What are the environmental risks associated with reusing greywater?
Soil or plants can process many of the contaminants in greywater if the system is not overloaded, including organic material, nutrients, salt and sediment. Nutrients can even be beneficial in moderate concentrations, for example, on lawns but not on native plants. Some greywater contaminants are not capable of being treated or degraded in the soil. Principal amont these is salt, which can comprise up to 30 per cent of some laundry detergents and can cause soil degradation. Excess salt can cause damage to the soil structure.
