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Gray water recycling has part in efficiency
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Even in a state that averages more than 50 inches of rainfall a year, water conservation is important, and some water recycling has true value to homeowners.
The term “gray water” applies to water that has come in contact with humans, such as from sinks, washing machines, dishwashers, showers and bathtubs. It can be filtered and reused for irrigation and other purposes. Blackwater goes down the toilet and is typically treated commercially.
Cory Gallo, an associate professor in the Mississippi State University Department of Landscape Architecture, explained why water recycling is important in Mississippi.
“Potable, or drinkable, water for much of the state comes from groundwater through aquifers,” Gallo said. “We want to protect our aquifers and not overdraw from them.”
Water is cheap in Mississippi, but nationally, water bills are on the rise as the cost of maintaining the infrastructure increases. Cost savings is one reason people turn to rainwater or gray water recycling.
Gallo said recycling is useful, but rainwater harvesting requires a fairly large cistern if it is to be the sole source of irrigation for a garden or landscape.
“It doesn’t rain every day, so you need to have a much larger cistern to hold enough rainwater to sustain irrigation for a few weeks until it rains again and refills the tank,” he said.
Gallo said gray water harvesting is more cost-effective than storm water harvesting.
“There are daily inputs and outputs of gray water, such as from washing hands or taking a shower,” he said. “Since you contribute gray water daily, you can use a much smaller cistern for its collection.”
A home equipped for gray water recycling typically has two sets of drain pipes coming from the bathroom and one set from the kitchen and laundry room. Water from all but the toilets is passed through a physical filter to remove solids and an ultraviolet filter to remove harmful microorganisms. The water can then be piped back inside to flush toilets.
“This is much more advantageous to install with new construction, and on commercial buildings, it works best when buildings are designed with one restroom on top of the other,” Gallo said. “It’s not as effective in buildings that are long and spread out.”
Gray water can also be used for lawn and garden irrigation, which is how Mike Boyles, a homeowner in Winston County, uses the gray water system he installed about two years ago.
“In my case, a pipe that comes out of the system is attached to sprinklers, and I use it to water the lawn,” Boyles said. “If you want to keep your lawn green in August in Mississippi, you need water. With my system, I have a green lawn just about year around.”
Gallo said where water is more costly, gray water recycling systems are more quickly being adopted. If water conservation is the primary goal, technology is the best place to start.
“Technology can have a dramatic reduction in water use,” Gallo said. “Choose low-flow fixtures and water conserving appliances. There’s no up cost in those systems because they’ve become standard practice. Behavior is next, then gray water.”
Contact: Cory Gallo, 662-325-3249
Habari za zamani zaweza kuwa za zamani Habari zilizowekwa kwenye ukurasa huu zilitolewa awali mnamo Machi 31, 2016. Huenda isiwe ya zamani, lakini tafadhali tafuta kwenye tovuti yetu ili upate habari zaidi za sasa. Kama wewe mpango wa kunukuu au rejea habari hii katika uchapishaji, tafadhali kuangalia na Mtaalamu Extension au mwandishi kabla ya kuendelea. Maji ya kijivu ya kuchakata ni muhimu kwa ufanisi wa Starkeville Hata katika jimbo ambalo lina wastani wa mvua ya zaidi ya sentimeta 50 kwa mwaka, uhifadhi wa maji ni muhimu, na baadhi ya maji ya kuchakata ina thamani ya kweli kwa wamiliki wa nyumba. "Jina ""maji ya kijivu"" linatumika kwa maji ambayo yamekutana na wanadamu, kama vile kutoka sinki, mashine za kuosha, mashine za kuosha vyombo, milango ya kuoga na bathtubs." Inaweza kuchujwa na kutumiwa tena kwa ajili ya umwagiliaji maji na madhumuni mengine. Maji meusi hutumiwa katika choo na kwa kawaida hutumiwa kibiashara. Cory Gallo, profesa msaidizi katika Idara ya Usanifu wa Mazingira ya Chuo Kikuu cha Jimbo la Mississippi, alielezea kwa nini kuchakata maji ni muhimu huko Mississippi. "Maji ya kunywa, au ya kunywa, kwa sehemu kubwa ya jimbo linatokana na maji ya chini ya ardhi kupitia aquifers", Gallo alisema. """Tunataka kulinda maji ya chini ya ardhi na si overdrawn kutoka kwao,"" alisema, akisema, ""Maji ni nafuu katika Mississippi, lakini kitaifa, bili za maji ni juu ya kuongezeka kama gharama ya kudumisha miundombinu huongezeka.""" Kuokoa gharama ni moja ya sababu watu kugeuka kwa maji ya mvua au maji kijivu ya kuchakata. "Gallo alisema, ""Utekelezaji wa maji ya mvua ni muhimu, lakini kukusanya maji ya mvua inahitaji kisima kikubwa ikiwa ni chanzo pekee cha umwagiliaji kwa bustani au mazingira.""" "Hakuna mvua kila siku, kwa hivyo unahitaji kuwa na tangi kubwa zaidi ili kuweka maji ya mvua ya kutosha kudumisha umwagiliaji kwa wiki chache hadi mvua itakapokuwa tena na kujaza tangi", alisema. Gallo alisema kuvuna maji ya kijivu ni gharama nafuu zaidi kuliko kuvuna maji ya dhoruba. "Kuna pembejeo na pato la kila siku la maji ya kijivu, kama vile kutoka kuosha mikono au kuoga", alisema. Kwa kuwa unatoa maji ya kijivu kila siku, unaweza kutumia kisima kidogo zaidi kwa ajili ya ukusanyaji wake. Nyumba iliyo na vifaa vya kuchakata maji ya kijivu kwa kawaida ina seti mbili za mabomba ya mifereji kutoka bafuni na seti moja kutoka jikoni na chumba cha kuosha nguo. Maji ya vyoo huchukuliwa kupitia kichujio cha mwili ili kuondoa vitu vyenye nguvu na kichujio cha ultraviolet ili kuondoa viumbe wadogo wenye madhara. Kisha maji hayo yanaweza kurudishwa ndani ili kuondoa maji ya choo. "Hii ni faida zaidi ya kufunga na ujenzi mpya, na kwenye majengo ya kibiashara, inafanya kazi bora wakati majengo yamebuniwa na choo kimoja juu ya kingine", Gallo alisema. Maji ya kijivu pia yanaweza kutumika kwa ajili ya lawn na bustani umwagiliaji, ambayo ni jinsi Mike Boyles, mmiliki wa nyumba katika Winston County, anatumia mfumo wa maji ya kijivu yeye imewekwa kuhusu miaka miwili iliyopita. "Katika kesi yangu, bomba linalotoka kwenye mfumo huo limeunganishwa na mashine za kunyunyizia maji, na ninaitumia kunyunyizia maji nyasi", akasema Boyles. <unk>Ikiwa unataka kuweka nyasi yako kijani mwezi Agosti katika Mississippi, unahitaji maji. Kwa mfumo wangu, nina lawn ya kijani karibu mwaka mzima. <unk> Gallo alisema ambapo maji ni ghali zaidi, mifumo ya kuchakata maji ya kijivu inakubalika haraka zaidi. Ikiwa kuhifadhi maji ni lengo kuu, teknolojia ndiyo mahali pazuri pa kuanza. <unk>Teknolojia inaweza kuwa na kupunguzwa kwa kasi katika matumizi ya maji,<unk>Gallo alisema. Chagua vifaa vya chini-mtiririko na vifaa vya kuhifadhi maji. Hakuna gharama ya juu katika mifumo hiyo kwa sababu wamekuwa mazoezi ya kawaida. "Kama vile ilivyo kwa ""Mvua ya kijivu"" na ""Mvua ya kijivu"" na ""Mvua ya kijivu"" na ""Mvua ya kijivu"" na ""Mvua ya kijivu"" na ""Mvua ya kijivu"" na ""Mvua ya kijivu"" na ""Mvua ya kijivu"" na ""Mvua ya kijivu"" na ""Mvua ya kijivu"" na ""Mvua ya kijivu."""