 |
||
Ayako Harada and Emily
Rivers |
||
| Introduction | ||
| Greywater systems reuse non-fecal water for irrigation of landscape plants on a residential scale. The initial cost and installation of a Greywater System may be high, however over time the amount of water used and the amount of water returning to wastewater treatment facilities will diminish and reduce water bills. A Greywater system can be designed based on the layout of a site and the amount of users and their needs. | ||
According to the US Census Bureau (1999), approximately one quarter of homes in the United States are served by onsite sewage systems. These facilities collect, treat and release or reuse over 4 billion gallons of wastewater per day. Neglected onsite systems, often installed as replaceable installations such as septic systems, can negatively impact ground surface water quality. For example, nitrate and bacteria contamination and nutrient inputs to surface waters have contributed to eutrophic conditions in over 4700 rivers and estuaries across the U.S. A survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau (1997) estimated that 403,000 homes experienced septic system breakdowns within a 3-month period during 1997; As a result, interest in optimizing the systems' safety and performance has increased over the last decade. If properly sited, designed, installed and maintained, an on site sewage treatment system can be a regenerative, long term, low cost solution to waste management. |