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What is “grey water” and why should it be captured? Wouldn’t that be unsafe? What are the benefits? This article will try to answer these questions in our first of several “Focus on Green Homes” articles.

First, grey water is not actually grey-colored. After being filtered it looks just like regular water. However, it is not potable water and should never be used as such.

There are basically two types of grey water recapture. “In the Home” grey water is water from your sink, shower, and laundry that has been filtered and reused. “Outside the Home” is run-off water from your gutters/ground that has been saved and used. Each one will be described more fully below.

In the Home – Grey water in the home is water from your sink, your shower, and your laundry. Under certain conditions and with the right equipment, this water can be used again for things like flushing your toilet. Grey water usage may sound a little strange and at first glance appear disgusting, but with the proper equipment and filtering, non-potable water can be used again.

The grey water usage provides a recycling method that can greatly reduce your water bill and your community’s need for expensive giant waste treatment plants. It is estimated that grey water usage can reduce your water bill by up to 60%. Just imagine the reduction if every home in town recycled their grey water.

Outside the Home – Grey water outside the house is run-off water. This is the water that runs off your roof and ground into the storm sewer and usually runs into a river or drainage pond. This water is being wasted. Grey water recapture saves the water so that it can put to much better use. Have you ever noticed that your plants, flowers, and grass look much better after a rain storm than they do after you have watered them with city water? This is because city water is treated for human consumption and no longer contains the minerals and nutrients required by your lawn and flowers. The run-off water is saved on your premises and is available for your personal use anytime.

Using run-off water relieves the stress on city services. Have you ever been subject city restrictions on when and for how long you can water your lawn? These restrictions are necessary because watering your lawn with city water stresses the city water supply. If you’ve saved your run-off, your actions can alleviate the stress on the system. Simply by capturing the rainwater running out of your gutters or across your property in a rain storm and storing it for later use, you’ve conserved water while saving money and resources.