Water recycling

[Graham]

Best way to save water don't flush loo often, 25 % is flushing loo.....................

Shock, horror . . . . . Do you use tap water to flush the toilet ??

That is madness. Don't you have a rainwater barrel and a bucket ??

Using high-quality, potable tap water to flush a toilet should be a criminal offence.

[kwackers]

I will continue to fill in any declarations that they send me, as I have better things to do than seek aggravation.
( e.g. too busy flushing the toilet with a bucket . . . )

Some people love aggravation.

I saw a guy asked to pick up some litter he'd dropped by a PCSO. He launched into a fairly threatening tirade of abuse about "pretend" policemen. By the time the "real" police arrived he'd drawn quite a crowd who clapped in appreciation when he was manhandled to the floor, handcuffed and carted off.

As for buckets.
The 'proper' way is a giant underground storage tank with pump and separate plumbing for 'grey' water.
I saw several such systems at a home improvements show but I couldn't figure out how to justify the cost of fitting and running them though.

[Graham]

As for buckets.
The 'proper' way is a giant underground storage tank with pump and separate plumbing for 'grey' water.
I saw several such systems at a home improvements show but I couldn't figure out how to justify the cost of fitting and running them though.

Indeed. However, I have a friend who has a proper rainwater capture system, tank, pump, filters, dual pipes, etc. I think he is on his third pump in as many years.
Considering the thousands he spent on this lot, I'll be sticking with my bucket.

PS. In this hard-water area I get the additional benefits of :-
- avoiding limescale in the toilet & nasty chemical to remove it
- extra exercise of carrying the bucket up the garden

[Cyril Haearn]

Put the tank up high, use gravity, no need for a pump

[kwackers]

Put the tank up high, use gravity, no need for a pump

I thought about that, but I live in a bungalow so it'd be a bit rubbish.

[mjr]

Put the tank up high, use gravity, no need for a pump

I thought about that, but I live in a bungalow so it'd be a bit rubbish.

Trickier but I don't see why it would be rubbish - after all, how high above the bowl is your current cistern and how far below the guttering is it? That vertical distance between where you collect the rain and where you want to deliver it is where the rainwater tank can be put not to need a pump.

[kwackers]

Put the tank up high, use gravity, no need for a pump

I thought about that, but I live in a bungalow so it'd be a bit rubbish.

Trickier but I don't see why it would be rubbish - after all, how high above the bowl is your current cistern and how far below the guttering is it? That vertical distance between where you collect the rain and where you want to deliver it is where the rainwater tank can be put not to need a pump.

Any tank would have to be below the gutter (obvs) which is lower than the attic so would have to be outside. Currently the hot water header tank is about 8 feet up in the attic giving about 6+8=14 feet head of water.
If the tank was level with the gutter then at best it would be 6 feet head (assuming the tank was full, likely it wouldn't be).
Does 4-6 feet head of water give enough pressure?
On top of that the pipework *has* to run through the attic (or the outside of the house which wouldn't be popular).
The tank would have to be outside the house too - and high up but underneath the gutter.

I've actually thought about this a lot. I'd like a simple grey water system but currently can't see how I could do it in a satisfactory way.

To keep this on topic, grey water systems don't as far as I know need a tv license.

[Cyril Haearn]

Just get a big barrel to collect the water from the downpipe and a plastic bucket from Wilkos
Then you have a bit of exercise too

Grey water flushing is so simple, it could easily be put in new houses

[Stevek76]

Does 4-6 feet head of water give enough pressure?

Pressure surely is irrelevant? My understanding of this is it just has to be above the cistern of the toilet, which in modern ones, isn't very high. The pressure of the flush itself only comes from the toilet cistern being above the bowl, the pressure of what is feeding it only affects the refill speed a bit.

If tank space is limited then presumable a mains feed with a valve is of use for any dry spell...

[mjr]

To keep this on topic, grey water systems don't as far as I know need a tv license.

I didn't ever have to tell the water company that we don't have mains drainage in order not to pay for it. They simply remembered from the property history. I definitely don't have to tell them again every few months or years! If only TVs were as easy not to pay for as sewers!

[kwackers]

Does 4-6 feet head of water give enough pressure?

Pressure surely is irrelevant? My understanding of this is it just has to be above the cistern of the toilet, which in modern ones, isn't very high. The pressure of the flush itself only comes from the toilet cistern being above the bowl, the pressure of what is feeding it only affects the refill speed a bit.

If tank space is limited then presumable a mains feed with a valve is of use for any dry spell...

Not sure about pressure being irrelevant. It needs to be enough to both move the diaphragm out of the way and fill the cistern in a reasonable time.

It's easy enough to test, the real issue is the location of the tank. I did consider using a (home made) pumping system hooked up to a solar panel.
A ground based tank feeding a loft header that refills when the sun shone. I reckoned 200-400 litres stored in the loft would be enough for all but the most determined unflushables until the next bout of sunshine.
I reckon that would work, I can get a 1000 litre storage tank for free (not suitable for burying but I can hide it elsewhere).

[Graham]

Tis a pity that there aren't a few spare staff ** around to enforce the water & drainage systems regulations.

Back in the 1930s, 40s when the houses in this road were built they all had soakaways for the rainwater drainage.

Over the years the owners have gradually sneaked in various unacceptable practices like :-
- directing rainwater downpipes into the sewers
- directing surface water into the sewers
- tipping both rainwater and surface water onto footways & road
- installing non-permiable surfaces for car parking

Basically completely ignoring good practice and the requirements of SUDS regulations ( Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems ).

What is the point of these regulations if there is ZERO effort to enforce it ?

** Building Control Officers and/or water company staff

[kwackers]

What is the point of these regulations if there is ZERO effort to enforce it ?

The worlds ills in a sentence.

[Cyril Haearn]

Are we talking about recycling or reusing?

One could use water more than once, to rinse clothes then to flush the toilet for example

Towhit, one could use a composting toilet that needs no water

And remember to celebrate world toilet day!

[[XAP]Bob]

Are we talking about recycling or reusing?

One could use water more than once, to rinse clothes then to flush the toilet for example

Towhit, one could use a composting toilet that needs no water

And remember to celebrate world toilet day!

And if we're on about toilets...

Let's also not forget to support calls for Changing Places in the various places we frequent...
Supermarkets/shopping centres, leisure centres, cinemas....