Filed under: Kitchen, Your Home, Bathroom
From wastewater to a flourishing garden. Photos: styler*, Flickr; edible office, Flickr.
Eco-lingo is being tossed around left and right these days. We're demystifying common terms to help you figure out which words are the real deal... and which are just green jargon.
Today's word: Wastewater
Definition: When most people hear wastewater, they usually think immediately of sewage. And then they stop thinking about it. Because, you know, ew. But while that's the most widely-known type of wastewater, it's only one of several kinds. It's a shame to overlook grey water, which constitutes all the other non-sewage water generated in your home -- dishwater, bathwater, laundry water and the like. Grey water can be recycled easily for tasks like watering the lawn or washing your car. Or if you're looking to go a step beyond, you can get a filtration system for grey water and then use it to to flush the toilet.
Why would you do that? Well, since there isn't an unlimited amount of water on earth, it seems obvious to save and reuse water wherever you can. And when it comes to something like washing your car, it's not completely necessary that you're using fresh clean water -- why not use grey water? And just as you'd suspect, people and companies are looking to wrangle the power of grey water on a larger scale -- like this DIY contraption that sends your washing machine water straight to your plants. So genius.
Storm runoff also counts as wastewater, since it gets contaminated by all the dirt, grime and chemicals from the roads and sidewalks. But just like grey water, there's no reason not to reuse it. If you set up rain barrels, you can collect rain water for future use and reduce the possibility of erosion.
Verdict: Don't waste the wastewater! This stuff is the real deal.