Former Fat Guy Blog

Real People Real Results - Understanding how food, fitness and mental attitude affect weight loss

Saving Water : Using Greywater

This is the fifth article in a 6 part series on Saving Water. See part 1 on measuring your tap water, part 2 on benefits of a water tank, part 3 on gutters and drains and part 4 on saving water around the house. Living in Sydney, Australia I’m acutely aware of the value of this precious resource.

When it comes to conserving water, this is the big one. As greywater comprises around three quarters of a household’s waste water, it’s well worth looking at. After all, saving water = saving money.

What is Greywater?

Garden hose
First, a definition.

The water you see around the house can generally be classified as one of three types –

White / fresh water : this is the clear water you drink.
Greywater / graywater : this water contains a small amount of dirt, and is water that has been previously used within the house. The water which leaves the washing machine, for example.
Blackwater : this is the waste water from the toilet.

Just remember the greywater = previously used part, and you’ll begin to see just how much of the stuff there is available.

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Saving water : Guttering and Drains

This is the third article (see and )
in a 6 part series on Saving Water. There are many environmental benefits of saving water of course, but for the end consumer, saving money seems to be the key. Living in Sydney, Australia I’m acutely aware of the value of saving water.

 

Rain on the roof Have you ever caught yourself standing indoors during a heavy downpour, wondering where all of the excess water ends up? Obviously the garden can only drink so much, the pool may take a little and the
takes whatever it can.

However, the rest – the vast majority – is simply thrown away.

This article – on guttering and drains – looks at several ways to improve the flow of water around your house (so you can make the most of it), and take a few steps toward the ultimate water goal : any water that falls on your property, stays on your property. No more water bills. Ever.

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Saving Water : The Benefits of Using a Water Tank

This is the second article in a 6 part series on Saving Water (see part 1 on ). Living in Sydney, Australia I’m acutely aware of the value of this precious resource.

Slimline tank, SydneyToday we’ll be looking at something for home-owners worldwide – the benefits of using a water tank. A rainwater tank, that is.

When I was growing up in Sydney there was no thought of restricting water use. It was common to see people watering their lawns in the evening, washing the car (with a high-pressure hose) on the weekend and standing under the cool, running water on a hot day.

In recent years (over the past decade or so), the idea has been gradually spreading that water is a valuable resource. This is particularly evident during periods of drought, when water restrictions are in place.
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Would You Buy An Electric Car

Last week, Scott Bird’s article on showed the advantages and disadvantages of electric cars. The first comment on the post was from a fellow who owns a ZAP and pointed out that a few of the cars on Scott’s list aren’t commercially available yet.

It got me thinking about what the consensus is about the viability of electric cars. Would you own one? The price of oil cracked $100 recently, then fell back to the mid $90’s and environmentalism is becoming more of the “in” thing.
how often do you eat salad
There’s still some minor drawbacks of course such as re-fueling them, their speed and range, but overall, if you live in a decent sized city, an electric car might just fit the bill.

It brings me to this weeks poll

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