Gray water systems

Listen to this radio show (MP3 download) or read below.

Radio interview source: Melissa McDonald, designer, Santa Fe Permaculture

When I do a load of laundry, I don't think twice about using that water for something else, but maybe I should. With growing populations and shrinking water supplies, it's necessary to use less water, and use it for more than one purpose.

Some people are installing systems in their homes to capture used water. While it's not good for drinking or cooking, gray water can be used for landscaping. Melissa McDonald is an expert on water recycling and says you can reuse water from basic chores.

"Gray water is bathing water, dish water, laundry water, and things like that," McDonald says. "Basically black water is anything that has sewage or diapers, things like that in it. So that's really important for people to understand."

Black water should not be used. Let that stuff go where it needs to. Some soaps won't work well, either. Look for detergents that claim to be bio-compatible. That means they'll be fine to use in a gray water system because they'll break down easily and won't harm plants.