Hope this answers most of the common questions...I'll do an update video later this year to see how the system has performed for my artichoke patch and orchard :D
Thank you, that did answer a lot of my more pressing questions about greywater systems ☺ Unfortunately I'm one of those in a colder climate, and not enough ppl on this site are from my region where freezing and flooding are also issues (in addition to hot summers, drought, forest fires, and bad storms) so it's hard to get all the answers I need in any one place. I'm just glad you're out here showing us your process and answering as much as you can, so clearly and concisely so at least I have somewhere to start from 😅
I have a question about your rainwater capture system for a future video on those questions: with your huge tank (or a smaller one for that matter), how do you stop the water in it from becoming fouled by algae or bacterial growth? The gray water makes sense to me because it’s flowing then filtering through soil, etc. and being used. But you have a huge rainwater hoping to collect at lot of water and then disburse it over time, right? So the water is just sitting there for a while. Does your system stir or move it around to keep it in healthy shape?
@@TamarLitvot I’ve had concrete tanks and poly tanks. They both keep the water cool with concrete tank being cooler than poly. The light is almost zero as it can only get through the tiny holes one the screened inlet/inspection hole.
Cool tip most overlook if you grow lots of food to reduce food costs then this saves you way more then you think. Also a human eats thousands of microplastic a week if you eat sea food it goes up to a couple thousand i think we eat enough plastic. Please invest you're health depends on it are bodys mistakes it for are hormones do yourself a favor microplastic filter 😉.
You need to run for office in California because they need help with their water shortage problem. When I moved to Arizona and built my home I wanted to do this. They wouldn’t let me. 😡. Since then they’ve changed. With the drought just think how much better we all would be. Common sense doesn’t grow in every garden unfortunately. Thanks for another great video.
@@epichomesteading CA really should put in a desalination plant BEFORE too much more time goes by. The more humans in one area, the more they need water.
Kevin, I'm struggling with your cost breakdown. The only actual cost should be the installation of the system (parts & labor). The water you are diverting is water you would be using anyway that would normally just out to the sewer system. On top of that there is the water that you would normally use for irrigation if you weren't using a grey water system. So the total cost should be the cost of the system minus the cost of the water you would use for irrigation without a grey water system minus the cost of the grey water you are diverting because you are getting a second use of it at no charge and shouldn't be an additional cost. From the way you described this, you've counted your water twice: from the city water system to your shower and laundry, and then you've counted it again going to your grey water system. Instead it should be the water you use calculated based on what you used before the system was installed, then subtract that from your water bill. That net savings over the life of the system along with the cost of the system should be what is used to calculated ROI. Yes? Total cost of water before system install - Total cost of water after system install - Total cost of grey water = Net savings Your total cost of water after system install no longer includes irrigation. Your grey water has already been paid for in your regular water costs (before and after system install), so you wouldn't add that, AND you are using it again, which you would normally pay for as part of your irrigation, so that amount would be subtracted instead of added. You'll still have other irrigation and watering that won't use the system so that would not be subtracted from the post install cost. So your ROI would the cost of the system minus the net savings. And then you can do the maths to breakdown by year, quarter, month, etc. ROI = Total cost of system (parts and labor) - Net Savings Right?
ROI is not the best way to look at this you would need to know how long you live there/system lasts. Work on payback period or cash flows instead. you would calculate Equivalent Uniform Annual cost based on lifespan of equipment, interest rate, and capital cost. Gives you yearly cost and then compare to how much water you saved.
I cut through our new house wall, 22 years ago to send our washing machine water out to our pasture. I always felt like a hippy, but sending it down the septic system seemed wasteful. We do have a 3" pipe that crosses our sidewalk, but we are careful not to trip and it's fine.
Re: Cost benefit analysis-water is PRICELESS in a drought. Really can't have too much on hand where you are Kevin. You did the right thing. Thanks for sharing.
Where I live we just had a mandatory 20% water use reduction, so even 20 gallons doing double duty as laundry and watering plants would help. Especially if you are a family and doing more than one load a week. Money savings aside, keeping water out of the sewage system and into the aquifer just seems more responsible.
Excellent vid as always, these systems are a lot more cost effective where I live in Canada, as we regularly have water restrictions in the summer due to long droughts, and flash floods that can overload our sewer systems. I've been trying to capture rainwater and excess household water for watering plants and this month for the first time in my life, I got a negative water bill. $30 off my previous owing due to low water use during a drought period. Hallelujah 🙏🙏🙏
I’m always surprised at people using water, particularly looking at parts of the American south and how people in the desert use water ... as if they’re not in the desert, lol. That mentality really needs to change.
Many years ago during a dry period here in Pennsylvania, I visited a friend whose garden was VERY lush and green. They stopped the drain in the tub, took their shower and used a small submersible pump to exit the water out the window of a second story bathroom! Some plastic cat litter containers have handles and lids. Great for catching and transporting water. Use small watering cans for sink water catch.
Living in Canada, I'd say that if your environment is cold enough to do a hard freeze, nothing's growing then anyhow and you should probably just turn it off for the winter. If you insisted, then you'd need to do it below the frost line, which could be 4-6 feet deep depending on how far north you live. Water doesn't penetrate frozen soil, it sits on top and freezes. So unless you have good drainage at that depth, it will eventually overflow and hopefully freeze and clog your drain, otherwise your yard is going to be a very slippery sheet of ice.
I think this is such a great idea especially since here in California, we are in a severe drought. Makes so much sense to utilize every bit of water we can. Thank you for the video.
Loved the video. We use well water, a septic tank/mound, and our house is slab on grade... but found the video very educational and entertaining regardless. Cheers!
I catch kitchen sink water manually and water porch ornamental plants, fruit trees, or sometimes just throw it on the lawn. I avoid oils and butters, but like today I was rinsing out a peanut butter jar and a tahini jar…I threw that rinse water on the lawn near fruit trees. It’s never soapy, just maybe some coffee and small food particles. I keep a takeout container bottom in the sink, dump it in a pitcher or small bucket as it fills. It’s now a new habit, and I catch buckets of water. Like, rinsing bout a French press coffee maker (grinds get composted) uses a lot of water that can go on whatever you’re growing. 💦👍🏽
Fantastic little setup :) thank you for the update! In my area (in Australia) we all have HSTPs (home sewerage treatment plants) and use both grey and black water on our lawns, all water is recycled onto the land (no sewerage connection). I’m surprised it (and the water tank/trickle feed arrangements we have) aren’t more common in a dry place like California. The smallest water tank we can have to have is 30000L if we want any town water (must have one if you want to connect to trickle feed mains and it only tops up from mains once it is almost empty).
Kevin said in one of the first few videos after he moved to the house that he would catch the initial water when taking a shower in a bucket for use in the garden. So like when you run the water to get the cold water flushed out of the hot line, catch that in a bucket for use outside. That's something anyone can do with any setup.
@@baddriversofcolga yeah this isn’t in the cities (they have sewerage) but not rural either, starts in the outer suburbs (and just like there, code differs from place to place). Septic would be a lot easier in some ways and I’m no fan of over regulation, but they are a decent option.
curious on how the soil reacts over time to the grey water input. Does it help/hinder soil amendments and does it negatively impact your soil nutrient composition over time.
Is that the loofah plant that's trying to snuggles you? It looks awesome! LOVE all these water videos... clean water to dirty water, it's such a great topic! Thank you for sharing types of soaps, this entire video is helpful. 💛💚
Whatz up man! I have been watching you from afar for years. You and others like you have opened my eyes to a world that I was missing. I am currently working on a project capturing water from my offices heater/AC unit. I want to show the student at our high school what is possible with resources that we take for granted and see the missed opportunities to better our lives. I will be having the water drip into a shallow 8" Grow pan 4"x8"x8". we are going to be adding plants and fish to the system. I will be using the overflow water to wash our hands before our lunch breaks. The grey water from that end up watering a inground flower bed near by. I would love to see what it will take to be able to ask you what plants would be good to grow in the multi use system. I want to show them that we can grow lunch and beautiful with what is a considered by product how the Heating/AC unit. I will also be adding in a fog catcher to show that water is all around us if we just take the time to look. Anyways if this does nothing more than tell you thanks for the hours of work that no one sees and the passion you give to us to share your gift. Thanks!
So glad you did not just focus on the financial ROI of grey water. It is really important for us to calculate in the eco-costs of NOT doing these actions rather than just evaluating whether it lowers the actual water bill in the medium- to long-term. Thanks for all the great vids!
I live in Kansas...you would be appalled at how many people pump well water to fill their pond....I'm referring to an acre fishing pond not a coy pond. Some people use multiple wells! Absurd.
I look forward to a day people stop looking at only the cost and R.O.I. I hear that same line any time you talk to anyone about solar, Reclaiming water, or rain water collection. Subsidies to the water and sewer facilities are the only reason water prices are as low as they are so in the end is it really cheaper to just use what comes through the pipe.
Thanks for the information and inspiration. About kitchen water, I have an open kitchen to the dining room and living room. The sink is fairly deep, so as it's not visible from the rest of the area, I keep a large pot in the sink for when I rinse anything (hands, vegetables, fruits and some pots) that doesn't require soap. I also save water from boiled things without fat. All of that is used to water the part of the garden and potted plants close to the sink. This can add up to a few gallons a day and in Spain, this is a lot.
Try a guppy friend. Just put your plastic clothes in that, and you can literally pull out the micro plastics wisps (it looks and feels like candy floss). It’s not 100% effective, but substantially beneficial.
Apparently it’s common in Japan to have your hand washing sink on top of the toilet so the grey water from washing your hands is used to flush the toilet, seems like a simple and smart solution
When you're in Texas with expensive public water and want to save on the required daily garden watering costs so you click on the grey water video, then remember your foundation is 6 feet of concrete with permanent piping... Back to eyeing rain water collection but knowing that it doesn't rain enough to make it worth it even over 20 years.
It doesn’t rain much here in San Diego either, but you’d be amazed how much you can collect in just a couple of rains. We have four 55 gallon barrels and a 150 gallon overflow. Kevin has a few videos on his rainwater collection that might help.
@@debbyd5729 I've seen those as well and priced it out where I'm at. Texas even has laws that prohibits HOAs from stopping rainwater collection; it just still doesn't make financial sense. Most of our rain comes in ~5-6 week periods twice a year; you'd have to have a massive tank system to store it all. Local water company won't give you subsidies for it unless you're moving to the rock-lawns with succulents and native plants everywhere.
There are few cities in Texas that offer rebates for setting up rainwater collection, or run discounts on rainwater barrels…might be worth calling your city and inquiring about it. Here in the Austin area (incl. Dripping Springs, hill country, and even north to Killeen/Ft. Hood) I’ve seen a lot of rainwater collection efforts, especially at public schools which is really neat. Lots of rainwater tank manufacturers nearby, too. I’m now saving up for a big 1000 gal tank! Edit: clarifying, in the Austin area and maybe San Antonio(?) you can get rebates from the city. They’re not spectacular, yes, but every bit can help with a project like this.
@@sarikasabnis2369 I'm under SAWS in San Antonio and the "rebate" I could get was pitiful if I wasn't going for the full-drought-resistant reconditioning. Veggie garden and citrus trees would have to go. It exists, but it barely impacts the cost. They basically offer a workshop to create a rain barrel otherwise. Specifically: "If you want to go big - really big - a RainSaver Custom Rebate may be for you! For this option, you’ll need to meet all of the requirements of our RainSaver Custom Rebate which includes signing a contract. We’ll want to see the right plant material that will survive solely on natural rainfall and whatever rainwater you can store. This also means that irrigation systems will not be allowed at these types of residential landscapes."
I wish I could do a greywater system, but here in Florida it's been restricted statewide. At least rain collection is legal and encouraged, so I can take advantage of the hurricanes, but I think it's dumb to restrict greywater systems when we still have landscape water restrictions. I think it's because someone found they could sell greywater for use, because that is definitely an option here
Extreme subsidies and failure to price in the cost of massive infrastructure projects that are required to maintain that level of service. People cry about CA being in a drought and out of water, yet believe they're entitled to unlimited water @ $1/cubic metre
You are assuming our water situation won't become more dire than it is already. At some point all those things you said were too expensive may look good.
I grew up in a western suburb of Birmingham Al. Lived in a house built in the 1920’s. Our laundry water went out into what I guess was a similar set up. When we got a new septic tank in the 90’s they made us reroute the washer. I married and moved to an old farm nearby. The old farm house on the property was still plumbed that way. Seems this use to be the way before modern laundry chemicals.
I highly recommend getting a Guppyfriend bag if you can't get a micro-plastic filter in your system! It's pretty much a large zipped bag that you can put in your synthetic clothes and the bag will collect the micro-plastics instead of letting it drain out into your grey water 🤗
Aside from great info in this video, I noticed the logo on the hat! Are you just supporting Magnolia Home, or are you going to be featured on Magnolia Network on Discovery+?
I love the new garden and ur home is beautiful! When are you adding chickens to the epic gardening? I use rabbit manure for my fertilizer for my garden. But I just got chickens. Love to see how u use chicken manure in the garden.
Oh gosh I love living in a city that siphons water from Lake Ontario. I can only remember one time we've been asked to limit water usage. And even that was only because there was a delay in the regular maintenance for one of the pumps. It makes sense to use rain barrels, but grey water would certainly be a waste of money for us
Very informative. Great content and answered all the questions I had from the original vid. The biggest change for light freezing areas is just the depth of the trenches. The hard freeze areas I’d imagine use different materials with deeper trenches.
Isn't this harmful to the soil on the long-term? Nasty chemicals are in greywater. I mean, shower water or sink water, cool. But not the soap-filled or detergent filled water after shower and dish/clothes wash
Up until in 2013, it was illegal in most cases to implement a gray water system in Colorado, because of conflicts with the "senior water rights" in Colorado's screwed up pseudo-property rights water law. AFAIK, it is still challenging to have a legal gray water system here.
Hi, will you tell me what form in California, i use to homestead my house? Thank you( I got your guys book, thank you🐾🌻😇🥑🔥🚒💜🌲🐕🦺🐕oh thanks also I love dr Bonners
Your math is wrong, or mine is wrong. Municipal water 0.006 cents/gallon and your gray water is 4.1 cents/gallon over a ten year period. Your 'cost' per gallon of gray water would buy 683 gallons from the tap. You aren't paying 8 to 10 times more, you are paying 683 times more. 68,333% more lol.
Great video! I am bitter like many Americans regarding solar... because well... A solar loan is rather scummy and profits only the contractor and installer. I mean... I'd be interested if the loan wasn't interest only for 10 years...
Im sad to hear how negative and un encouraging it is in terms of the environment. With our water shortages and low water tables you should be more encouraging and less about the cost- not to mention recommending soaps in PLASTIC??? are you kidding? Ugh frustrating.
I know this is an old video but I will comment anyway. I put my system in several years ago. I only hooked my washing machine up because the rest of the family didn't want to switch from the soaps, shampoos, conditioners and such that they liked using in the bathroom. The washer pumps the water out into a barrel, I set it up that way because my laundry room is on a slab at ground level, I also didn't want the washers pump under any kind of back pressure. The water then just drains out the bottom of the barrel into the PVC lines that travel out and branch off to each plant and have 1/2" ball valves at the end of each branch that I set for how much water I want on each plant. I can also set the flow of each valve so that the flow is even through the whole system. I also have large ball valves in the main feed line that I switch to send the water to things in other directions and also maybe a little uphill. As far as detergent I have been using the Oasis brand and it has worked great. The system was very cheap because it was just PVC pipe, fittings and ball valves, I didn't get fancy with it, didn't bother with flex tubing or anything. There was the question of what to do in winter. I live in the Salt Lake Valley (Sandy City) I just treat the greywater system the same as my sprinkler system. When we start to freeze at night I just switch the valve in the laundry room to send the water to the sewer, then I blow both my sprinkler system out and then also my greywater system. Both are shut down for the winter. Even if you dug the trenches deep thinking the lines will not freeze you would have to dig 3'- 4' down, so that would not work. The ground freezes, so the water would have nowhere to go and would freeze. So a greywater system can't be used during the winter, at least not here.
Dishwasher/ kitchen sick - yes you can, you just need a grease trap. A grease trap would be recommended in any case to capture solids, hair and lint from your shower and washing machine. Then get a composting toilet and tou can be completely of the grid for wastewater.
I live abroad in Mexico. Most of Latin America stores washing machines outside of the household ussually acompanied by a "lavadero" or a basin that facilitates hand washing. By having the washing machine outside, you can litterally just place the drainage hose into a bin or trash can (I have a 100 litre trash can at my house) and water plants directly. I also am able to line dry all clothing/blankets/etc due to the climate here. I would love to see places in the US with the right climate impliment this method since it is so low cost and easy.
I need to decide on one as im planning an off grid move and need the impossible ... Cheap to install and easy to maintain. Im up in years, so digging big holes and long trenches isn't favourable, thw same wirh having to dig it up for maintenance
Here in my town they make us pay for sewer and water. It doesn't matter if you water your garden you pay for the sewer. It cost me like 150 a month in just water. My whole house runs on electric and no gas and it's only like 10 bucks more a month. We pay a little more than 2.5cents a gallon it's stupid and I don't live in a drought area like you
Our system is structured the same way- sewer is built into water usage. At least I am not paying that high price to water the plants! (Our tiny city has the highest water rates in our county 😡)
Be advised not states accept grey water systems as you disprove. WV grey water systems must be trenched/ buried at the same standards as septic water. What you describe is not permitted in WV. Before you attack the messenger, I believe it should be, but it is not.
I use some of the grey water from my sink. I realized the pipe goes below my harden (after I perforated it on accident), so I put a T in the pipe in three locations and buried it. The T is aimed down, so the water has direct contact with the soil, but when it overflows it goes to the normal sewer. I imagine oils will just make the earth impermeable and at some point there won't be any more irrigation. But at the time seemed like a good idea.
I am wondering how lotions, body creams, ointments or anything similar would work with this system. I have skin issues which require me to moisturize a lot.
This sounds amazing and I really want to implement this into my orchard area next year. I do 1 to 2 loads a day as a massage therapist. I hope I can find someone that knows how to do this. But as someone in the Midwest I will need to be turning it off into the winter
I'm considering eventually doing this even in the north of England It makes zero economical sense for me especially as I don't have a water meter but it does mean that I'm using a lot less fresh water
Dishwasher is non negotiable and not connecting to the town sewer - the answer I need is what type(s) of systems between the outlet of all this water and the environment or plants at the end - how many stages of open mulch and reed beds, etc - only these answers can help me :-)
Can someone explain to me why you dont want to use grey water where people and animals will hang out like a lawn? But its okay to use it to water fruit trees and artichokes? How is the grey water harmful in a lawn situation?
So what about the earthshare home version of the Gray Water system. It uses the 4 uses filtration system with a filtration that goes into your garden irrigation system. What are your thoughts about that?
My plumber doesn’t recommend it, too much residue in it, can clog, can green up if you leave for the weekend. He’d be ok with breaking the law and plumbing it straight ouside to shrubs, and thinks compost toilets are fine. So he’s a pretty ecofriendly plumber. His advice is disinterested
@@allisonborzoni7123 I guess that makes sense in a way, but the lawn is full of bacteria and microbes already, so I'm curious what kind of additional bacterial load is introduced by greywater. Since it's not sewage, I just assumed greywater was totally fine for lawns. I don't expect I'll ever own a dog, since I have cats, and they literally stand in their own toilet without bacterial issues through our household, so I (again) just assumed greywater wouldn't pose any hazards for watering a lawn. The same thing with dogs walking out in the woods, sidewalks, roads, etc. My curiosity is piqued by this topic and I will have to learn more.
Very thorough Q&A. I'm really digging this channel. I have a question about the watering timing and amounts. Some plants or trees require particular amounts of water and on a particular schedule. For instance, here in the Sonoran Desert, a citrus tree should have it's mulch basin flooded every month or so in the winter and every two weeks in the summer and then left to dry between floodings. The way family showers work is that a few people shower watering the trees not nearly enough but every day. So the trees are getting just a little water (read: not enough) and not being allowed to dry in between. How would you address something like this?
Hello Epic Homesteading. How do we make Organic Pesticides with Neem Leaves? Can i blend Neem leaves with water and than let it sit for 4Days? Can you help🥺 Thanks Epic Homesteading🌱
I’m in zone 4b in Minnesota. I honestly don’t see a grey water systems working up here. You would have to dig below the frost line which can be from 19-36 inches depending on the year. Any waterlines like that would freeze and crack as it expanded if it wasn’t deep enough. Honestly doesn’t seem worth it for us up here. Still interesting though.
If you have a septic tank system, then grey water results in a huge savings, because the truck that comes to drain the septic tank come less frequent. In some areas the truck is $300, so having the truck come in to pump out every 4-6 months is better than every 2 months.
If you just use whatever detergents, but the water goes through a sand/activated charcoal filtration, will it then be clean enough to use? Thank you if you'd like to answer.
If you have a septic system, install a grey water tank along with a septic tank. You probably will never have to pump the septic out. The majority of water in the septic system is gray water
Love all of the answers, but I'm really disappointed that the "approved" soaps for the system are all plastic containers. I use only packaging free or compostable packaging soaps and cleaners, so a lot of bars and tablets.
Back in 80's mom ran water from washer out to back lawn where we sometimes parked, just grit & gravel, maybe a few short weeds, but after a while it got pretty green.
Hope this answers most of the common questions...I'll do an update video later this year to see how the system has performed for my artichoke patch and orchard :D
Thank you, that did answer a lot of my more pressing questions about greywater systems ☺
Unfortunately I'm one of those in a colder climate, and not enough ppl on this site are from my region where freezing and flooding are also issues (in addition to hot summers, drought, forest fires, and bad storms) so it's hard to get all the answers I need in any one place.
I'm just glad you're out here showing us your process and answering as much as you can, so clearly and concisely so at least I have somewhere to start from 😅
I have a question about your rainwater capture system for a future video on those questions: with your huge tank (or a smaller one for that matter), how do you stop the water in it from becoming fouled by algae or bacterial growth? The gray water makes sense to me because it’s flowing then filtering through soil, etc. and being used. But you have a huge rainwater hoping to collect at lot of water and then disburse it over time, right? So the water is just sitting there for a while. Does your system stir or move it around to keep it in healthy shape?
Quite informative
@@TamarLitvot I’ve had concrete tanks and poly tanks. They both keep the water cool with concrete tank being cooler than poly. The light is almost zero as it can only get through the tiny holes one the screened inlet/inspection hole.
Cool tip most overlook if you grow lots of food to reduce food costs then this saves you way more then you think.
Also a human eats thousands of microplastic a week if you eat sea food it goes up to a couple thousand i think we eat enough plastic.
Please invest you're health depends on it are bodys mistakes it for are hormones do yourself a favor microplastic filter 😉.
Dude, this is a really good video.
0:28 😁
😂😂 caught that!
@epic gardening - dude check out his other videos all are awsome
@michael Scott from Scranton city - it's the same guy, epic gardening and epic homestead both from kev only
Only thing I can picture now is that meme of Obama giving himself a medal...
You need to run for office in California because they need help with their water shortage problem. When I moved to Arizona and built my home I wanted to do this. They wouldn’t let me. 😡. Since then they’ve changed. With the drought just think how much better we all would be. Common sense doesn’t grow in every garden unfortunately. Thanks for another great video.
Totally agree!
@@epichomesteading CA really should put in a desalination plant BEFORE too much more time goes by. The more humans in one area, the more they need water.
Their is 2 desal plants in Cali that I know of :-)
Kevin, I'm struggling with your cost breakdown. The only actual cost should be the installation of the system (parts & labor). The water you are diverting is water you would be using anyway that would normally just out to the sewer system. On top of that there is the water that you would normally use for irrigation if you weren't using a grey water system. So the total cost should be the cost of the system minus the cost of the water you would use for irrigation without a grey water system minus the cost of the grey water you are diverting because you are getting a second use of it at no charge and shouldn't be an additional cost. From the way you described this, you've counted your water twice: from the city water system to your shower and laundry, and then you've counted it again going to your grey water system. Instead it should be the water you use calculated based on what you used before the system was installed, then subtract that from your water bill. That net savings over the life of the system along with the cost of the system should be what is used to calculated ROI. Yes?
Total cost of water before system install - Total cost of water after system install - Total cost of grey water = Net savings
Your total cost of water after system install no longer includes irrigation.
Your grey water has already been paid for in your regular water costs (before and after system install), so you wouldn't add that, AND you are using it again, which you would normally pay for as part of your irrigation, so that amount would be subtracted instead of added. You'll still have other irrigation and watering that won't use the system so that would not be subtracted from the post install cost.
So your ROI would the cost of the system minus the net savings. And then you can do the maths to breakdown by year, quarter, month, etc.
ROI = Total cost of system (parts and labor) - Net Savings
Right?
ROI is not the best way to look at this you would need to know how long you live there/system lasts. Work on payback period or cash flows instead. you would calculate Equivalent Uniform Annual cost based on lifespan of equipment, interest rate, and capital cost. Gives you yearly cost and then compare to how much water you saved.
We would pay $300/month to use city water. Big savings using gray water.
I cut through our new house wall, 22 years ago to send our washing machine water out to our pasture. I always felt like a hippy, but sending it down the septic system seemed wasteful. We do have a 3" pipe that crosses our sidewalk, but we are careful not to trip and it's fine.
The ultimate cheap grey water set up. This is what I’ve done to irrigate my bananas, papaya, and sugarcane.
Re: Cost benefit analysis-water is PRICELESS in a drought. Really can't have too much on hand where you are Kevin. You did the right thing. Thanks for sharing.
Where I live we just had a mandatory 20% water use reduction, so even 20 gallons doing double duty as laundry and watering plants would help. Especially if you are a family and doing more than one load a week.
Money savings aside, keeping water out of the sewage system and into the aquifer just seems more responsible.
Excellent vid as always, these systems are a lot more cost effective where I live in Canada, as we regularly have water restrictions in the summer due to long droughts, and flash floods that can overload our sewer systems.
I've been trying to capture rainwater and excess household water for watering plants and this month for the first time in my life, I got a negative water bill. $30 off my previous owing due to low water use during a drought period.
Hallelujah 🙏🙏🙏
I’m always surprised at people using water, particularly looking at parts of the American south and how people in the desert use water ... as if they’re not in the desert, lol. That mentality really needs to change.
Couldnt agree more!
When are you gonna get your chickens! 😁
Many years ago during a dry period here in Pennsylvania, I visited a friend whose garden was VERY lush and green. They stopped the drain in the tub, took their shower and used a small submersible pump to exit the water out the window of a second story bathroom!
Some plastic cat litter containers have handles and lids. Great for catching and transporting water. Use small watering cans for sink water catch.
Living in Canada, I'd say that if your environment is cold enough to do a hard freeze, nothing's growing then anyhow and you should probably just turn it off for the winter. If you insisted, then you'd need to do it below the frost line, which could be 4-6 feet deep depending on how far north you live. Water doesn't penetrate frozen soil, it sits on top and freezes. So unless you have good drainage at that depth, it will eventually overflow and hopefully freeze and clog your drain, otherwise your yard is going to be a very slippery sheet of ice.
I think this is such a great idea especially since here in California, we are in a severe drought. Makes so much sense to utilize every bit of water we can. Thank you for the video.
Loved the video. We use well water, a septic tank/mound, and our house is slab on grade... but found the video very educational and entertaining regardless. Cheers!
Chicken coop coming soon?
🤞🤞🤞
I catch kitchen sink water manually and water porch ornamental plants, fruit trees, or sometimes just throw it on the lawn. I avoid oils and butters, but like today I was rinsing out a peanut butter jar and a tahini jar…I threw that rinse water on the lawn near fruit trees. It’s never soapy, just maybe some coffee and small food particles. I keep a takeout container bottom in the sink, dump it in a pitcher or small bucket as it fills. It’s now a new habit, and I catch buckets of water. Like, rinsing bout a French press coffee maker (grinds get composted) uses a lot of water that can go on whatever you’re growing. 💦👍🏽
Fantastic little setup :) thank you for the update!
In my area (in Australia) we all have HSTPs (home sewerage treatment plants) and use both grey and black water on our lawns, all water is recycled onto the land (no sewerage connection). I’m surprised it (and the water tank/trickle feed arrangements we have) aren’t more common in a dry place like California. The smallest water tank we can have to have is 30000L if we want any town water (must have one if you want to connect to trickle feed mains and it only tops up from mains once it is almost empty).
Wow...that's incredible
We have septic tanks in rural areas, but not in cities due to the density.
Kevin said in one of the first few videos after he moved to the house that he would catch the initial water when taking a shower in a bucket for use in the garden. So like when you run the water to get the cold water flushed out of the hot line, catch that in a bucket for use outside. That's something anyone can do with any setup.
@@baddriversofcolga yeah this isn’t in the cities (they have sewerage) but not rural either, starts in the outer suburbs (and just like there, code differs from place to place). Septic would be a lot easier in some ways and I’m no fan of over regulation, but they are a decent option.
curious on how the soil reacts over time to the grey water input. Does it help/hinder soil amendments and does it negatively impact your soil nutrient composition over time.
Thank you for clarifying a grey water system
Is that the loofah plant that's trying to snuggles you? It looks awesome! LOVE all these water videos... clean water to dirty water, it's such a great topic! Thank you for sharing types of soaps, this entire video is helpful. 💛💚
It is...huge this year!
“Trying to snuggles you” made me into this emoji:🥰🥰🥰
Whatz up man! I have been watching you from afar for years. You and others like you have opened my eyes to a world that I was missing. I am currently working on a project capturing water from my offices heater/AC unit. I want to show the student at our high school what is possible with resources that we take for granted and see the missed opportunities to better our lives. I will be having the water drip into a shallow 8" Grow pan 4"x8"x8". we are going to be adding plants and fish to the system. I will be using the overflow water to wash our hands before our lunch breaks. The grey water from that end up watering a inground flower bed near by. I would love to see what it will take to be able to ask you what plants would be good to grow in the multi use system. I want to show them that we can grow lunch and beautiful with what is a considered by product how the Heating/AC unit. I will also be adding in a fog catcher to show that water is all around us if we just take the time to look. Anyways if this does nothing more than tell you thanks for the hours of work that no one sees and the passion you give to us to share your gift.
Thanks!
So glad you did not just focus on the financial ROI of grey water. It is really important for us to calculate in the eco-costs of NOT doing these actions rather than just evaluating whether it lowers the actual water bill in the medium- to long-term.
Thanks for all the great vids!
"eco-costs" 😆
I live in Kansas...you would be appalled at how many people pump well water to fill their pond....I'm referring to an acre fishing pond not a coy pond. Some people use multiple wells! Absurd.
Would love to see you build a rain garden/marsh area to filter your grey water. It would bring in even more pollinators and would look pretty 🦋
You mention not using bar soap, but you can use Kirk's Castile Original Soap, it is a "pure botanical coconut oil soap".
I look forward to a day people stop looking at only the cost and R.O.I. I hear that same line any time you talk to anyone about solar, Reclaiming water, or rain water collection. Subsidies to the water and sewer facilities are the only reason water prices are as low as they are so in the end is it really cheaper to just use what comes through the pipe.
Yup exactly!
Thanks for the information and inspiration.
About kitchen water, I have an open kitchen to the dining room and living room. The sink is fairly deep, so as it's not visible from the rest of the area, I keep a large pot in the sink for when I rinse anything (hands, vegetables, fruits and some pots) that doesn't require soap. I also save water from boiled things without fat. All of that is used to water the part of the garden and potted plants close to the sink.
This can add up to a few gallons a day and in Spain, this is a lot.
Please keep using soap / shampoo bars. Saves a lot of plastic
Try a guppy friend. Just put your plastic clothes in that, and you can literally pull out the micro plastics wisps (it looks and feels like candy floss). It’s not 100% effective, but substantially beneficial.
Good call;
I’d never heard of this before. Thanks! I wear almost all cotton but my husband wears some synthetics.
What is a guppy friend?
We have 2 big mesh net (works as filer for micro plastics) bag which was made in Germany. We put all the none cotton material in there when we wash.
What about diverting your shower grey water for the toilet? I never understood why we are using potable water for a toilet.
Apparently it’s common in Japan to have your hand washing sink on top of the toilet so the grey water from washing your hands is used to flush the toilet, seems like a simple and smart solution
@@ab7567 Yeah I’ve seen that
Wasn't allowed unfortunately
@@ab7567 I’ve seen a an image of a sink on top of a toilet but had no idea that was the purpose.. very interesting!
@@epichomesteading Good to know! Thanks for replying.
When you're in Texas with expensive public water and want to save on the required daily garden watering costs so you click on the grey water video, then remember your foundation is 6 feet of concrete with permanent piping... Back to eyeing rain water collection but knowing that it doesn't rain enough to make it worth it even over 20 years.
It doesn’t rain much here in San Diego either, but you’d be amazed how much you can collect in just a couple of rains. We have four 55 gallon barrels and a 150 gallon overflow. Kevin has a few videos on his rainwater collection that might help.
@@debbyd5729 I've seen those as well and priced it out where I'm at. Texas even has laws that prohibits HOAs from stopping rainwater collection; it just still doesn't make financial sense. Most of our rain comes in ~5-6 week periods twice a year; you'd have to have a massive tank system to store it all. Local water company won't give you subsidies for it unless you're moving to the rock-lawns with succulents and native plants everywhere.
😭😭😭
There are few cities in Texas that offer rebates for setting up rainwater collection, or run discounts on rainwater barrels…might be worth calling your city and inquiring about it.
Here in the Austin area (incl. Dripping Springs, hill country, and even north to Killeen/Ft. Hood) I’ve seen a lot of rainwater collection efforts, especially at public schools which is really neat. Lots of rainwater tank manufacturers nearby, too. I’m now saving up for a big 1000 gal tank!
Edit: clarifying, in the Austin area and maybe San Antonio(?) you can get rebates from the city. They’re not spectacular, yes, but every bit can help with a project like this.
@@sarikasabnis2369 I'm under SAWS in San Antonio and the "rebate" I could get was pitiful if I wasn't going for the full-drought-resistant reconditioning. Veggie garden and citrus trees would have to go. It exists, but it barely impacts the cost. They basically offer a workshop to create a rain barrel otherwise.
Specifically:
"If you want to go big - really big - a RainSaver Custom Rebate may be for you! For this option, you’ll need to meet all of the requirements of our RainSaver Custom Rebate which includes signing a contract. We’ll want to see the right plant material that will survive solely on natural rainfall and whatever rainwater you can store. This also means that irrigation systems will not be allowed at these types of residential landscapes."
I wish I could do a greywater system, but here in Florida it's been restricted statewide. At least rain collection is legal and encouraged, so I can take advantage of the hurricanes, but I think it's dumb to restrict greywater systems when we still have landscape water restrictions. I think it's because someone found they could sell greywater for use, because that is definitely an option here
Holy hell, how is water so inexpensive in socal?? Even in central Europe tap water costs about 2-3€ per cubic meter ( or 0.2-0.3 cents per liter).
My particular district has extremely strong resilience in where we are getting our water from
Extreme subsidies and failure to price in the cost of massive infrastructure projects that are required to maintain that level of service. People cry about CA being in a drought and out of water, yet believe they're entitled to unlimited water @ $1/cubic metre
You are assuming our water situation won't become more dire than it is already. At some point all those things you said were too expensive may look good.
I did mention that actually ;)
Love the video. Such a good point about the long term benefits of something like this
I grew up in a western suburb of Birmingham Al. Lived in a house built in the 1920’s. Our laundry water went out into what I guess was a similar set up. When we got a new septic tank in the 90’s they made us reroute the washer. I married and moved to an old farm nearby. The old farm house on the property was still plumbed that way. Seems this use to be the way before modern laundry chemicals.
I highly recommend getting a Guppyfriend bag if you can't get a micro-plastic filter in your system! It's pretty much a large zipped bag that you can put in your synthetic clothes and the bag will collect the micro-plastics instead of letting it drain out into your grey water 🤗
Aside from great info in this video, I noticed the logo on the hat! Are you just supporting Magnolia Home, or are you going to be featured on Magnolia Network on Discovery+?
;)
I love the new garden and ur home is beautiful! When are you adding chickens to the epic gardening? I use rabbit manure for my fertilizer for my garden. But I just got chickens. Love to see how u use chicken manure in the garden.
Oh gosh I love living in a city that siphons water from Lake Ontario. I can only remember one time we've been asked to limit water usage. And even that was only because there was a delay in the regular maintenance for one of the pumps. It makes sense to use rain barrels, but grey water would certainly be a waste of money for us
Very informative. Great content and answered all the questions I had from the original vid. The biggest change for light freezing areas is just the depth of the trenches. The hard freeze areas I’d imagine use different materials with deeper trenches.
Very informative video.
Thanks, Kevin!
Isn't this harmful to the soil on the long-term?
Nasty chemicals are in greywater.
I mean, shower water or sink water, cool.
But not the soap-filled or detergent filled water after shower and dish/clothes wash
Up until in 2013, it was illegal in most cases to implement a gray water system in Colorado, because of conflicts with the "senior water rights" in Colorado's screwed up pseudo-property rights water law. AFAIK, it is still challenging to have a legal gray water system here.
Hi, will you tell me what form in California, i use to homestead my house? Thank you( I got your guys book, thank you🐾🌻😇🥑🔥🚒💜🌲🐕🦺🐕oh thanks also I love dr Bonners
I wish I knew!
Your math is wrong, or mine is wrong. Municipal water 0.006 cents/gallon and your gray water is 4.1 cents/gallon over a ten year period. Your 'cost' per gallon of gray water would buy 683 gallons from the tap.
You aren't paying 8 to 10 times more, you are paying 683 times more. 68,333% more lol.
Great video! I am bitter like many Americans regarding solar... because well... A solar loan is rather scummy and profits only the contractor and installer. I mean... I'd be interested if the loan wasn't interest only for 10 years...
Im sad to hear how negative and un encouraging it is in terms of the environment. With our water shortages and low water tables you should be more encouraging and less about the cost- not to mention recommending soaps in PLASTIC??? are you kidding? Ugh frustrating.
I know this is an old video but I will comment anyway. I put my system in several years ago. I only hooked my washing machine up because the rest of the family didn't want to switch from the soaps, shampoos, conditioners and such that they liked using in the bathroom. The washer pumps the water out into a barrel, I set it up that way because my laundry room is on a slab at ground level, I also didn't want the washers pump under any kind of back pressure. The water then just drains out the bottom of the barrel into the PVC lines that travel out and branch off to each plant and have 1/2" ball valves at the end of each branch that I set for how much water I want on each plant. I can also set the flow of each valve so that the flow is even through the whole system. I also have large ball valves in the main feed line that I switch to send the water to things in other directions and also maybe a little uphill. As far as detergent I have been using the Oasis brand and it has worked great. The system was very cheap because it was just PVC pipe, fittings and ball valves, I didn't get fancy with it, didn't bother with flex tubing or anything. There was the question of what to do in winter. I live in the Salt Lake Valley (Sandy City) I just treat the greywater system the same as my sprinkler system. When we start to freeze at night I just switch the valve in the laundry room to send the water to the sewer, then I blow both my sprinkler system out and then also my greywater system. Both are shut down for the winter. Even if you dug the trenches deep thinking the lines will not freeze you would have to dig 3'- 4' down, so that would not work. The ground freezes, so the water would have nowhere to go and would freeze. So a greywater system can't be used during the winter, at least not here.
Dishwasher/ kitchen sick - yes you can, you just need a grease trap. A grease trap would be recommended in any case to capture solids, hair and lint from your shower and washing machine. Then get a composting toilet and tou can be completely of the grid for wastewater.
What happens when it freezes is your washer overflows 🤦🏻♀️ high desert of California 😉
I live abroad in Mexico. Most of Latin America stores washing machines outside of the household ussually acompanied by a "lavadero" or a basin that facilitates hand washing. By having the washing machine outside, you can litterally just place the drainage hose into a bin or trash can (I have a 100 litre trash can at my house) and water plants directly. I also am able to line dry all clothing/blankets/etc due to the climate here. I would love to see places in the US with the right climate impliment this method since it is so low cost and easy.
I need to decide on one as im planning an off grid move and need the impossible ... Cheap to install and easy to maintain. Im up in years, so digging big holes and long trenches isn't favourable, thw same wirh having to dig it up for maintenance
Here in my town they make us pay for sewer and water. It doesn't matter if you water your garden you pay for the sewer. It cost me like 150 a month in just water. My whole house runs on electric and no gas and it's only like 10 bucks more a month. We pay a little more than 2.5cents a gallon it's stupid and I don't live in a drought area like you
Ugh that's frustrating!
Our system is structured the same way- sewer is built into water usage. At least I am not paying that high price to water the plants! (Our tiny city has the highest water rates in our county 😡)
I so wish I could do this but it is illegal in my county :(
first 😃
Be advised not states accept grey water systems as you disprove. WV grey water systems must be trenched/ buried at the same standards as septic water. What you describe is not permitted in WV. Before you attack the messenger, I believe it should be, but it is not.
Your paying that rate now. It's about to go up dramatically and supply may be an issue. Sound investment.
I use some of the grey water from my sink. I realized the pipe goes below my harden (after I perforated it on accident), so I put a T in the pipe in three locations and buried it. The T is aimed down, so the water has direct contact with the soil, but when it overflows it goes to the normal sewer. I imagine oils will just make the earth impermeable and at some point there won't be any more irrigation. But at the time seemed like a good idea.
I am wondering how lotions, body creams, ointments or anything similar would work with this system. I have skin issues which require me to moisturize a lot.
Remember, grey water is also secondary use, so that should definitely change your cost per gallon.
why is the metric system such a riddle to people? 5000 gallons? metric foot? Come on!
How is avalon organics good for greywater? It has tons of different Sodium ingredients in all of their products?
Dr. Bronzers if my “all one” for so many things, and water vinegar cleaning for most surfaces.
This sounds amazing and I really want to implement this into my orchard area next year. I do 1 to 2 loads a day as a massage therapist. I hope I can find someone that knows how to do this. But as someone in the Midwest I will need to be turning it off into the winter
What about chemicals from laundry water and effects on garden?
I'm considering eventually doing this even in the north of England
It makes zero economical sense for me especially as I don't have a water meter but it does mean that I'm using a lot less fresh water
I want to install a gray system. Do you know of anyone who will do this for me in Frederick, Maryland?
I would recommend you look for fast hair growth shampoo to double hair growth.
Clorox is sodium hypochlorite. Bleach in the water is adding salt to your soil!
Dishwasher is non negotiable and not connecting to the town sewer - the answer I need is what type(s) of systems between the outlet of all this water and the environment or plants at the end - how many stages of open mulch and reed beds, etc - only these answers can help me :-)
Can someone explain to me why you dont want to use grey water where people and animals will hang out like a lawn? But its okay to use it to water fruit trees and artichokes? How is the grey water harmful in a lawn situation?
So what about the earthshare home version of the Gray Water system. It uses the 4 uses filtration system with a filtration that goes into your garden irrigation system. What are your thoughts about that?
Have you considered using your grey water to supply your toilets with water for flushing?
My plumber doesn’t recommend it, too much residue in it, can clog, can green up if you leave for the weekend. He’d be ok with breaking the law and plumbing it straight ouside to shrubs, and thinks compost toilets are fine. So he’s a pretty ecofriendly plumber. His advice is disinterested
Great video; very informative. I have a question about grey water and lawns: you stated that it shouldn't be used on a lawn, but why not?
Bacteria!
Bacteria will get on dog’s paws, your hands, then you touch your face, dog licks paws then a child, etc.
@@allisonborzoni7123 I guess that makes sense in a way, but the lawn is full of bacteria and microbes already, so I'm curious what kind of additional bacterial load is introduced by greywater. Since it's not sewage, I just assumed greywater was totally fine for lawns.
I don't expect I'll ever own a dog, since I have cats, and they literally stand in their own toilet without bacterial issues through our household, so I (again) just assumed greywater wouldn't pose any hazards for watering a lawn. The same thing with dogs walking out in the woods, sidewalks, roads, etc.
My curiosity is piqued by this topic and I will have to learn more.
@@epichomesteading Thanks for responding. I responded to Allison Borzoni below. I'm curious to learn more about this.
Tengo una pregunta puedes hacer este video en español para enseñarle a mi familia por favor
I didn’t hear about using laundry grey water on vegetable garden, is it safe?
It’s not about money it’s about preventing droughts
Water is too cheap. We are in the stone ages in pricing carbon and water. This is great when they inevitably raise the price
Oh no I didn't turn on notifications for this channel I have some catching up to do tonight haha
what about for freezing temperatures?
Very thorough Q&A. I'm really digging this channel. I have a question about the watering timing and amounts. Some plants or trees require particular amounts of water and on a particular schedule. For instance, here in the Sonoran Desert, a citrus tree should have it's mulch basin flooded every month or so in the winter and every two weeks in the summer and then left to dry between floodings. The way family showers work is that a few people shower watering the trees not nearly enough but every day. So the trees are getting just a little water (read: not enough) and not being allowed to dry in between. How would you address something like this?
Hello Epic Homesteading.
How do we make Organic Pesticides with Neem Leaves?
Can i blend Neem leaves with water and than let it sit for 4Days?
Can you help🥺
Thanks Epic Homesteading🌱
Would dishwashers be an option? Just needed to wait on the video
How deep to dig if you live in Northern part where frost line is 4 feet?
I’m in zone 4b in Minnesota. I honestly don’t see a grey water systems working up here. You would have to dig below the frost line which can be from 19-36 inches depending on the year. Any waterlines like that would freeze and crack as it expanded if it wasn’t deep enough. Honestly doesn’t seem worth it for us up here. Still interesting though.
If you have a septic tank system, then grey water results in a huge savings, because the truck that comes to drain the septic tank come less frequent. In some areas the truck is $300, so having the truck come in to pump out every 4-6 months is better than every 2 months.
If you just use whatever detergents, but the water goes through a sand/activated charcoal filtration, will it then be clean enough to use?
Thank you if you'd like to answer.
If you have a septic system, install a grey water tank along with a septic tank.
You probably will never have to pump the septic out.
The majority of water in the septic system is gray water
6:54 well that list answers my questions thanks for the info.
So no diy laundry soap, it's basically borax and bar soap iirc
Isnt a bigger rain barrel a better use of funds for more homes?
Love all of the answers, but I'm really disappointed that the "approved" soaps for the system are all plastic containers. I use only packaging free or compostable packaging soaps and cleaners, so a lot of bars and tablets.
$2300 is nuts! My rudimentary system cost about $15 in pipe and fittings.
what about soap getting into the plants can they take soap and not die ?
Do you know if gray water from washer with biodegradable soap affects soil microbes negatively?
How did you hook up the electrical for the actuator?
the greywater recyling idea is so fascinating. Its a manufactured problem, hence the sky does it for free
Do you check the ph oh soil in the area where you use grey water vs not?
I haven't...yet!
Back in 80's mom ran water from washer out to back lawn where we sometimes parked, just grit & gravel, maybe a few short weeds, but after a while it got pretty green.