National and international case studies in Grey water recycling
This overview in pdf format shows a number of real life grey water recycling systems worldwide. The language is a mix of German and English.
Click here to download the complete pdf document, 22 pages
Donwload case study Greywater recycling China (2 pages, pdf, English)
Indoor Grey Water recycling in a private home Germany
This is the latest installation (January 2006) of a grey water recycling system in a private home in Germany. The filtration system is designed to purify up 1,000 liters per day although 300 - 500 l per day of recycled grey water is a more realistic requirement considering the expected 2 person household.
Here are pictures of the actual installation:
- This house is being renovated including addtional insulation, a new solar thermal heating system and also resetting the piping structure. Instead of having one single piping for all water qualities, this house now separates black water (waste water from toilets) and grey water (all other waste water). An ideal timing.
- An underground rain water harvesting system has been installed in the garden of the house harvesting rain water from the roof.
- The rain water system with the open cover. The tank is fed through 2 pipes harvesting the rain from half of the roof space. The black box on the right is the prefilter with the cover closed.
- A close up of the open rain water tank. The rain water leaves the tank via the black tube within the red pipe and enters the fresh water tank within the house (see separate picture).
- The pre filter filtering the rain water coming from the roof with open cover. Clean and prefiltered water enters the tank.
- The ultrafiltration unit is fixed within the first tank. This tank holds directly the waste water from showers, kitchen, hand washing etc. (but not the waste water from the toilets). Ultrafiltrated water is being pushed via the small pipe (on the lower left hand side within the tank) into the fresh water tank.
- All the grey water from the house comes together here and is fed directly into the grey water tank.
- Only two people are needed for the installation. Within one day the whole system is installed. In the backround you see the owner of the house.
- Grey water recycling system using two indoor tanks. The tank on the right receives household grey water and has the submerged ultrafiltration system. Through the small outlet of this tank (see picture) the filtered water enters the fresh water tank controlled via a magnetic valve (not in the picture). The fresh water is on the left.
- This is the fresh water tank with the purified, ultrafiltrated grey water. What is somewhat unique is that the fresh water will also take the water from the rain water tank located outside. You can see here the black tube within the red pipe delivering the rain water. The fresh water tank will always supply enough water for toilets and washing machine in the house.
- This is the submerged pump that will supply a constant pressure within the system.
- This is the piping system where the waste water from the different toilet (black water) in the house will come together. It will be discharged into the standard sewage system.
- This is the normal sewage connection leaving the house. Any overflow from the grey water or rain water system will be discharged through this pipe as well.
- The complete team. After one day the grey water recycling system has been installed and is ready to operate. At another time this system will be put into operation once the indoor renovation including kitchen and sanitary equipment has been installed. Then also the internet connected control unit will be installed and the final touches will be done.
