I have installed a complete irrigation system in my garden, but would like
to use grey water if possible. (Water would be from the bath, shower and
hand basin)

Am I allowed to use it in my own garden?

If so, do I need to do anything to the water to make it suitable for use?

The current system takes water from the roof and stores it in 2 1450 Litre
containers (above ground)
The filtration I have on this is a simple mesh bucket (Used for planting
plants in ponds) followed by a bucket of gravel (The exit holes at the
bottom of the bucket are covered with smaller pond plant pots, so the graven
doesn't escape!)
This then drains into a small water butt, a pump then pumps the water into
one of the 1400 litre containers, this is then connected to a second one at
the bottom, and a high pressure pump then delivers the water to the
irrigation system.

I was thinking of installing a small tank with another pump (with a float
switch) that would also feed into the 1400L containers, but was unsure if
the water needed some kind of treatment to remove soap etc.?

Thanks for any advise, or pointers!

Sparks

In article ,
"Sparks" writes:
I have installed a complete irrigation system in my garden, but would like
to use grey water if possible. (Water would be from the bath, shower and
hand basin)

Am I allowed to use it in my own garden?

Yes, unless you become subject to a drought order (in which
case the fact that you have used it once already still doesn't
give you the right to use it to water the garden).

If so, do I need to do anything to the water to make it suitable for use?

I don't think so. Make sure you don't wash anything more than
regular soap/shampoo/washing up liquid into it though.

I was thinking of installing a small tank with another pump (with a float
switch) that would also feed into the 1400L containers, but was unsure if
the water needed some kind of treatment to remove soap etc.?

No, but I would avoid storing gray water -- use it ASAP.
Tanks which get lined with soap and fat scum are going
to start smelling.

There may be some plants which don't like it (soap tends to
be alkali). I have used it on my lawn without any problems
in the past. I might hesitate to use it on plants grown for
eating.

--
Andrew Gabriel

Andrew Gabriel wrote:
In article ,
"Sparks" writes:
I have installed a complete irrigation system in my garden, but
would like to use grey water if possible. (Water would be from the
bath, shower and hand basin)

Am I allowed to use it in my own garden?

Yes, unless you become subject to a drought order (in which
case the fact that you have used it once already still doesn't
give you the right to use it to water the garden).

So if there was a "hosepipe ban" I couldn't use this water?
Seems a bit daft to me!!

Would using rain water, collected from the roof also be prohibited?


If so, do I need to do anything to the water to make it suitable for
use?

I don't think so. Make sure you don't wash anything more than
regular soap/shampoo/washing up liquid into it though.

It's just the bathroom, so normal bathroom usage would apply, not things
like Kitchen sink, washing machine or dishwasher


I was thinking of installing a small tank with another pump (with a
float switch) that would also feed into the 1400L containers, but
was unsure if the water needed some kind of treatment to remove soap
etc.?

No, but I would avoid storing grey water -- use it ASAP.
Tanks which get lined with soap and fat scum are going
to start smelling.

The water containers are made of black plastic, and have lids, so this
shouldn't pose a problem really, I suppose I will only turn on the grey
water pump on when there is limited rainfall (and maybe only when the
storage containers are a certain % full/empty

There may be some plants which don't like it (soap tends to
be alkali).

But would the concentration of soap really pose a problem?
would the average bath/shower/wash contain enough soap to cause any
problems?

I have used it on my lawn without any problems
in the past. I might hesitate to use it on plants grown for
eating.

Not a problem now, we don't grow anything for eating (well, apart from some
herbs)

Sparks...

"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
news:42ab357d$0$38039


No, but I would avoid storing gray water -- use it ASAP.
Tanks which get lined with soap and fat scum are going
to start smelling.

That's very true. Well, not quite true enough. It stinks.

There may be some plants which don't like it (soap tends to
be alkali). I have used it on my lawn without any problems
in the past. I might hesitate to use it on plants grown for
eating.

I have no such qualms and I grow vegetables with no man-made fertilisers or
pesticides.

You're also right about not being legally allowed to use it when there's a
hosepipe ban. I use everything I can in such a situation (except tap water
which I rarely use neat anyway). It's up to your own conscience but I prefer
to use waste water of many kinds to grow my food than to put it in the
sewer. I don't use a hosepipe for it. And I don't water flowers or lawn
(don't have grass, the hens ate it all). If we can't eat it it can die as
far as I'm concerned.

Mary

Mary

--
Andrew Gabriel

"Sparks" wrote in message
.. .

So if there was a "hosepipe ban" I couldn't use this water?
Seems a bit daft to me!!

Would using rain water, collected from the roof also be prohibited?


I used a hose pipe to siphon bath water during a hose pipe ban a few years
ago. Technically this breached the ban, but Southern Water were content for
me to do this provided they had the right to inspect it. Friend were amused
that I had a visit from one of their officials to see what I did with my
bath water!

James

All our grey water goes on the garden including the kitchen waste.
Plants thrive on a bit of extra phosphtes from the detergents. That's
the problem with detergents running into watercourses - they produce
algal blooms. Can't use it if there's a hose pipe ban? If that's the
law the law is an ass. We havn't got mains drainage anyway so the
water company can't have it back! Our black water irrigates the land
as well but after its been through a septic tank and a reed bed.

James wrote:
"Sparks" wrote in message
.. .

So if there was a "hosepipe ban" I couldn't use this water?
Seems a bit daft to me!!

Would using rain water, collected from the roof also be prohibited?


I used a hose pipe to siphon bath water during a hose pipe ban a few
years ago. Technically this breached the ban, but Southern Water
were content for me to do this provided they had the right to inspect
it. Friend were amused that I had a visit from one of their
officials to see what I did with my bath water!

Okay, if they are going be like that, I am not actually using a hosepipe,
all the irrigation system is made up of...

25mm MDPE water pipe "Ring Main" under the ground, around the garden (Like
they use to deliver mains water)
13mm "Delivery pipe"
4.6mm "Supply Pipe"

The lawn is watered with the pop up sprinklers, the beds are watered with
little sprinklers and the pots are watered with drippers

Would this be prohibited in a "hosepipe" ban?
In which case, should I fill my water containers with mains water, as long
as it does not go through a hosepipe?

Sparks...

I can see that they might have a case if you deliberately left your
bath tap running and then watered your garden with the 'grey water'
during a drought, but come on, there has got to be some common sense
left in the world.

On 11 Jun 2005 14:33:14 -0700, wrote:

there has got to be some common sense left in the world.

Yes, but due to a *severe* shortage, a ban on 'common sense delivery
by hosepipe' has been in effect for central and local government in
the UK for most of the last couple of hundred years g

And Sparks, sadly the ban also applies to lawn sprinklers I believe. I
would be dubious of using grey water in a sprinkler system anyway,
depending on the hardness of your water, soap scum can build up and
clog the heads (although your filtering system may well take care of
that). Contacting the water company anonymously might be an option,
see what they say with regards to the issue.

--
I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it
says something about human nature that the only form of
life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've
created life in our own image. - Stephen Hawking

Chipmunk wrote:
On 11 Jun 2005 14:33:14 -0700, wrote:

there has got to be some common sense left in the world.

Yes, but due to a *severe* shortage, a ban on 'common sense delivery
by hosepipe' has been in effect for central and local government in
the UK for most of the last couple of hundred years g

And Sparks, sadly the ban also applies to lawn sprinklers I believe.

Bugger, how about small flower bed sprayers (Not sprinlkers :-) and drippers
like these
http://www.grovelands.com/acatalog/G..._watering.html


would be dubious of using grey water in a sprinkler system anyway,
depending on the hardness of your water, soap scum can build up and
clog the heads (although your filtering system may well take care of
that).

We live in a reasonably hard water area, however we do have a water
softener, so the water that is used in the bathroom is very soft.

Contacting the water company anonymously might be an option,
see what they say with regards to the issue.

I have just written an email to someone at the environment agency, as their
website has information about harvesting rainwater, hopefully they can help!

Sparks...

On Sat, 11 Jun 2005 22:55:30 +0100, "Sparks" wrote:


I have just written an email to someone at the environment agency, as their
website has information about harvesting rainwater, hopefully they can help!

Sparks...


I think they're likely your best bet, the only information on exactly
what a hosepipe and sprinkler ban actually applies to that I can find,
is very very vague in the best tradition of UK legislation and
regulations:-)
--
I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it
says something about human nature that the only form of
life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've
created life in our own image. - Stephen Hawking

In article ,
"Sparks" writes:

We live in a reasonably hard water area, however we do have a water
softener, so the water that is used in the bathroom is very soft.

Hum, I wonder if this might cause a problem with gradual
contamination of the soil with the resulting sodium ions
(assuming your softener is an ion exchange type)?

--
Andrew Gabriel

"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
.. .
In article ,
"Sparks" writes:

We live in a reasonably hard water area, however we do have a water
softener, so the water that is used in the bathroom is very soft.

Hum, I wonder if this might cause a problem with gradual
contamination of the soil with the resulting sodium ions
(assuming your softener is an ion exchange type)?

Yes it is (I think! - I put salt in it!)

Sparks wrote:
"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
.. .
In article ,
"Sparks" writes:

We live in a reasonably hard water area, however we do have a water
softener, so the water that is used in the bathroom is very soft.

Hum, I wonder if this might cause a problem with gradual
contamination of the soil with the resulting sodium ions
(assuming your softener is an ion exchange type)?

Yes it is (I think! - I put salt in it!)

that salt ends up in your grey water, and sodium chloride has the same
effect as sodium chlorate. Vey dilute so it takes years to have an
efect, but yes it does.

Thats one of the probs with grey water, you have to be fussy about what
you let get in the water.

There are many plants that will still grow ok, but not all. If you
wanted a mint pond or reed bed I believe you could use it for those.
And many other things.

NT

"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
.. .
In article ,
"Sparks" writes:

We live in a reasonably hard water area, however we do have a water
softener, so the water that is used in the bathroom is very soft.

Hum, I wonder if this might cause a problem with gradual
contamination of the soil with the resulting sodium ions
(assuming your softener is an ion exchange type)?

I was wondering that too ...

Mary

--
Andrew Gabriel

On Sat, 11 Jun 2005 21:22:45 +0100, "Sparks" wrote:


So if there was a "hosepipe ban" I couldn't use this water?
Seems a bit daft to me!!

The rules can be silly.

My parents used to have a swimming pool in the back garden. This was
during the 1977(?) drought.

Under the rules we were allowed to use hundreds of gallons of water in
order to keep the pool topped up, but the neighbours couldn't use a
garden sprinkler.

The water system failed on several occasions. We used to leave the
back gate open and neighbours would come around with a bucket and take
water from the swimming pool.

Graham

On 11 Jun 2005 16:42:54 -0700, wrote:


that salt ends up in your grey water, and sodium chloride has the same
effect as sodium chlorate. Vey dilute so it takes years to have an
efect, but yes it does.

Thats one of the probs with grey water, you have to be fussy about what
you let get in the water.

There are many plants that will still grow ok, but not all. If you
wanted a mint pond or reed bed I believe you could use it for those.
And many other things.

I recently purchased from Sainsburys a device called "protector" from
Finish.

It is a little plastic device that clips inside the dishwasher.
Apparently, it realises something into each wash that is designed to
protect glasses from going hazy.

It says on the box: "use detergent, rinse agent and salt or 3in1
product as usual (Salt not available in Australia or New Zealand)"

I gather from a previous thread that in Australia they are having
problems with the levels of salt in water.

Graham

James wrote:

I used a hose pipe to siphon bath water during a hose pipe ban a few years
ago. Technically this breached the ban, but Southern Water were content for
me to do this provided they had the right to inspect it. Friend were amused
that I had a visit from one of their officials to see what I did with my
bath water!

How did SW even know about it (or were you just super-honest and
contacted them before doing it)?

--
David

"Lobster" wrote in message
news
James wrote:

I used a hose pipe to siphon bath water during a hose pipe ban a few
years ago. Technically this breached the ban, but Southern Water were
content for me to do this provided they had the right to inspect it.
Friend were amused that I had a visit from one of their officials to see
what I did with my bath water!

How did SW even know about it (or were you just super-honest and contacted
them before doing it)?

--
David

Siphoning the bath meant it was more convenient to leave the hose pipe
outside on display for extended periods of time. I contacted them to avoid
any subsequent misunderstandings.

James

"James" wrote in message
...

"Lobster" wrote in message
news
James wrote:

I used a hose pipe to siphon bath water during a hose pipe ban a few
years ago. Technically this breached the ban, but Southern Water were
content for me to do this provided they had the right to inspect it.
Friend were amused that I had a visit from one of their officials to see
what I did with my bath water!

How did SW even know about it (or were you just super-honest and
contacted them before doing it)?

--
David

Siphoning the bath meant it was more convenient to leave the hose pipe
outside on display for extended periods of time. I contacted them to
avoid any subsequent misunderstandings.

That's a good idea.

I don't know anything about SW but Yorkshire Water is very supportive of the
environment and I'm willing to be guided by them. I certainly don't feel the
need to use any kind of water on decorative parts of the garden (such as
they are) but I do carry much waste water to the vegetables. We pay for it,
we make the most of it.

Mary

James

"Sparks" wrote in message
.. .
James wrote:
"Sparks" wrote in message
.. .

So if there was a "hosepipe ban" I couldn't use this water?
Seems a bit daft to me!!

Would using rain water, collected from the roof also be prohibited?


I used a hose pipe to siphon bath water during a hose pipe ban a few
years ago. Technically this breached the ban, but Southern Water
were content for me to do this provided they had the right to inspect
it. Friend were amused that I had a visit from one of their
officials to see what I did with my bath water!

Okay, if they are going be like that, I am not actually using a hosepipe,

Hosepipe ban is simply a convenient handle for the media. All forms of
automatic watering systems are also included. Usually you can still use grey
water, but only by using it to fill a watering can etc.

Colin Bignell

On Sun, 12 Jun 2005 13:18:06 GMT, wrote:

I recently purchased from Sainsburys a device called "protector" from
Finish.

It is a little plastic device that clips inside the dishwasher.
Apparently, it realises something into each wash that is designed to
protect glasses from going hazy.

It says on the box: "use detergent, rinse agent and salt or 3in1
product as usual (Salt not available in Australia or New Zealand)"

I gather from a previous thread that in Australia they are having
problems with the levels of salt in water.

Yup:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/costingtheearth_20040401.shtml

(Good series BTW)

cheers,
Pete.

In message , Sparks
writes
Okay, if they are going be like that, I am not actually using a hosepipe,
all the irrigation system is made up of...

25mm MDPE water pipe "Ring Main" under the ground, around the garden (Like
they use to deliver mains water)
13mm "Delivery pipe"
4.6mm "Supply Pipe"

The lawn is watered with the pop up sprinklers, the beds are watered with
little sprinklers and the pots are watered with drippers

Would this be prohibited in a "hosepipe" ban?
In which case, should I fill my water containers with mains water, as long
as it does not go through a hosepipe?

Just tell them that you have a little leak and you're getting around to
fixing it ... just like they are

--
geoff

nightjar nightjar@ wrote:
Hosepipe ban is simply a convenient handle for the media. All forms of
automatic watering systems are also included. Usually you can still use grey
water, but only by using it to fill a watering can etc.

Including stored rainwater supplied through a trickle irrigation system
on a timer? I wouldn't be surprised - this is sufficiently stupid to
make it onto the statute books - but do you have a reference for the
official text.

--
Spamtrap in use
To email replace 127.0.0.1 with blueyonder dot co dot uk

In article ,
Chris Hodges writes:
nightjar nightjar@ wrote:
Hosepipe ban is simply a convenient handle for the media. All forms of
automatic watering systems are also included. Usually you can still use grey
water, but only by using it to fill a watering can etc.

Including stored rainwater supplied through a trickle irrigation system
on a timer? I wouldn't be surprised - this is sufficiently stupid to
make it onto the statute books - but do you have a reference for the
official text.

Doesn't apply to rainwater. Does apply to water supplied
to you and water you extract from a well/borehole/stream,
even if you already used it once for some other purpose
(and hence it's now regarded as gray).

Can't point you to a statute, but this is what a note from
Three Valleys Water said in the late 1980's when we had a
hosepipe ban for a few years in a row (and they had to keep
refunding my hosepipe license fee).

--
Andrew Gabriel

"Chris Hodges" wrote in message
. uk...
nightjar nightjar@ wrote:
Hosepipe ban is simply a convenient handle for the media. All forms of
automatic watering systems are also included. Usually you can still use
grey water, but only by using it to fill a watering can etc.

Including stored rainwater supplied through a trickle irrigation system on
a timer?

That isn't grey water.

I wouldn't be surprised - this is sufficiently stupid to make it onto the
statute books - but do you have a reference for the official text.

The bit of paper Southern Water stuck through my door last time around.

Colin Bignell

Huge wrote:

I have heard (and this may be entirely apochryphal) that the water companies
do aerial surveys, and those with green gardens during hosepipe bans may
get a visit to be asked why...

I'm looking forward to this, our lawn is sown with Abernile.

"Stephen Gower" wrote in message
...
Huge wrote:

I have heard (and this may be entirely apochryphal) that the water
companies
do aerial surveys, and those with green gardens during hosepipe bans may
get a visit to be asked why...

I'm looking forward to this, our lawn is sown with Abernile.

Wossatthen?

Mary

nightjar nightjar@ wrote:
Including stored rainwater supplied through a trickle irrigation system on
a timer?


That isn't grey water.


I wouldn't be surprised - this is sufficiently stupid to make it onto the
statute books - but do you have a reference for the official text.


The bit of paper Southern Water stuck through my door last time around.

Colin Bignell



Thanks (and thanks Andrew as well). That makes it clearer. I think.

--
Spamtrap in use
To email replace 127.0.0.1 with blueyonder dot co dot uk

Mary Fisher wrote:
"Stephen Gower" wrote in message

Our lawn is sown with Abernile.

Wossatthen?

http://www.google.com/search?q=Abernile&btnI=I'm+Feeling+Lucky
--
Selah

"Stephen Gower" wrote in message
...
Mary Fisher wrote:
"Stephen Gower" wrote in message

Our lawn is sown with Abernile.

Wossatthen?

http://www.google.com/search?q=Abernile&btnI=I'm+Feeling+Lucky

Ah, thanks.

Mary
--
Selah

"Sparks" wrote in message


The current system takes water from the roof and stores it in 2 1450 Litre
containers (above ground)

Plugging the bathroom outflow into the garden's inflow.

All you need to do it take a section out of the downspout before it
joins the main drain. If this happens on the outside wall it is a simple
job that won't cost more than a few quid in plastic pipe. (Water butts
are a lot more of course.)

It might be worth thinking about if we are in for a few of these
summers. If we are at the start of a bad dought cycle and it doesn't hit
the peak of the other end of spectrum for another 15 years, that
indicates about 7 years or so of dry summers. It would be an investment
if there is a re-run of the late 1970's. (IIRC.)

From two full containers you'd get:

2900 liter =

637.9108201 gallon [UK] =

0.0282128 acre-inch (or if the garden is about 1/10th of an acre you
will have enough to give it all 1/4 inch.)

http://www.onlineconversion.com/volume.htm

That is actually plenty for a week or so.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Michael Mcneil wrote:



It might be worth thinking about if we are in for a few of these
summers. If we are at the start of a bad dought cycle and it doesn't hit
the peak of the other end of spectrum for another 15 years, that
indicates about 7 years or so of dry summers. It would be an investment
if there is a re-run of the late 1970's. (IIRC.)


In my lifetime (from 1950) we have had dry summers, wet summers and
summers that were a bit of both.

I can';t say that I have seen any discernible pattern, although the
winters seem warmer than they were - far less frost about.

And as I write, the lightning is flashing over teh horizon. End of THAT
dry spell for a day or so I suspect.

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message



I can't say that I have seen any discernible pattern, although the
winters seem warmer than they were - far less frost about.


http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...726bbfce9f56a7


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG