Home www.austinchronicle.com/issues/spec/greenbuild/greywater.html Greywater by Suzy Banks Thousands of otherwise law-abiding citizens are greywater hoodlums. You know who you are, with your washing machine draining onto your lawn or your bathtub water drenching your prized petunias. It's an irrigation source that's hard to resist, especially during droughts and water rationing, but it isn't as benign as many people suppose. According to Jim Fulton, an engineering associate with the Austin-Travis County Health Department, there's still a chance of bacterial contamination from typical greywater sources: showers and tubs, bathroom sinks, and washing machines. The majority of greywater systems - the engineered, legal kind - that Fulton and company encounter and approve are for properites west of town not serviced by city sewage. This doesn't mean you can't have a safe and legal greywater system in the middle of town. The most easily understood descriptions of greywater treatment that I've found are in the book Homing Instincts by John Connell. Resources:
Jade Care Q: I was at your Web site checking out the questions, but I didn't see an answer to mine. I bought a little jade plant about two or three years ago. It is happy and healthy. However, it is still the same height. A: I don't know. Q: It was very hot in San Francisco this week. A: My only suggestion is to wait and allow the jade time to adapt to the change in the environment. Q: My jade plant is in need of pruning and repotting to a larger pot. A: Congratulations on your success with jade! Q: I have a jade plant that has a hard, brown layering on top of the leaf and wraps slightly around the bottom of the leaf closest to the stem. A: Scale insects are difficult to control. Q: I saw your Web site and read much of it, but couldn't find any situation similar to mine. A: Well, you have the distinction of asking me a jade question that I never have had before! Q: Hello and thank you in advance. A: Go to my Web site at A: Oh boy.
How to grow great gardens, home backyard gardening plants, seed catalog Greywater Elimination of greywater[edit] Domestic wastewater is usually combined at the sewer, so that grey- and blackwaters are removed together using a shared sewerage system in a process called elimination. Sewage water can then be treated to limit pollution and health risks, before being returned to the environment at large. Most greywater ends up as effluent in rivers and oceans in this way. There are other alternatives to eliminating greywater that allow for efficient use; using it to irrigate plants is a common practice.[1] The plants use contaminants of greywater, such as food particles, as nutrients in their growth. Recycling[edit] Underground Grey Water Recycling Tank Most greywater is easier to treat and recycle than blackwater, because of lower levels of contaminants. Systems[edit] At present, several water recycling systems exist which can be used to: recycle the water without purifying itrecycle the water while purifying or decontaminating it Water recycling with purification[edit]
Gardening Guides Your Year Around Gardening Help and Resource 5 Best Flowering Perennials for Austin — J Peterson Garden Design We all know that fall is the best time to plant perennials, right? So if you’re an Austin gardener and you’ve suffered through the Summer of Hell ’11 (we should have T-shirts made), you might be reconsidering what plants to put in the ground now. They’ve gotta be tough, drought tolerant, relatively pest-and-disease free, and oh yeah—really, really pretty! Mexican Bush Sage: (Salvia leucantha) Truly one of my favorites! What are your favorite flowering plants for Austin? You might also enjoy these articles: Tagged as: Austin perennials, batface cuphea, drought tolerant plants, globe mallow, Mexican bush sage, Mexican mint marigold, perennials, xeriscaping, yellow bells
Backyard Gardener, Your Gardening Information with Gardening Tips Collecting rainwater now illegal in many states as Big Government claims ownership over our water (NaturalNews) Many of the freedoms we enjoy here in the U.S. are quickly eroding as the nation transforms from the land of the free into the land of the enslaved, but what I'm about to share with you takes the assault on our freedoms to a whole new level. You may not be aware of this, but many Western states, including Utah, Washington and Colorado, have long outlawed individuals from collecting rainwater on their own properties because, according to officials, that rain belongs to someone else. As bizarre as it sounds, laws restricting property owners from "diverting" water that falls on their own homes and land have been on the books for quite some time in many Western states. Check out this YouTube video of a news report out of Salt Lake City, Utah, about the issue. "Utah's the second driest state in the nation. Utah isn't the only state with rainwater collection bans, either. Think it couldn't happen?
mygardenguide.com - Home Drought Protection on a Budget « Sustainable Sources This article first appeared in the Austin American Statesman. by John Gleason As the weather turns warmer, landscapes are breaking their winter dormancy and waking up to a powerful thirst. Be Water-Thrifty Don’t make the mistake of watering too often and not deeply enough. Good Investments Purchase a moisture meter and soil analysis for your landscape. Mind Your Soil Most soils could use the addition of large amounts of organic matter. Go easy on the chemical fertilizers, especially during extended dry weather. Mulch When mowing your lawn, use “Don’t Bag It” principles. With a little research, you may be able to locate a free source of mulch. Do the Math Drought-tolerant landscaping conserves water, saves you money, and protects the environment . At the time this article was written (1996) John Gleason was a landscape architect with the City of Austin and was president of the Xeriscape Garden Club.
Flower Gardening Made Easy