Greywater Systems for Harvesting and Conserving Water
As potable, fresh water becomes scarcer, the country will have to look for ways to save, conserve, and reuse water. Rising populations, periods of drought, lower levels of water in aquifers, and water waste in industry and construction is increasingly bringing water shortage problems to our door. Harvesting and conserving waste water to use for non-potable purposes can save commercial businesses millions of gallons of potable water every year.
Greywater, rainwater, stormwater, and groundwater are all methods of reusing waste water for non-potable purposes. Greywater is water that has already been used for “light” purposes — for example, in showers, sinks, and light industrial processes. Greywater systems are fitted to commercial premises to harvest, treat, and reuse greywater. Greywater systems use an active harvesting method. This means that the waste water is collected mechanically and is filtered and stored in a system that uses the water for flushing toilets and watering outside areas.
Greywater harvesting is a more active system than the system used for harvesting rainwater. Greywater needs extra treatment for it to be used for irrigation or indoor water use; due to the extra cost of filtering and sterilization, greywater systems are consequently more expensive than rainwater harvesting systems. But customers can save money on the storage of greywater. Greywater systems generally depend on a balance between the supply of greywater from showers and sinks and the demand for the water to flush toilets and irrigate land. Because the balance is typically equal, the cost of storage tanks is reduced significantly.
Greywater systems for conserving and reusing water are relatively new, and in many cases, there are few standards for processing and storing the water. Some communities have codes that restrict the storage of greywater so it doesn’t become a danger to the public’s safety. There are other methods of harvesting and conserving water, and the choice of system depends on the building’s use and needs. A combination of options, unique to each project, helps create a system that meets the building’s needs. Motivations for installing a water conservation system include a desire to be environmentally friendly and reduce the building’s impact on its environment, or meeting a requirement from local authorities to reduce the amount of rainwater or wastewater entering the sewer system. Businesses may be striving to save money by reducing the costs of potable water and water-processing fees. Many issues need to be addressed and questions answered in order to decide on the most effective and efficient water harvesting solution for a particular building. That’s where a company such as Wahaso can help.
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