Greywater, Green Landscape: How to Install Simple Water-Saving Irrigation Systems in Your Yard

by Laura Allen

Overview

Keep your lawn and garden lush without wasting resources by capturing and recycling the greywater that drains from your sink, shower, and washing machine. This accessible and detailed guide walks you through each step of planning for and installing a variety of greywater systems, including laundry-to-landscape and branched drain gravity-fed systems. After identifying greywater sources in your home and estimating flow rate, you’ll learn to pinpoint where to redirect the wastewater for the greatest benefit. No matter which system you decide to build, you'll have the information to construct it yourself or move forward with confidence to hire a professional. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612128399
Publisher:	Storey Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	04/04/2017
Pages:	200
Sales rank:	524,280
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Laura Allen is the author of The Water-Wise Home and cofounder of Greywater Action, a collaborative of educators who teach residents and tradespeople about affordable and simple household water systems that dramatically reduce water use and foster sustainable cultures of water. She leads classes and workshops, including the first training program for professional greywater installers, and participates in writing state government greywater and composting toilet codes. She lives in Eugene, Oregon.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Planning Your Home Greywater System
1  Greywater Systems 101
  What Is Greywater?
  Types of Greywater Systems
  Health and Safety Considerations
  Greywater in Freezing Climates
2  Greywater Sources and Plumbing
  Identify Your Greywater Sources
  Your Home's Drain, Waste, and Vent System
  Undesirable Greywater Sources
  Summary of Greywater Sources
3  Estimate Your Greywater Flows
  Code Estimates vs. Personal Calculations
  Calculating Weekly Greywater Flows
  Finding the Flow Rates of Different Fixtures
4  Soils and Mulch Basins
  Soil Structure and Type
  Identify Your Soil Type with a Soil Ribbon Test
  Determine How Water Flows through Your Soil with an Infiltration Test
  Mulch Basins
  Protect Groundwater and Drinking Water Wells
5  Plants and Irrigation
  Choosing Plants for Greywater Irrigation
  How Much Water Do My Plants Want?
  Plant-Friendly Soaps
6  Choosing a Greywater System
  System Design Considerations
  When Greywater Is Not a Great Idea
  Using Greywater Indoors: Toilet Flushing
  Choosing a Greywater Irrigation System
  Greywater Systems at a Glance
  When to Turn Off the System
7  Codes and Regulations
  A Brief History of Greywater Plumbing Codes
  Greywater Codes: Performance and Prescriptive
  National Codes and Standards
Part 2: Building Your Home Greywater System
8  Install a Laundry-to-Landscape (L2L) System
  Design Considerations
  Installing an L2L Irrigation System
  Irrigation Options
9  Install a Branched Drain Gravity-Flow System
  Design Considerations
  Installing a Branched Drain System
  How to Wire an Actuator
10  Pumped and Manufactured Greywater Systems
  Design Considerations
  Building a Pumped System
  Manufactured Greywater Systems
11  Other Types of Greywater Systems
  Outdoor Fixtures
  Whole-House Greywater Systems
  Subsoil Infiltration Systems
  Greywater for Greenhouses
  Constructed Wetlands
  Sand Filter to Drip Irrigation
  Reusing Septic Tank Effluent for Irrigation
Appendix
  Plumbing Basics for Greywater Installation
  Parts Primer
  Basic Installation Techniques
Resources
Acknowledgments
Index

Editorial Reviews

Simple, affordable projects and strategies to conserve water and reuse it for household food gardens, groundwater recharge, and soil regeneration. These solutions are a win for the household and for the environment.” — Gemma Bulos, director of Global Women’s Water Initiative

“Practical guidance for conserving and efficiently using our precious water. This comprehensive book explores every detail of how to capture and reuse greywater to create lush landscapes.” — Paula Kehoe, director of water resources at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

From the Publisher