saving the oceans one flush at a time
September 19th, 2008We’ve been recycling grey water since April. Specifically, we have been re-using the run-off from our showers and baths to water the garden and flush our toilets. The result? We used 60 fewer gallons per day this billing period than we used this time last year, and 40 fewer gallons per day this billing period than last billing period. I expected a thank you note or a congratulations in with our bill, but East Bay Mud didn’t even acknowledge our efforts.
To be honest, this is not all from lugging water around the house in buckets. We installed a low-flow shower head (1.5 gal/min), dropped our lawn watering, bought a front load washing machine, and began re-using our bath and shower water for watering the lawn and flushing toilets.
September 22nd, 2008 at 9:21 am
We’ve followed suit with the placement of an empty bucket at our feet as we shower. Gramma thinks the soapy water is working like both an insecticide and a fertilizer when she dumps it on plants. All I know is that 2 gallons of water from my shower saves at least 3.5 additional gallons from the flush of the toilet. Thats 5.5 gallons saved for each time we shower. It can’t be worth much money, but it certainly makes me feel good to know that my shower water is used twice, once to clean me and once to clean my toilet. Cool!
Now, if I could only figure out how to get some cost savings from hurricane power!