Many high-tech grey water treatment systems have come and gone over the years. Most of them fail due to owner mismanagement. Face it, it’s gross to clean out the filters as often as you need to. Some fail because the company goes out of business by the time maintenance is required. It’s been a challenge to make greywater a viable commercial venture.
The IrriGray system from Water Re Nu is a currently available grey water filtration system that addresses the maintenance problem by including a self-cleaning filter. The most you need to inspect and clean by hand is a pre-filter once a year.
The system is controlled by a computer, just like any standard home irrigation system. Software updates are also modernized, since the controller connects via internet to the home company.
The tradeoff to the ease and simplicity is the cost. Unless you have the skills, you’ll most likely need to hire professionals to install this system, and you’ll want to subscribe to a service plan as well.
The benefit is that you’ll maximize your graywater recycling.
This video shows the installation process of the IrriGray gray water filtration system:
Remember the soaps
Even with an advanced filtration system like this, it’s still important to use the right kind of soaps and detergents for sustainable water use. Remember that even if something is biodegradable, it can bio-degrade into smaller poisons if that’s what it’s made of. You want to find something that’s biocompatible if you can. Be sure to have a look at our Soaps page for the inside scoop.
Check your local regulations
Because you’ll likely hire professionals to install a system like this, they will know the local greywater codes and restrictions. But to save you trouble in advance, review the tips in our Legal Guidelines page to check whether it’s worth the effort to go down this path in the first place. You might benefit from a simpler option.