how to build your own laundry to landscape system (article from permaculture mag north america)

Laundry to Landscape: a How-To

I know there are a lot of discussion threads about greywater, and all the different benefits, but here is how to actually build a system from your laundry machine, Michael explains it really simply in my opinion!!

He gives a really good breakdown on how to design your system. So he goes into the mulch basins, how deep they need to be based on the maximum surge of water you're washer and dryer is going to give. He gives nice, thorough examples and explanations on how to figure that all out pretty easily.

Then he talks about installing a 3-Way valve & anti-siphon vent, which sounds a bit jargon-y, but again, it is actually pretty simple. Lastly, he gives tips on labeling, so others can understand how the heck to run it, and viola! You have a greywater system! It seems so easy.



This was from the very first issue of Permaculture Magazine, North America, you can Subscribe Here to get access to the digital version of the rest of the first issue.

Thanks Cassie!  I got your email this morning about this article.  I subscribed too and can't wait to get my first mag.
This was so timely cause we are off-grid with solar and use water catchment solely for our drinking water and creek water for all else.  We also use a composting toilet outside and plan on plumbing an indoor toilet for later use with a septic system for next year sometime.  We are in the final stages of design of our garden house and the grey water situation is still in the design stage.  I am planning on septic going one way (to septic tank / leach field or something else [don't know yet]) and grey water to another.  So this was right up my alley.

Hi Cassie, good to hear from you! Congrats on the first issue of PMNA! Hope it flies off the shelves.

Just as a quick note: one thing that is sometimes an issue with the laundry irrigation systems is getting a good distribution of grey water to each of your outlet points. Well in Ireland a very effective 12-way splitter has been developed in Co. Sligo. I've met with the developer, Christ Spoorenberg (not a traditional Irish name by the way, he's from Holland...) on a number of occasions during the product development and it seems excellent for my purposes (I needed good distribution of septic tank effluent into a gravity fed zero discharge willow facility for 100% evapotranspiration). We tried it in the polytunnel with a watering can one day and no matter how small the trickle into the splitter, out came 12 tiny cascades from each outlet point.

Anyway - if anyone's concerned about getting a good distribution of grey water - or if you want to use a larger volume over a wider area with more outlets - then it may be worth importing a splitter. Here they retail for about €2-300 at the moment; but I'm not sure what the final asking price will be. Anyway, if anyone's particularly interested either drop me an email at reeds@wetlandsystems.ie or reply in this text.

Cassie and Burra - is this allowed? It's not a sales pitch - it's notification of a potentially helpful low-tech, gravity utilising, nifty gadget to help better protect the environment

Billy Sawyer wrote:Thanks Cassie!  I got your email this morning about this article.  I subscribed too and can't wait to get my first mag.
This was so timely cause we are off-grid with solar and use water catchment solely for our drinking water and creek water for all else.  We also use a composting toilet outside and plan on plumbing an indoor toilet for later use with a septic system for next year sometime.  We are in the final stages of design of our garden house and the grey water situation is still in the design stage.  I am planning on septic going one way (to septic tank / leach field or something else [don't know yet]) and grey water to another.  So this was right up my alley.

Yay! I am so glad you found it useful! That sounds like a fabulous idea, and like you are a great planner!

Feidhlim Harty wrote:Hi Cassie, good to hear from you! Congrats on the first issue of PMNA! Hope it flies off the shelves.

Just as a quick note: one thing that is sometimes an issue with the laundry irrigation systems is getting a good distribution of grey water to each of your outlet points. Well in Ireland a very effective 12-way splitter has been developed in Co. Sligo. I've met with the developer, Christ Spoorenberg (not a traditional Irish name by the way, he's from Holland...) on a number of occasions during the product development and it seems excellent for my purposes (I needed good distribution of septic tank effluent into a gravity fed zero discharge willow facility for 100% evapotranspiration). We tried it in the polytunnel with a watering can one day and no matter how small the trickle into the splitter, out came 12 tiny cascades from each outlet point.

Anyway - if anyone's concerned about getting a good distribution of grey water - or if you want to use a larger volume over a wider area with more outlets - then it may be worth importing a splitter. Here they retail for about €2-300 at the moment; but I'm not sure what the final asking price will be. Anyway, if anyone's particularly interested either drop me an email at reeds@wetlandsystems.ie or reply in this text.

Cassie and Burra - is this allowed? It's not a sales pitch - it's notification of a potentially helpful low-tech, gravity utilising, nifty gadget to help better protect the environment

Thanks for the congrats Feidhlim!

And THANKS for the note about the 12-way splitter. It is totally fine and allowed to post about it by the way, because that sounds genuinely helpful.

Glad to hear from you and see you still poking around permies.