With a large proportion of Australia in a drought, and many major cities enforcing water restrictions, the plants in our garden are being tested on their water efficiency. Most of us have all heard of grey water, the water drained from baths, showers, washing machines, and sinks. Normally this water goes down the drain, but we all could be recycling this water on our gardens. It’s a simple concept and it’s really easy to start. There are three main ways to use grey water:

• Manual bucketing – This means washing dishes in a bucket or having a few buckets in the shower with you and using them to water the garden.
• Above ground systems – One of the easiest ways to use grey water is simple extending the hose from your washing machine into your garden. I’ve found moving the house around the garden every few weeks allows each spot to get a good soaking.
• Above or below ground systems – The systems are more sophisticated and also more expansive. Some governments give rebates on these systems so they are definitely worth a look. They will also be able to divert water from other areas of your house, which means an even lusher garden.

Grey water seems like a great solution to a water shortage but I’d be interested to hear other people’s experiences using grey water.