Residential water recycling / rain water harvesting? (Marshall: yard, crawlspace, money)

[dlleon]

Has anyone successfully installed a gray water system in their house? Was it worth it? The systems that I've seen involve putting a tank in the back yard of your house, and a pump. Water from showers / dishwashers and washing machines is dumped into the tank and then used for irrigation. Does the soap not hurt the plants? Are there any rebates or incentives? Do the systems work? The systems that I've seen were DIY and not very professional looking. Is there a decent commercially available system? Or is this a gimmick?

I've also heard about rain water harvesting systems. (Yes, I know we're in a drought). This system was pretty simple. It looked like the downspouts from rain gutters terminated into large vats. I also have a ton of drains across a circular drive way. It looks like they displace a ton of water. Anyway, I'd like to know if I can divert all of this wastewater to a large vat, and then use it later when I need to run the sprinklers.

Has anyone else done either? How did it work? Who did you use? What was the cost?

[ChristieP]

For the rain system, check out Marshall Grain stores. They sell everything you'd need!

[BigDGeek]

I used to have a rainwater harvesting system but I got rid of it. It worked, but with the drought/downpours we have it was either empty or overflowing and when it filled up, boy did it make a holy mess as it overflowed. It flooded that part of my yard. Also, if the water sat in the tanks for any long period of time...it STUNK to high heaven and I just hated the way it smelled. I may try it again at some point.

I'd love to recycle my gray water. I'm on a pier and beam so it's easier to put in a system like that since it can be done in the crawlspace but the broad-strokes quotes I've had have been too much money for me (a few thousand). I can afford it, but I'd rather use that money on other projects right now.

And no, soap doesn't hurt plants. But you'd have to restrict the types of soaps and cleaners you like to use in the areas where you're recycling your used water because some types can be harmful as they accumulate in the soil, and they have negative consequences for runoff. Saving the water from your shower as you run the water waiting for it to get hot is fine, but if you clean your shower with bleach...don't save that.