I hope to start using gray water regularly, but right now I've got too many other projects going on. Recently I was able to use some, though, and I was inordinately proud of myself. I remembered to save the water my beans had been soaking in overnight by putting a large bowl underneath the colander before I drained the beans. I figured there was nothing but "bean extract" in the water, so I used them to water my very late lettuce crop. Made me happy.

Do you use gray water? How do you save it? What do you use it for?

I make water do double duty quite a bit, but more so in the summer when I need water for the garden. I keep a big bowl under the kitchen faucet to catch water that I rinse my hands in, run to get cold, run to get hot, etc. It's amazing how much goes down the drain. If the dish water isn't too dirty, I use that to mop the kitchen floor. There are a lot of other things I do in the summer like keep a bucket in the shower to catch the water while it's warming up. I sometimes plug the bathtub and catch shower water to flush the stool or clean the floor.  

No, I don't. However, if you boil eggs the water that the eggs cooked in is good for plants like African Violets.

I don't in general (I never seem to need the water right when it's available, and storing it is inconvenient). However, I can think of two exceptions. We have a Brita pitcher, and whenever you change the filter, you're not supposed to drink the first two pitchers full because the water gets carbon particles in it. So I use this water on my houseplants. Also, this summer, all the water harvested by our dehumidifier got used either on the garden or in the washing machine (but I guess that's not really "greywater" since it's never been used).

JennyC, how did you get the water to travel up the hose to go out the window?

Were you able to get all or most of the water out of the tub this way?

• i wash dishes in a double sink, with a dish pan in the rinse side.  in the winter i use that water for house plants.  also, i let both sides cool, since i paid to heat it up; it can heat the kitchen!  i use the dishpan for those miscellaneous drips and swishes, too- it does add up!

 I did this year because we were also in extreme drought conditions.  I kept a dishpan in the sink and used the gray water to go on our beets and tomatoes and my impatiens planted by the back door.  Don't know if I'd fool with it under normal conditions, though.

Joyous:

Do you use gray water? How do you save it? What do you use it for?

 

Yes, I use grey water.  I live in a desert state, & water is expensive, & "grey water" is controlled somewhat. I have used a pan in the sink to catch running water when washing hands, potatoes, etc as previously mentioned.  I have used bathwater to water the shrubs & trees, with a 2-gallon green watering can, but that is not really allowed here.  I also use water bottles in the fridge for cold water for everyone in the house, instead of running the water, but when they are all sitting around 1/3 full at night, I empty them all on the plants & grass right by the front step, because those plants take the heat of the afternoon sun on the concrete step & do better with a little. Last spring I made snowballs from the snow ridges on either side of the driveway, where the shovelled snow builds up, & set them around the daffodil bulbs.  They bloomed really well this year & I think I will do that again. It saved the muddy mess when the snow melts there & helped the bulbs as well. Over the summer I collected rainwater from the downspouts & stored it in a garbage can with a lid, then used it to water the garden.  I could only do that because I have a small water right; otherwise it would be a misdemeanor offense in Utah. - Marivene

we use our grey water for the garden and the plants , the winter and early spring it goes out into the pasture ... in the early spring my green house gets a great boust from the grey water.