Guidelines on grey water

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Please note the municipality requests residents to use potable water sparingly. Continue to save at least 10% of your normal household consumption, the municipality asks.

However, please note the Basic Grey Water Guidelines:

1. Don't store grey water for more than 24 hours. If you store grey water the nutrients in it will start to break down, leading to bad odours.

2. Minimise contact with grey water. Grey water could potentially contain a pathogen if an infected person's bodily waste got into the water, so your system should be designed for the water to soak into the ground and not be available for people or animals to drink.

3. Infiltrate grey water into the ground; don't allow it to pool up or run off (knowing how well water drains into your soil - or the soil percolation rate of your soil - will help with proper design). Pooling grey water can provide mosquito breeding grounds, and create an opportunity for human contact with grey water.

4. Keep your system as simple as possible. Avoid pumps; avoid filters that need upkeep. Simple systems last longer, require less maintenance, require less energy and cost less money.

5. Match the amount of grey water your plants will receive with their irrigation needs.

The latest dam level statistics available.