Incredibly, we only use about one percent of household water for drinking, with the remaining ninety-nine percent being used for showering, washing clothes and dishes and flushing the toilet. While some water recycling measures are obvious, such as shorter showers and half-flush toilets, other once radical solutions are now common.
Go Grey
Did you know the average household produces around 400 litres of grey water a day? That’s a lot of valuable water recycling that can be taken from your washing and cleaning back into your garden. Installing a grey-water diverter allows this water recycling. This solution complies with water restrictions while allowing you to maintain your beautiful garden.
Using a tank and recycling water
The next step is a rainwater tank to capture rain water that can then be used for the garden or even connected to household toilets, showers and washing machines. Think of how efficiently a tank works with a grey-water diverter – from roof to tank to household application to garden!
And if you think your garden is too small for a rainwater tank, think again. The demand for these water-saving devices is such that tanks now come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Demand for these water recycling products and services has increased by around 300 per cent in the last 3 years, and with government incentives, water restrictions and a population keenly aware of its importance, this growth in water recycling is set to continue.
Recycling water in the garden
Alongside the measures described for recycling water from the household, additional action can also be taken in the garden to assist your water recycling.
- Install a rainwater diverter so that water from down pipes goes straight to dry garden areas.
- Consider planting water efficient plants or those shrubs, trees and ground covers that are native to your area and therefore well adapted and requiring less water.
- Using products including water weepers, soil wetting agents, mulch and water wise potting mix assists the soil trap moisture, enables better water penetration and assists with water retention.
















