For a quick water-conservation move this summer for those without edible gardens and those with a garden hose and a penchant for bathing outdoors:  lay out the hose so it warms the water and then enjoy a short warm shower followed by a cool spritz-off in the yard. Choosing an eco-friendly (and preferably non-animal-tested) shampoo/soap will do little to no harm to grass and shrubs and may thrill your neighbours too!

I live in an area without (thankfully) public sewers and have a septic system.  The water goes through a settlement and leaching phase before it goes back into the groundwater.  The result is that the groundwater stays in the same area that it comes from - my well!  

That doesn't mean that I don't have grey water and rainwater usage techniques in place at the house.  I have slowly been adding water barrels for summer watering and channeling the run off into dry wells for immediate recharge.  

Little changes make a big difference.

Umbra pointed out that chemicals like chlorine and boron can't included in water used for watering plants.  Instead of telling how to separate these poisons, she should have advocated their elimination from use.  Additionally, use the most natural soaps you can find, including shampoos and toothpastes.  Your garden and the Earth will thank you (in their own language and on their own terms).

We have a greywater system set up at our house in San Diego.  We have a 35 gallon tank next to our washing machine; the machine drains directly into the tank then slowly drains out an external hose bib.  We move the hose once a day.

We also use the water from our shower.  This is a bit more difficult since our house is built on a slab and we can't easily get to the drain.  To get around this we use a bilge pump connected to a drain on the wall.  Works OK, although you have to leave water in the tub until the pump empties it.

We use biodegradable laundry soap and regular products in the shower.  We water roses and citrus trees with it; they seem to be fine with the soapy water.  The hose is long enough to let the water cool down before it gets to the plants.  We don't do any filtering, and have had only one clog (in the hose outside) after 2 years of usage.

Here in the Philippines, we have a great product called Victoria. It's laundry detergent, comes in powder and a bar, and is 100% herbal! You can use the wastewater for your plants. I know my plants love it. It also takes stains out really well and smells awesome.

In our house we use buckets to catch the gallon or two of cool water that preceeds the hot water in our plumbing.  Often this water will never leave the bathroom as it is used to flush the toilet.  We also use a sink basin to save the rinse water from handwashing dishes.  using these two methods we divert seven to ten gallons a day from a wasteful drain.

Umbra has made an valiant effort to address the question put forth by the reader, but can we please take the question to the next level?

In the original question posted to Umbra, the reader mentioned that some of the native plants in the grey-water path were edible.  Hello!?  

The question isn't whether or not greywater can be used or whether to filter it or not...at least I don't have any questions about that.  The real unsolved mystery is what happens to the microscopic particles that are saturated in the aquis greywater solutions.  

Filters can get out the big precipitate sediments, but lots of soluble stuff will still find their way to the roots of the targeted plants.  The xylem will then transfer the water and any soluble particle (such as nutrients) from the roots up to the plant tissues.

So...the question still remains unanswered...how does grey water affect the plant tissues of plants which may be potentially consumed?  Would we be eating our detergent...biodegradable or not?

p.s. I don't use grey-water for anything edible, but the issue needs to be addressed as the greywater scene is so hot in the enviro movement.

my question is whether or not there are companies/plumber who will help you put one of these into a home. my College is hoping to build an Eco-house and greywater recycling was the first thing I thought of to put in it, but alas, college students have little knowledge of plumbing or time to do it ourselves.