In a recent Factoid called: The green household: How to use rainwater and greywater collection I try to turn on a light bulb in people’s heads about a great way to help the environment and save money: Your own money and also societies. It’s all about recycling greywater, in addition to collecting rainwater. This is illegal, for the most part, in most places, unless a very fancy system designed by engineers, replete with their rubber stamp that trumps the city building, well, mechanical inspector’s “Nay”
Sometimes the government bodies that are charged to keep us all safe from water borne diseases have to structure their codes and regulations around the least intelligent person, e.g.; the person who would consume their own bodily waste if an authority did not prevent them. For this reason, from a waste water disposal standpoint, there are some very inefficient, expensive, environmentally unfriendly things going on, that could easily be remedied as long as the law turns it’s head a little bit, as people break the rules a little bit.
I can’t do this study, but man would I like to see one done that would answer this question: How much tap water (to rinse out a can) diesel fuel (to pick up the can and take it to the recycling facility) electricity (to process the can back into raw material) and labor (jobs are a good thing only when they produce something of greater value than the resources put in) goes into recycling metal, plastic and paper?
I’m sure there have been many gallons of blood spilled from cut fingers, from rinsing out cans, and cutting up cardboard, maybe some stitches and even infections. I hope no fatalities. I’m sure they know. It’s probably worth it. The problem is, when they crunch the numbers and find out that it is in fact more of a waste of resources than a savings, will they admit it? Would they sell every truck, cancel every contract; lock the doors on every facility involved in the recycling industry? I don’t think so. I’ll keep hoping it’s worthwhile as I keep participating… Not like I have a choice anyway. The town will refuse to take my refuse if I don’t recycle it properly.
As they force us to do something that they can not or will not prove to us is worthwhile, they make it illegal for those of us who are smart enough to refrain from making lemonade out of our bath water, to do something that we can prove has a great positive impact on the environment, and saves a lot of wasted resources: Collecting greywater and rainwater and recycling it. Any safety concerns with doing this can be addressed almost completely with one, common, safe and simple household item: Bleach, a.k.a. chlorine.
Read the following factoid: Chlorine: Treating greywater to make it safe. This factoid will explain all that I learned last year in a two day, 16 hour seminar, to become a certified pool and spa operator. I understand the safety concerns as well as the environmental concerns regarding the treatment and disposal of greywater. Pool and spa water are a form of greywater, right? If you already know how to treat your pool water to keep it safe for swimming, then you already know what you need to do. You don’t even need to read my Chlorine factoid. Just do the same tests for free, combined, and total chlorine with the water in your greywater collection tank. Hey, you don’t even need to worry about the other stuff. Although, you may want to tinker with Ph, phosphates, and other parameters that will make a balanced nutritious treat for your lawn, trees, and garden. If it’s fit to swim in, it’s technically fit to drink (although not recommended). No worries. It’s definitely fit to water the grass, wash the car and flush the toilet!
About Kevin Leland I've had a job or a hobby for just about every letter of the alphabet. The many experiences along the way has given me tons of material To write about along the way. Some completely anecdotal, some informational. I like to mix both up with a dash of potty humor.
