When it comes to environmental sustainability, the familiar references mostly revolve around recycling waste and goods which are both very crucial aspects of creating a cleaner and healthier environment.

With our efforts of recycling waste being placed in good hands thanks to our local councils, each household has in place its own recycling obligation with recycle bins readily available and trash days already assigned. Generally speaking, us Aussies tend to be relatively comfortable with our recycling deeds.

Truth be told that more can be done with regards to recycling in your home and the addition of water recycling could be a step forward to promoting a greener tomorrow.

Although this term may not be so familiar among many homeowners, the impact of water recycling on the environment would be very significant even if only one household contributed to the efforts to recycling water at home.

To help create a better understanding of the impact a single household can do, the ABS stated that the “estimated household water consumption for Victoria was 367 gigalitres” a year. Taking into consideration the fact that most of our household water usage involves drinking water literally going down the drain, it’s an extremely wasteful reality that many homeowners simply aren’t conscious about.

Despite water recycling being widely practiced in the commercial world, it isn’t so much apparent in the household setting. The benefits of water recycling are evident in agriculture farms making use of grey water, which is domestic wastewater excluding sewage, to water their crops. This has allowed agriculture farms to sustain crops during droughts and water shortages as well as to save substantially on annual water costs.

All it takes is to apply this concept of water cycling to the ordinary household to help reduce carbon footprint and save on water bills in the long term.

Pros of Water Recycling at Home

• Reduced Water Rates - being the most apparent advantage, savings to your water bill significantly increase over time which acts very similar to the way how solar panels save on electricity bills.
• Control over your Water Resources - Instead of having to worry about drought season or water restrictions due to shortages in water supply, having a water recycling system in place allows you to do as you wish with the recycled greywater. It’s easy to be the envy of the neighbourhood as your lawn maintains a lush green setting all year round.
• Water Resources Preservation - As you increase water recycling in your home, you naturally start using fewer water resources thus helping the preservation of water resources.
• Reduce Local Community Water Supply Demand - By recycling water in your home, you reduce your local community’s demand in the water supply. This may prove to be extremely useful at times where there are is a shortage of water where lesser resources are being used.

Cons of Water Recycling at Home

• Potential Health Risks - Although uncommon, there is a risk of pathogens being present in recycled water. This is why the recommendations for using recycled water are restricted to external use only such as watering plants and washing your car.
• Potential Environmental Risks - In some cases, recycled water may contain excessive amounts of saline, sodium, chlorine, nitrogen, boron, phosphorus, or surfactants that may endanger the natural environment. Although these risks are possible, it is important to know that the mentioned environmental risks are not dangerous to human beings and only affect plants.

All in all, the pros of water recycling at home far outweigh the cons with the evident practice of water recycling being apparent in the agricultural industry. Recycling is the way forward and by helping to reduce waste on a residential scale, local communities will be able to thrive with fewer restrictions on the usage of water during droughts or shortages.

Article provided by Cleanawater