4 ms·
On one hand, we don't need potable water to flush a toilet. On the other hand, flushing a toilet with dirty water is going to leave your house smelling like wha
by erik_seaberg 3y ago
On one hand, we don't need potable water to flush a toilet. On the other hand, flushing a toilet with dirty water is going to leave your house smelling like whatever's in that water.
- OfSanguineFire 3y agoAlready graywater is used in places like San Diego for watering public greenage, but I can’t detect any smell. Even if there is some very slight smell, sticking an ordinary deodorizer on your toilet bowl might be enough to suppress it entirely.
- Cthulhu_ 3y agoIt doesn't have to be dirty / smelly, but it doesn't have to be fresh drinking water either. Filtered rain water is fine for example, plus bonus low mineral count to keep your pipes and toilet cleaner.
- throwaway290 3y agoYou should close the lid before flushing anyway... Stops bacteria spraying around
- throwaway290 3y agoI am guessing at least two people have issues with bathroom hygiene. Pro tip: you do not want fecal matter around.
- Faaak 3y agoI collect rainwater and flush my toilet + wash my clothes with it. It's not safe to drink, but it doesn't smell of anything and is nearly transparent.
- mnw21cam 3y agoI collect rainwater in water butts outside for watering the garden. They stink. What are you doing right that I'm doing wrong?
- EatingWithForks 3y agoHow often do you clean your rainwater collection receptacles? I clean mine out regularly.
- mnw21cam 3y agoI pressure washed them this spring, and bought new ones to add to them at the same time. How regularly?
- Faaak 3y agoNo direct sunlight + no direct heat. Of course, if the system is cycled frequently (i.e. the water doesn't stagnate for months), then it's even better
- marcosdumay 3y agoRainwater quality is a direct consequence of you local air pollution. You may not be doing anything wrong and still get a bad result, while somebody else in a different location may do a lot of things wrong and still get good results.
- goodcanadian 3y agoWhen I lived in Hawaii, we had rainwater catchment as our main/only water supply. We added some bleach to the (10000 gallon) catchment tank once per month and ran it through filters as it entered the house (the last filter was 5µm). Officially, it wasn't potable, but we installed an additional 0.5µm filter on a drinking water tap and never had a problem.
- atourgates 3y agoOur neighbor in rural Idaho has been drinking unfiltered rain water for decades without any (observed) ill effects. He did mention that he diverts the first few rainshowers of the year to flush out all the bird poop and debris that collect over the summer. I’m not sure I’d go that route, but it seems to work for him, and makes an area where wells don’t produce habitable.
- Havoc 3y ago>dirty water I meant more utility provided grey water. Meaning they still clean it up...just not all the way to drink quality. As with many things in life getting to those last few % to 100% are disproportionate and incrementally expensive/hard. So if you can flush toilets with 95% or whatever that's a win
- emmanuel_1234 3y agoHong Kong uses grey water for flushing toilets, and I never had a problem. Each building has its own tank (I believe, to pump the water and maintain a correct water pressure) that needs to be washed every now and then, but that's the same with fresh water.
- dirkf 3y agoIn my country it has been mandatory for at least a decade in any new construction or significant renovation to collect rain water and use it for at least flushing toilets. It's not that expensive to install at that time and saves a lot of potable water. Seems like a no-brainer to me to do this everywhere.
- sputter_token 3y agoIn some parts of America, collecting rainwater is illegal.
- sp332 3y agoRestrictions are mainly on commercial and especially agricultural use. It's not that bad for residential systems. https://www.worldwaterreserve.com/rainwater-harvesting/is-it-illegal-to-collect-rainwater/ https://www.worldwaterreserve.com/rainwater-harvesting/is-it... But in Georgia, you can only use the rainwater outdoors. So you can't legally flush your toilet with it.
- thsksbd 3y agoBecause, legally, you're stealing water from the basin and the basin's down stream users. You're also not paying for the sewer use if you flush with it (since sewer isn't metered)
- bombcar 3y agoSome municipalities have ways to handle the second (as you have homes that are on well water but city sewer). Usually it's a flat fee based on occupancy or square footage.
- freedude 3y agoThis is mostly a myth, but check your local ordinances. OR do like the rest of us Freedudes do. Just do it.
- wolverine876 3y agoWhere?