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Reusing greywater

Reusing greywater to irrigate lawns and gardens could save up to 50,000 litres of drinking water per home each year. Treated greywater can also be used to flush toilets and in washing machines, saving even more drinking water. There are three main ways to reuse greywater.


 
Treating greywater means it can be used in more ways around the home
  • Bucketing - collecting small quantities of greywater in a bucket from, say, the bath or shower, and reusing it to irrigate lawns and gardens.
  • Greywater diversion device - a system installed by a plumber that redirects greywater from the shower, bath and laundry for use in the garden or lawn.
  • Greywater treatment - a system to treat greywater to reduce solids, pollutants and microorganisms . This treated water can be used above the ground for lawns and gardens, flushing toilets and in washing machines. The system needs to be installed by a plumber, approved by the local council and serviced regularly.
Installing greywater diversion and treatment systems

Using greywater in the garden


 
Greywater can give essential nutrients for plants

Greywater can help most plants thrive. The water from our shower, bath or laundry will probably contain soaps and detergents. These contain salts, and nutrients phosphorus and nitrogen.

Reusing greywater directly in the garden means we are adding these nutrients to the soil. Phosphorus and nitrogen are often used as fertilisers, so the garden may need less fertiliser, or none at all. We can also choose washing powders and detergents that are low in phosphorus and salts.

Soap may contain fats that can make the soil water repellent. You might need to use a soil re-wetting product.

A greywater treatment system will reduce the amount of nutrients in the treated greywater.

If you've been cleaning with products like bleach or disinfectants, don't reuse the greywater.

Guidelines on greywater, health and the environment


 
An easy way to start reusing greywater

Because greywater has already been used, it may contain bacteria that could harm our health, and pollutants such as soaps and cleaning products that could harm the environment. Read the NSW Government guidelines for reusing greywater safely before you start using greywater.









Learn about water: Definitions


Did you know?

Sydney Water collects and treats over 1.5 billion litres of wastewater a day.

The human body can only survive five to seven days without water, but about a month without food.

Your drinking water may be fluoridated to help prevent dental cavities.

Sydney Water tests water straight after it is treated, in the pipes and at the tap.

Sewer mining involves tapping into wastewater on its way to a sewage treatment plant and treating it for local reuse.

Cows bred for their meat need 40 to 140 litres of water a day.

Cows bred for milk need 147 litres of water a day.

It takes 148,000 litres of water to make a new car, including its four tyres.

Sydney Water is Australia's largest water utility with about 3,200 staff.

60% of the world's desalination plants are in the Middle East.

In most Australian cities and towns, tap water is treated so people don't get sick.

A person should drink two litres of water a day to help them be healthy.

Making recycled paper instead of new paper uses, on average, 64% less energy and 58% less water.

We drink an average of 75,000 litres of water in our lifetime.

Sydney Water supplies water to over 4 million people.

Water removes waste from your body.

Sydney Water's area of operations covers around 12,700 square kilometres.

Sydney has a very large water storage, but a highly variable rainfall.

Sydney Water supplies over 1.3 billion litres of water to over 1.7 million homes and businesses each day.

Water regulates the temperature of the human body. If you have a fever, drink lots of water.

Sydney Water's area of operations covers Sydney, the Illawarra and the Blue Mountains.

Sydney Water's pipes would stretch from Sydney to Los Angeles and back if laid end to end.

The desalination plant can supply up to 15% of Sydney's water supply.

A sheep needs 4 to 10 litres of water a day.

The largest snowflake ever recorded was 38 cm across. It fell in the United States in 1887.