watering.co.za

Could your shower water keep the garden going?

How much bath, shower and laundry water your household makes, how much of the garden it covers month by month, and what a diverter or a filtered system costs.

Questions

What counts as greywater?

Water from baths, showers and hand basins. Kitchen water does not: it carries fat and food that block pipes and smell. Laundry water can be used only if the detergent is garden-safe, and the City of Cape Town’s own booklet advises against it, so it is left out unless you say otherwise.

Do I need permission?

In Cape Town, yes: the City asks you to apply before installing a greywater or other alternative water system, and to put up a sign where greywater is used. Other municipalities have similar by-laws. Untreated greywater must be used within 24 hours, never sprayed, and kept off vegetables eaten raw.

Will it really save money?

It depends on the season. A household makes greywater every day, but a garden on the Highveld needs little in the wet summer and most in the dry winter, and untreated greywater cannot be stored for later. The month-by-month chart on your results shows how much of it the garden can actually use.

Is it safe for the garden?

Yes, used sensibly: under mulch or through drip, on established plants and lawns, with mild soaps. Avoid bleach and strong salts, rotate where it goes so the soil does not build up salt, and stop when anyone in the house is ill.

More calculators