dmachado said:
About the storage time, thanks for mentioning it, I have to include a solution for that also. We don't have that regulation, but there's surely a reason for it, and I can see why.
Our regulations also state that grey water must not be sprayed. Some regulations don't come under plumbing and a lot of our regulations are found under the Health Department regulations. It might be the same in Portugal.
Our plumbing regulations would also differ to those in Portugal and so I really can't comment about your regulations or your proposed plumbing modifications but I would be very surprised if they allowed the modification that you describe.
We have some advanced grey water filtering systems available but they are expensive. Most of the cheaper units sold have a rudimentary filter but they are still pricey. One thing to remember is that you do not want the cistern valve seal to foul. I divert the washing machine's final rinse during our warmer weather but it is used immediately on the lawns.
You also have to be aware of the type of washing machine powder/liquid that you use if you divert grey water to the garden as the usual types can be damaging to the soil and microbes.
The washing machines sold in Australia have become a lot more energy and water efficient over the years and government rebates have applied to the purchase of the most efficient. We also have a multiple star rating and a sticker is displayed on the machine that shows each machine's energy and power use per wash. The front loaders use less water than top loaders and washing in cold rather than hot water uses a lot less energy.
Maybe look at your current washing machine's energy and water efficiency as a first step before deciding on other courses of action.
How pro active is the Portuguese government re energy and water conservation? Are households eligible for government subsidised water saving products? Australian homes use to have large (usually 13 litre) cisterns that had a single flush function. New homes are now built with water saving dual (half and full) flush cisterns that typically deliver 3 or 6 litres per flush.
How big are your cisterns and do they have a dual flush mechanism? If not, you could look at modifying the cisterns to dual flush or can smaller cisterns be retro fitted?
Just be careful if fitting a very small cistern as the pan may not be designed for very small full flushes. A lot of people here fitted 3/6 L dual flush cisterns to existing pans and then encountered blockage problems.
Posted Wednesday 27 Nov 2013 @ 1:07:25 am from IP
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