Grey Water from MCN's

[~J'dore~]

Does anyone know if I can use the water after washing my mcn's for watering the gardens? I use a enivro friendly detergent. Or will it be a bad idea since it's washing dirty nappies:confused:

[Frazzled]

I reckon it would be a great fertitliser! Especially for yor citrus!

[~J'dore~]

Hey, we joined the same time and our post counts almost the same too:D

[QTB]

:yes: its great! i use it on my garden!

[~J'dore~]

Thanks, I think I might give it go... if I can work out how to catch it:detective:

[Frazzled]

Hey, we joined the same time and our post counts almost the same too:D
And we are bot in Sydney too! Ooooh

We catch ours in the laundry sink (its a double) and then syphen it out onto the garden. Am waiting for DH to set up an irrigation system for me!

[ziggie]

You're not meant to... Anything with bodily fluids in it is considered a no-no.

I'm all for recycling and environment though, so am not condemning you at all! ;)

[Frazzled]

You're not meant to... Anything with bodily fluids in it is considered a no-no.


Is that a 'law' Ziggie or is it meant to be harmful in some way?

[Chub Chub]

Hi....It is recommended not to use untreated grey water on any plant BUT that it probably playing it safe.

I wouldn't recommend using on native plants as they are generally super sensitive to phosphorus.

I reckon your grass will love it....probalby go nice and green:yes:

[ziggie]

Is that a 'law' Ziggie or is it meant to be harmful in some way?


I think it's more of a harmful thing, rather than a law.

[Adria]

Thanks, I think I might give it go... if I can work out how to catch it:detective:
I was thinking of doing the same thing:idea:

You're not meant to... Anything with bodily fluids in it is considered a no-no.
Oh i didn't know this, i know you shouldn't use grey water on vegies but your lawn is okay.

[Frazzled]

I don't know if it is the same, but my friend's husband put in an irrigation system attached to their upstairs shower and it goes straight onto the garden. They planted 30 Morayua's at the same time. Our Morayua's have been in for 3 years longer and their's are 5 times the size! Their grass is always so green and lush too!

Gotta be good I reckon!

[~J'dore~]

Hi....It is recommended not to use untreated grey water on any plant BUT that it probably playing it safe.

I wouldn't recommend using on native plants as they are generally super sensitive to phosphorus.

I reckon your grass will love it....probalby go nice and green:yes:

Our detergent is phosphate free:thumbsup:

I might look into it a bit more before I do though. Dogs and cats etc... do their business outside in the garden on the lawn etc all the time. I wonder why it's different? I'd probably just stick to the gardens though, not the lawn where the kiddies play.

I always hot wash my nappies too (we have solar hot water heating) so would the kill some of the germy's too maybe?

[Chub Chub]

Is that a 'law' Ziggie or is it meant to be harmful in some way?

Not so much a law but I am pretty sure that there is an Australian Standard which relates to grey water and not water vegies/citrus/edibles. So not technially a law as such but sorta close:laughing:

[Chub Chub]

Our detergent is phosphate free:thumbsup:


Yep but I am pretty sure phosphorus in found in urine........

[ziggie]

From what DH, who installs irrigation systems, says, (I'm trying to get info out of him, but he's glued to Kenny, on the TV :rolleyes: ) it's got to do with bacteria etc, from having pooh on your garden/lawn. And if any neighbours complain about run-off onto their property, they have rights. Although how they'd know is beyond me. :p

[~J'dore~]

Oh, well there you go... I've learnt something new :)

[~J'dore~]

Ok, well I might give the mcn grey water a miss. But is it ok to use the grey water from other washing loads? (I'm a gradually getting on the save the planet wagon, just don't know all the rules yet:o)

[Chub Chub]

Oh, well there you go... I've learnt something new :)

I could be wrong (it happened once:laughing: ) but I think I heard it at Uni once????

[Chub Chub]

Ok, well I might give the mcn grey water a miss. But is it ok to use the grey water from other washing loads? (I'm a gradually getting on the save the planet wagon, just don't know all the rules yet:o)

Look to be honest I would give it a go but at my work (I have an environmentally based job) we recommend not at all but I reckon you could use in in gardens that the kids aren't going to get into and not in vegies gardens or food plants etc. Do you have contained gardens?? There is some research that does say that grazes and cuts can allow bacteria to enter the body. I'll see if I can find it at work for you if interested? I do know lots of people who DO use grey water on plants it is just you're not suppose to. :o

[~J'dore~]

I'd love the info if you can find it:)

We just brought our own home a month ago with amazing gardens and I'm not sure how to keep them watered and looking nice without wasting water.

None of the rentals we had ever had gardens that we had to water, so i've never had to think about it before.

Any tips?

[lani]

I recycle all my laundry water, I just attached a grey water house and stuck it out the laundry window. I move it around after each load to ater different areas.

[prideNJoy]

I recycle all my laundry water, I just attached a grey water house and stuck it out the laundry window. I move it around after each load to ater different areas.

Thats exactly what we do too, every load the water goes onto the lawn. Including the nappy loads.

[greenie]

Me too.
I hose my laundry water out the window, and I must admit that includes my MCN grey water.
I do try to avoid the vegie patch with that though. I mostly direct my nappy water onto trees or the grass.

It would be such a shame to waste it when we wash so much!

[MrsScatterbrain]

I have some friends who are really conscientious greenies, and they don't use their MCN water on their garden - I think the reasoning is that it is something to do with the runoff - (its the same reason its illegal to throw out poo (in a sposie) - the contamination from the poo can leach into the waterways). If you throw pooey water onto your garden, it can leach into the waterways in the same way.

I guess it depends how much poo goes through your machine - if you use a little squirt (etc) to get most of it off before it gets to your machine, its probably not too bad ...

I use our shower/bath water without hesitation on our garden - otherwise it would be shriveled up and brown!