Grey Water and Phytoremediation

“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.”

-       Benjamin Franklin

Water pollution and wastage is one of the pressing problems of the world. Individuals often pass the buck thinking they are too insignificant to solve this problem and make a difference.

But, did you know that an average person unknowingly wastes up to 30 gallons of water every day. Imagine what this number multiplies to for a population of 8 billion!

We can save a significant amount of water, money and energy by eliminating wasteful water practices and switching to efficient water management in our daily life. One such effective measure is reusing greywater. “Grey water” is lightly used water from sinks, baths, showers and laundry, i.e. all domestic flows, with the exception of waste water from toilets. One of the simplest ways to dispose grey water is by using grey water recycling systems. Unlike rainwater harvesting which relies on rainfall, greywater ensures a surplus supply on a daily basis — the more clean water one uses, the more greywater they will have to recycle.

A simple technique to recycle greywater at home is by utilizing Phytoremediation to make a plant-based treatment system. Phytoremediation uses plants and associated soil microbes to reduce the concentrations of toxins in the environment. This can be simply done by diverting grey water to unused patches of land in and around your house. Water absorbing plants like Canna indica (Indian shot), Hedychium coronarium (white ginger lily), the cyperus plant (umbrella plant), Colocaesia, or even banana are proven to contain a plant-soil bacteria combination which aids in decomposition of the suspended solids while the soil layer beneath filters the water. To clean the stored water further, a simple filter made of layers of gravel, pebbles and charcoal can be used. This collected liquid can be used for a range of activities – from cleaning and washing cars to watering plants!