麻豆官网首页入口

TV and Radio聽 permalink

The Great Grey Water Dilemma

• Message 1.聽

  Posted by green-buddha (U11615833) on Tuesday, 26th August 2008

  Can anybody help me on the subject of 鈥榞rey water鈥�? I have often heard it advocated that we should siphon off our bathwater etc and pour it on the garden, but I have misgivings about the idea. The soil is alive with countless numbers of beneficial micro-organisms, and it seems to me that few if any of them will thrive in soap or detergent. So, this is my question, has any research been done on the effects of 鈥榞rey water鈥� on micro-organisms in the soil?

  Link to this forum: The Great Grey Water Dilemma

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by hereisabee (U2342191) on Tuesday, 26th August 2008

  Cottage gardeners of old would throw there soapy water on plants troubled by insects or mould, but that was in the days before 'Badedas'. However anything you trust to be good for your skin cannot be that terrible for plants?
  
  The principle source of grey water would be rainwater from the roof and given the rain we have had the last two summers that should be adequate and washings could go down the drain. After all you have paid for it, as your water is charged for use and sewage?

  Link to this forum: The Great Grey Water Dilemma

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by Amazing (U7102651) on Tuesday, 26th August 2008

  Greenbudda, are you short of water. Our local burn is now a river, come and collect any time you want.

  Link to this forum: The Great Grey Water Dilemma

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by SuzieC8 (U7064731) on Wednesday, 27th August 2008

  I've often wondered this as I use grey water from the bath and shower on my garden (via a syphon pump - not because I'm short of it but because my septic tank gets filled very quickly).
  
  I just googled and found this link: so apparently it's fine.

  Link to this forum: The Great Grey Water Dilemma

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by green-buddha (U11615833) on Wednesday, 27th August 2008

  Thanks for your reply hereisabee, but it's not the plants I am worried about. If soapy water kills insects and mould, then what does it do to beneficial soil bacteria? Us gardeners need to know who our friends are in the garden, and not do anything to harm them if at all possible.
  But thanks again for your thoughts.

  Link to this forum: The Great Grey Water Dilemma

  Report message5

• Message 6

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by green-buddha (U11615833) on Wednesday, 27th August 2008

  Thanks for your reply SusieQ8, and for the suggestion that I should visit website www.safegardening.co. I have now done so, but all I found there was something described as 鈥渁 greywater management system which re-cycles bath and shower water and uses it to flush toilets鈥�, plus an advert for a gadget which siphons water out of the bath. It said nothing at all about the effects of greywater on micro organisms. So once again I must ask the question 鈥淗as any research been done on the effects of 鈥榞rey water鈥� on benificial micro-organisms in the soil?鈥� For if the answer is 鈥榥o鈥�, then I for one will not be using it.

  Link to this forum: The Great Grey Water Dilemma

  Report message6

• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by hereisabee (U2342191) on Thursday, 28th August 2008

  Just as you 'garden' the plants in your garden, so the worms 'garden' soil organisms in the earth, as they cultivate them in their gut as they push through the soil feeding on decaying vegetation.
  
  Worms can clean up soil previously thought contaminated and are very resilient creatures. In the days of DDT which originally was believed harmless to other creatures, it was the worms that absorbed the pesticide into their bodies without harm. Problems were realised when birds that ate worms exclusively for their diet started dying as they could not handle the levels of DDT contained in the worms!
  
  The truth is, if you use bathwater for irrigation this will create extra work for the soil life but they will take it. Chris Baines was famous for cleaning water with his sedge marshes that would sort out any chemicals and drain pure water from outlet.
  
  So if your priorities are disposal of waste water then put it on the garden. If it is growing vegetables then better to put your waste down the drain and give your vegetable garden pure rainwater so the soil can concentrate on fertility to nourish your crops.

  Link to this forum: The Great Grey Water Dilemma

  Report message7

• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by green-buddha (U11615833) on Sunday, 31st August 2008

  Hi hereisabee,
  Thanks for your reply, but I don't consider earthworms to be micro-organisms. I'm thinking of all the countless numbers of microscopic (ie only visible with a microscope) beneficial creatures.
  Anyway, what do you think would happen to an earthworm if I was cruel enough - which I am not - to drop it into soapy water?
  
  

  Link to this forum: The Great Grey Water Dilemma

  Report message8

• Message 9

  , in reply to message 8.

  Posted by hereisabee (U2342191) on Sunday, 31st August 2008

  It will drown,
  
  If you are really keen to dispose of all your grey water then this is the sort of system to have.
  
  
  
  You could give up using soap and just use pumice like the famous composer Erik Satie and in many parts of the world dishes are cleaned in sand?
  

  Link to this forum: The Great Grey Water Dilemma

  Report message9

Back to top