How much greywater

As greywater cannot be stored, determining the appropriate volume of daily water re-use is a balancing act between the size of the garden and the greywater potential of the household.

As a general rule, each resident of a house will generate approximately 3,000 litres of re-usable greywater per month. So for a family of 4, the most likely monthly amount of water is 12,000 litres. This is enough for a large houseblock with extensive garden areas.

For a detailed review of how much water you generate in your house, read on.....

A typical suburban house block will have between 100 and 150 square metres of garden bed space. During summer the garden beds will require between 180 and 280 litres per day.

A household of 4 people will generate up to 600 litres per day, much more than required for the average garden. However larger gardens, or properties re-using greywater for both garden bed and lawn irrigation will use all of this water.

While showers are prolific generators of greywater, for some families a single connection to the laundry will be sufficient for garden irrigation needs. A household with children may run the washing machine twice a day, generating 300 Litres per day (top loader), more than enough for many gardens.

Where possible and economically feasible, it is desirable to connect enough greywater sources to provide an oversupply of water. This will enable the householder to install additional irrigation drip lines at a later date (e.g. under lawn irrigation). In the short term, if too much water is being pumped to the garden, the EcoBowser can simply be turned off until soil moisture returns to the desired level.