Grey Water Treatment

Grey water is domestic waste water from the showers, wash basins, kitchen sink, dishwashing machine, and laundry. It cotains some organics (dead skin, oils, hair), dirt, bleach, some bacteria, some fibers, some food residue, and some surfactants and soap. Houses/apartment complexes where the grey water is separated from black water are more environmentally friendly because they can benefit from grey water treatment.

Grey water can be treated and used for irrigation or toilet flushing thus reducing the load on sewage treatment plants. The systems are simple: the grey water is filtered and then it flows through gravity or a simple pump through a planter bed (a network of pipes which injects the water through a plant root system). If treated grey water is to be stored, it needs to be disinfected because it can turn spetic. Planter bed area needed for treating the waste water from one person is ~ 4 m2 (2x2 m).

Here is an interesting site on Grey Water Treatment.

Compiled by Rami E. Kremesti M.Sc.