Ah well there you are @Fairygirl … that’s where you have the advantage over us .., water as clear as glass but hard as diamonds here … we’re constantly descaling everything and using Calgon water softener in the washing machine.
In the drought of ‘ 76 we collected all grey water for the garden, I’d never seen such fantastic growth, the grass was so dark and rich. I did a lot of washing then having a mucky little boy and a baby in terry nappies. In those days products were harder than now I think. Mum reckoned it was the soda content that made the rich colour. We needed to use the bath water here a few years ago, used it on my patio tubs, plants never looked better. Doesn't happen often here, there’s always rain water in the butts and we have several of them on every available down pipe.
I remember that drought. Used to lug all the bathwater downstairs in buckets and the garden looked great but I don't think I would have liked to use grey water two years running due to a build up of chemicals in the soil. Some plants are very sensitive to anything unusual in the water.
@Rubytoo well our local system is over capacity. In the village Southern Water dumped directly to the local river a third of last year. We have some barge folk in our family so had to take note of what came out the sink. And ever since this has bothered me. Our current system over flows to a ditch and then a river. I can see swans close by, and dogs swimming so not too keen on poisoning them. I can understand that where water is scarce it might be better to keep a closed system. If you can see the end of the pipe and the effects you are probably more likely to take care. Well, I'd like to think that. And yet I've seen neighbours pouring paint down the drains, so go figure. You actually produce a surprisingly little amount of solid matter, and pee. A compost toilet between two might only need emptying four times a year if you have urine diversion. So it's kind of bonkers to use clean water to transport waste at all. When a bucket and sawdust and a trip to the compost area would, ahem, do the job. Anyone that is already using fresh water on the garden, a substitution for grey or collected water seems rather prudent. The way I read it that grey waters go off rather quickly but if you use them on established plants rather than edibles, you'll do well. Or you can use root mats for bio-remediation. I doubt the sewers will dry up, especially considering lots of surface water drainage goes down them.
Washing machine water should be fine, if you use some soap like Ecover. (Not using conditioners or bleach etc). Dishwasher water has a lot of salt and is not recommended to use on the garden.
Second here for Ecover, after touring around the UK on a canal boat for 5 years where the washing machine water goes into the canal, it's recommended that boaters use Ecover products. The Wild Life Trust appears to recommend Ecover too.
Posts
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Of course - that Glaswegian water would still put up a good fight if anyone called it soft...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/watch-what-you-wash-away
Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ecover-Concentrated-Laundry-Liquid-Refill/dp/B009DGDR4S/ref=asc_df_B009DGDR4S?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80264405731119&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583863980788630&psc=1
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.