (subsurface)
Dont use kitchen water or water contaminated by pee or poo this is fairly obvious
Dont let greywater wash into your neighbours yard or neighbouring properties nothing says
neighbourhood dispute like your waste water in the yard next door
What can I actually water with greywater?
There has been a huge increase in the use of native and indigenous plants in domestic gardens and
why wouldnt there be? They look great, are suited to local soils and conditions, create habitat for
our precious native animal species and can be a lot more aridity tolerant than many exotic species.
But the use of greywater on these types of gardens can be a bit of a mystery and has caused great
debate among nursery folk and gardeners alike.
The four issues of most concern with regard to greywater and natives are:
Phosphorus
High pH
Alkalinity
Salinity
Talking Phosphorus
Lets first take a look at phosphorus. Many commonly grown Australian native plants have originated
in phosphorus deficient soils and high levels of phosphorus can be detrimental to the health of these
plants. Phosphorus sensitivity is a particular issue with members of the Protea family (Proteaceae)
which includes Banksia, Grevillea, Hakea and Isopogon. However, phosphorus sensitivity varies and
it should not be assumed that all Australian native plants will not tolerate phosphorus.
With that in mind, it is always preferable to choose a detergent that contains low or no phosphorus if
you are irrigating with greywater. This will avoid any detrimental affects to soil health and plant
health, both in your backyard and beyond the back fence (think blue-green algal blooms). To find out
whether your detergent has a high phosphorus content, check out the Lanfax Labs website
www.lanfaxlabs.com.au, for detailed information on many different brands of washing detergents.
Low phosphorus detergents must be used in any long-term application of grey water from laundry
sources, regardless of the phosphorous sensitivities of plants or not. Excessive phosphorus is unable
to be taken up by plants, and has the potential to damage soil structure, as well as leaching into our
groundwater, and polluting our rivers, creeks and bays.
pH and Alkalinity
The next issue we need to tackle is one of pH and alkalinity. Research has shown that even some of
the best detergents for greywater use can be quite alkaline which, over time and with repeated
application, can alter the soil pH considerably. Want to learn more about the confusing world of pH
and alkalinity click here.
Generally speaking, laundry water is quite alkaline due to the detergents used, and this can, with
application over prolonged periods, alter the pH of the soil, making conditions unpleasant for loads
of plants and for soil microbes (more on that later). Plant preferences for certain types of soil means
that they are often starved of important nutrients or damaged by unwanted minerals when the pH is
altered.
The make up of laundry liquids and powders is complex, and relies on a myriad of different
chemicals and compounds to do its work. Laundry detergents need to be alkaline in order to
attract grease, fats and all those yucky things that make us need to wash our clothes in the first
place.
Laundry detergents also contain surfactants, substances which, when added to water, significantly
reduce the surface tension of the water, allowing water to wash surfaces better. There are many
different types of organic compounds which can function as surfactants, but, while they might get
our clothes cleaner, they arent doing our soil, or the critters living in the soil, much good.
So, in basic terms, much laundry water has the potential to cause significant changes to soil
structure, soil pH, and, in turn, affect how our plants grow. Using detergents with a neutral pH (or
close to it) will help keep soil pH at a desirable level. If you are finding your greywater to be
alkaline, adding white vinegar (which is slightly acid) to the greywater before applying it to the soil
may be beneficial for the long-term health of plants and soil. The amount of vinegar required will
vary depending on the starting greywater pH, test it out for yourself!
Loads of native and exotic plant species do not tolerate an alkaline soil (most of our native soils in
Australia are quite acidic, SA being the exception) so monitoring of the soil pH over time is
important. The magic word here is test i.e. test your pH for yourself, and see where you stand.
pH testing kits are available from most garden centres, aquariam retailers and pet supply stores,
and are specifically designed to test the pH, acidity and alkalinity of water (including greywater).
Soil pH testing kits are also available, and are an essential addition to the garden shed!
I heard greywater is salty is it?
Salinity is mainly a problem with washing machine water as many powder detergents have a high
salt content due to the use of fillers in laundry powders. Preferably do not use saline greywater,
especially with clay soil types, unless your plants can tolerate it. You could add gypsum to the wash
water if it is saline (i.e. high sodium concentration). Alternatively, using liquid detergents or
choosing powders with no sodium content are much safer and environmentally responsible options.
What do I do with all this water?
The biggest issue faced by gardeners irrigating with untreated greywater is not necessarily the
quality of the water, but the amount of it and frequency at which it is being applied. Put simply,
people are watering more than they ever did and are literally drowning their plants and their soil.
Please, for the love of the Garden Gods, check your soil moisture before irrigating. If the soil is
damp, direct your greywater to the sewer, rather than to the garden! Greywater cannot be stored for
longer than 24hours, so, if you dont need it, divert it! Oh, and give your soil time to recover. All soils
under greywater irrigation should be allowed freshwater and the best time for this is through winter,
when rainwater is generally available. So turn off your greywater over autumn and winter, and flick
it back on as the weather warms up and the rains stop!
What about the water from my bathroom?
On average, a two to three person household generates 185 litres of greywater per day from the
hand basin, shower and bath. The chemical constituents of bathroom greywater include soap,
shampoo, hair dyes, toothpaste and cleaning chemicals. Greywater from hand basins is more
polluted than bath or shower greywater, but is much lower in volume. If hair dyes and cleaning
chemicals are being utilised, divert the greywater to the wastewater rather than the garden.
I get asked quite often how the use of soaps and shampoos will impact the quality of greywater used
for garden irrigation, and the short answer is we dont know. Generally speaking, the amount of
soap and shampoo used in the shower is quite minimal, and pretty well diluted by the time it gets
out to the garden. Most of it is biodegradable, and is unlikely to have any significant long-term
impact on the plants and soil. That said, the impacts of all types of greywater are dependant on a
whole host of factors, including soil types, organic matter content and so on.
What will greywater do to my soil?
Hard to say really! As we have learnt, the use of greywater with a high content of laundry detergent
can be quite harmful to plants, causing phosphorus toxicity and sodium issues. But the truth is, we
dont know at this stage what the long-term impact of greywater use on gardens will be. The
widespread use of greywater for irrigation is a fairly new beast, and one that, until now, has not
been studied a great deal. While there are numerous studies underway, the outcome on soil health
will not be known for some time. But we can infer a few things at this stage:
Harsh chemicals that are designed to kill household bugs are most likely to kill beneficial bugs in
the soil. This includes the use of eucalyptus oil, nappy soakers, antiseptic and anti-bacterial products
and carbolic acid based disinfectants.
Petroleum based products such as some detergents and optical brighteners they are slow to bio-
degrade and probably not real good for the soil
Maintaining soil health by adding plenty of organic matter is essential (even more than usual) to
counteract the effects of any additional salt. It will also help to buffer the pH because another
benefit of adding lots of organic matter is that it can help lower pH, which in turns makes less
phosphorous available to plants. Check out the Soil Health section at the top of our website for more
information on the importance of healthy soils!
Greywater is great an awesome resource that, when used correctly and cleverly, can prevent our
precious potable drinking water from being dumped into garden beds.