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

by Laura Allen

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. 

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

Published April 4, 2017

About the author

Laura Allen is a founding member of Greywater Action and has spent the past 15 years exploring low-tech, urban,sustainable water solutions. She is the lead author of the San Francisco Graywater Design Guidelines for Outdoor Irrigation, and authored The Water-Wise Home: How to Conserve and Reuse Water in Your Home and Landscape (Storey Press, 2015). She has a BA in environmental science, a teaching credential, and a master’s degree in education. Laura leads classes and workshops on rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse, and composting toilets. Laura has presented widely on greywater reuse, including at the Water Smart Innovations Conference, Bioneers, California Environmental Health Association conference, and California Landscape Contractors Association conference. She’s participated in state greywater code developments in California and Washington State and was on a committee to write a draft composting toilet code for IAPMO. Laura was featured in an Ask This Old House episode on greywater and was the 2014 recipient of the Silicon Valley Water Conservation Award of Water Champion.

Reviews

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A practical and concise guide to everything you need to know about greywater systems. Including inspiring examples and plenty of pictures to aid in the installation.

This book also covers the basics concepts of home plumbing, which I was encouraged to find I already have a decent grasp of.

The bottom line is that in my location, complete capture and reuse of greywater would save maybe $200 per person per year or roughly 14,000-18,000 gallons (In my household we use about 50 gallons per person per day). That's not bad, but it's not a lot either, and most people might be better off just reducing their water use and not worrying so much about greywater capture.

That being said, I would like to install a system at some point, but it's not the top priority in reducing my environmental footprint for now.

[bibliotekker Holman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much of the water thar runs through our households if handled properly can provide "free" water for the home landscape. For many people, the monthly water bill is one more thing to pay. The strategies in this well illustrated book will allow anyone to squeeze more value out of water they have already paid for.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super ideas to make water magic -- turn something that would be waste into something wonderful for life. Like composting, it is a close thing to being one with the earth

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful introduction to greywater systems.

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful guide to incorporating a greywater irrigation system into your home's plumbing system. Covers all the key design considerations to avoid costly mistakes.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best resource on greywater systems I’ve found so far.