I know what you are thinking, “Recycle my sewage water? Are you crazy?”. Believe me, I had the same thought when I read the topic. Contrary to popular believe, sewage water is not only the water that you flush down the toilet. It also includes water from your sink, shower, and other used water that flows through your drainage system. This water also includes known as grey water which can be recycled for other purposes. By doing so, not only are you helping to save the earth, you will also reduce your monthly water bill.
The main purpose for which grey water can be recycled is to be used to water lawns and other plants. First of all, suitable sources of grey water must be identified. This is important as grey water from certain sources such as dishwashers and washing machines tend to contain organic particles, grease and oils which are harmful to plants. It is estimated that approximately 20 to 40 gallons of water, which is more than half of the water that is let to flow down the drain every day is reusable grey water.
By recycling grey water, not only are you lowering your monthly water bill, you are also helping to save the earth. This is because the topsoil layer around your plants is biologically active and contains soil bacteria that are able to break grey water down before allowing plants to absorb the nutrients. This process is also known as biological water purification. Besides that, plants are also able to thrive when watered with grey water as it contains small bits of compost that provide nutrients to them. However, you should not use grey water on plants that you plan on consuming. This is because grey water also contains small amounts of organic substances that may be absorbed by plants. Thus, consuming such plants would render indirectly consuming harmful organic substances.