Project Greenwater
Project Greenwater is a working model of a greywater system to prove that it works and can be easily implemented. Greywater systems filter dirty water from your shower, washing machine, and sink so that you can use it to water your plants (but not drink). Currently, it’s a technology that not many people use, but it’s a really good method to save water, and it can definitely help in the drought that is going on right now.
Every year, a trillion gallons of water are used for showers in the US, and another 5,600 are used for washing machines. Right now, almost all of this water is being sent down the drain, but if we installed greywater systems and filtered it, we could use it to water plants. Astoundingly, 3 trillion gallons of water are used to water plants in the US every year. This means that if every house in the US installed a greywater system, we could save over a trillion gallons of water, greatly minimizing the impact of droughts and helping to feed America at the same time.
The model I’m building will showcase water being poured into models of showers and washing machines and flowing down pipes to a septic tank. After going through the septic tank, the water will run through a series of filters such as silica gel, soil, sand, and activated carbon to absorb harmful chemicals and soap. Finally, the water will enter a storage tank until it is ready to be used to water plants. There are four different sections of plants in the model: plants watered by greywater and filtered greywater, and then plants watered by tap water and bleach to act as positive and negative control.
By making a model of a greywater system, my goal is to spread the word that greywater systems can make a huge impact on efficient water usage and prevent droughts by saving water. I’ll both show people how it works and prove that if you water plants with the filtered greywater, they won’t die. Hopefully, homeowners and business owners will realize how impactful greywater systems could be, and look into installing one.
