Greywater is the “technical” term for waste water coming from your home, such as washing machine rinse water or the water going down the drain after you do the dishes. On the other hand, black-water is the term for the more serious waste (think toilet). Blackwater isn’t much use, but you can take advantage of the many, many gallons of greywater your home is putting out.
This tip is more about conserving limited water supplies rather than providing a better water source for your plants. Greywater will have various soaps and other contaminants in it, and you’ll have to make a few changes in your daily routines to take advantage of this water source.
To reuse dishwater, the simplest idea would be to have a dishpan in the sink so you can lift out your water when you’re done. Toss it out onto your plants, and you’re done. A handy person might adjust the pipes under the sink so that you can drain out into a bucket. The water can go right into the garden, or poured into a larger barrel to be distributed later.
Washing machine water is a little tougher though it does represent a much larger volume to work with. You need to do some plumbing work and have your machine drain out into a barrel or cistern rather than out through the home’s sewage system.
You can even reclaim your bath or shower water, though it can be a little tougher. Again, a little plumbing rework or extra buckets can do the trick.
In any case, you need to keep your chemical use to a minimum. That means natural or otherwise environmentally-friendly soaps need to be used. If you’ve been washing anything toxic or unpleasant (like a really greasy cooking pot, or washing clothes stained with paint), then you should avoid using that greywater.
