Tap into Water Savings
(Page 4 of 8)
August/September 2004
By Claire Anderson
Costs & Savings
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Branched drain-to-mulch basins are the most affordable option beyond the ultra-basic landscape-direct method. Drain-to-mulch basins provide automated distribution of graywater to plants without the need for the filtration, surge tanks or pumps that other systems use. These systems can be built by a homeowner for a few hundred dollars in off-the-shelf components.
More-involved, whole-household graywater systems are best incorporated during a home and landscape’s design phase, when drain pipes can be sited for best accessibility and location, with irrigation areas situated downhill from graywater sources. Depending on the regulations in your area, two separate systems — one for blackwater, one for graywater — may have to be installed. In lieu of installing a full graywater system at the time of construction, you can “stub out” a system — provide the piping but cap the ends until you are ready to complete the system. Farmington, Ga., straw bale homeowners Elise Lang and Michael Pierce designed their system accordingly, anticipating that local building code officials eventually will permit graywater for use on their fruit trees and other landscape plants.
Graywater systems can be considered a long-term investment in the future, when both water and energy prices are certain to rise. Upfront costs for legally permitted systems hinge on the complexity of the system installed. The cost of Hale and Hall’s graywater greenhouse and composting toilet system in Minnesota is similar to a conventional septic system, but, Hale says, instead of a “bump in the ground,” they have a productive growing space. NutriCycle Systems’ box trough costs $5,000, while ReWater’s subsurface drip irrigation system carries a $2,000 to $3,000 price tag.
Steve Bilson of ReWater Systems says at least half of his system’s cost can be recouped in sewage-fee savings over the 20-year life of the graywater system. And this, he says, doesn’t even factor in savings from reduced use of municipal water for landscape irrigation.
When used in concert with a septic system, graywater systems can significantly extend the life of the leachfield and reduce the need for frequent sewage pumping. “Replacing a leachfield that’s become clogged with organic matter can total thousands of dollars,” Bilson says. “By using a graywater system, you remove about 15 percent of the solids — like sloughed-off skin cells and fine particles of clothing — increasing the life of your leachfield system significantly.”
Safety Issues
If you compost your food scraps, don’t use a garbage disposal and avoid chlorine and other harsh chemicals, you can safely reuse all your graywater. Remote risks of disease transmission can be minimized by using a system that keeps the wastewater below the soil surface.
To date, no cases of disease transmission through contact with graywater have been reported. For safety’s sake, experts recommend discontinuing graywater irrigation if a family member becomes ill with a communicable disease (such as hepatitis, flu or measles) and diverting the graywater into the sewer until the affected person is well. Some experts caution against using graywater to irrigate garden vegetables, especially root crops that can come in contact with the graywater.
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