Well electricity is theoretically more sustainable than gas, so electricity wins out there.

My guess would be that the amount of energy used to clean and transport water (and to maintain those systems) far outweighs any savings you might get from a grey water system or whatever.

i don’t really know what you mean by that second bit, mike. i’m getting a water meter fitted next month so re-using water will actully save me money and will save me use clearn drinking water on my beds.

so surely that would be better than me just swooshing it down the drain?

i live in the south east at the moment so i’m going to start taking more baths and using the water in my garden. but i’m going to have a problem avoiding soaps and shampoo - because i don’t think that’ll do my veg any favours - any suggestions for alternatives?

Showering using a modern electric ‘instant’ shower uses less than a bath in both terms of water usage and energy consumption.

You could also shower with the plug in the bath so as to re-use the water?

Why does shower water have to go down the plug hole? If its an “over the bath” shower like mine, rather than a shower cubicle the water will still end up being collected. Doesn’t solve the soaps, detergents and general bodily grime killing off your prize marrows though… :)

Hi Neil,

Yeah, I was thinking of those fancy people who have a separate shower cubicle.

We have an over-bath shower too and it sometimes scares me how much water we use up if we have a long shower with the plug in - especially when compared to the days before I had a shower at home and regularly had shallow baths. It makes me realise that the bath/shower dichotomy isn’t always that clean cut…

-louisa

If you want to be really green and if you’re not too stinky, you could share your bath water with a close friend/neighbour/work colleague and then use it on the garden afterways!

SaraR

Did I hear on the radio sometime that power showers are worse than baths?
Re soaps, etc, I saw a recipe for a hair rinse made from horsetail! I am currently using hemp oil soap which is nice. I need to sort myself out with a more natural shampoo though.

My sister captures her shower water by using a large flexible bucket, the kind of thing used by gardeners. She, like me, then uses the water to flush the toilet as well as plant watering. I save bath water, from the kids baths, and use that on the ornamentals and for washing the car. You should avoid using grey water on plants which you may eat, that may include things like nasturtium and day-lilies.

I have a stream in my backyard, so I got a water pump to get water from the stream for my plants. Well, actually, I haven’t done this as yet, but when I do, goodbye 20% of my water bill!

Well, depending on how long the shower is, the shower could be greener. And shower water can be reccled into flower beds too, Louisa!

You can cut down on your shower time like this. Turn the water on until you’re all wet. Turn it off. Soap yourself really good, shampoo your hair, whatever. Turn the water back on only until the soap/shampoo is all rinsed away.

For an alternative to shower gel that will be safer for your plants, have a look at Ecover shower gel - http://www.ecover.com/gb/en/Products/Body/20050708+douchegel+UK.htm.

Why not put the plug in the bath while you shower, then siphon the water out of the bath into a greywater water butt. A banbeater - http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/08/recycling_bath_1.php is useful for this.

Also, try taking a stopwatch into the shower with you. You are probably in there for a lot longer than you think.

to anyone who is thinking of taking water from their local stream please be aware that you do need an extraction licence to do this otherwise you cauld find yourself with an even bigger bill to pay. If you want to reuse your rain water look up the titan envireau. It reuses your rain water to flush your toilet and wash your clothes in your washing machine i can’t see why you can’t plumb your waste water from your bath, shower, basin and sink to go through its filtration system.