Greywater, sometimes also spelled as
graywater,
grey water or
gray water, is all of the effluent water from a household, such as water discharged from lavatories (bathroom sinks), bathtubs, showers, clothes washers, and laundry trays. Greywater is not wastewater from a sink used for food preparation, or water closet (
toilet) wastewater.
The water leaving our homes carries nutrients and value. It may also contain pathogens, and/or harsh chemicals and care should be taken with it. However, it is not a great risk compared to blackwater (sewage).
Redirecting the water we use for tasks such as showering allows us to reclaim some of that value to grow plants and recharge the water table. It may be necessary to choose our soaps and detergents more carefully, if we use the greywater for watering and fertilizing plants.
Samoa Hostel Greywater Island. The Greywater Island project is a proposed
greywater treatment system for the Samoa Cookhouse and Hostel. As part of the sustainable operations of the Hostel, the greywater island functions as the largest implemented greywater treatment system in the restored facility. The greywater system was specifically designed under a criterion that would fulfill California state water quality standards, generate optimal functional capacities and require minimal maintenance and cost. the implemented greywater system was rendered by means of a custom made
sizing calculator and graphical models of the design.
The historic Samoa Cookhouse will be the new host of an alternative lodging hostel where guests can engage in educational modules and experience the features and functions of sustainable design. The renovation of the Samoa Cookhouse hostel became a collaborative project in which Humboldt Bay Center for Sustainable Living and Danco took part to exemplify the resourceful opportunities available by restoring available structures using sustainable principles.
