Using Grey water on vegetables

[umterp1999]

This summer we are growing tomatoes, cucumbers, blueberries and basil.  I have been watering them with water pulled from the dehumidifier.  I then did some research and some people say this water could potentially be dirty, and shouldn't be used to water edibles.  Some say its ok if it doesnt touch the fruit, some say it's ok if you wash the fruit, some say avoid completely.  How do mustachians feel about this?

[Miss Piggy]

I can't imagine you're getting a whole lot of water from a dehumidifier. What exactly is the issue here--is it the cost of water?

Would it really cost you that much to use fresher water instead? I mean, really, why take the chance? Maybe the research is bogus, but maybe it's not. Better safe than sorry, even if it costs a little?

[umterp1999]

You're probably right...i get about 2.5 gallons a day.  I'm just hate wasting anything.  But my rationale side agrees with you.

[Uturn]

I would assume that water from a dehumidifier is closer to potable than it is to grey.  The hose on my dehumidifier runs to the garden, has for years.  I also water my veggies from runoff water from my gutters.  I don't do this to save money, I do it to have a use for water that would otherwise serve no purpose.

How is tap water fresher than water pulled out of the air? 

[GuitarStv]

I would assume that water from a dehumidifier is closer to potable than it is to grey.  The hose on my dehumidifier runs to the garden, has for years.  I also water my veggies from runoff water from my gutters.  I don't do this to save money, I do it to have a use for water that would otherwise serve no purpose.

How is tap water fresher than water pulled out of the air?

Tap water is treated to remove bacteria and fungus.  Stuff that's sitting around in a bucket under a dehumidifier is prone to these things.

While I wouldn't recommend drinking it, dehumidifier water should be great for a garden.

[Sibley]

Well, considering that human and animal solid waste has been used as a fertilizer for a very long time and the human race is still in existence, I suspect you're fine. I wouldn't drink dehumidifier water, but I also use it to water plants sometimes. Just wash your produce before you use it, which should be standard practice anyway.

You could/should also clean the reservoir. I know mine tends to grow mold, so I sometimes pour in a little bleach.

[Prairie Stash]

I can't imagine you're getting a whole lot of water from a dehumidifier. What exactly is the issue here--is it the cost of water?

Would it really cost you that much to use fresher water instead? I mean, really, why take the chance? Maybe the research is bogus, but maybe it's not. Better safe than sorry, even if it costs a little?

2.5 gallons in my area is about 2.5 cents, over a 3 month period it works out to $2.25. Obviously its not just about the money, I'm sure the OP knows how little it is.

Its a reasonable question, what to do with water instead of flushing it.  Apply to the base of plants, not on the fruit, and it'll be great. If in doubt just use it in the early season and stop 2-3 weeks before you eat the vegetables, pour the water on something else that needs it. Personally I have strawberries that still require water after they're done fruiting, perfect for late season, while peas/cucumbers require water in the early season.

Its really not much different than a rain barrel, rain is also pulled from the air.

[ysette9]

Since my area is suffering from a big drought I have been taking buckets of water that drain from the washing machine and pouring it all over my garden, dirty soap bubbles and all. Maybe this is a terrible idea but so far things are going well. Last year I got great tomatoes that were watered daily from my baby's old bath water. That came with all sorts of interesting extra fertilizer. :)

[Uturn]

My granny had a hose from her clothes washer out to the yard.  30 years and I've never seen any side effects other than part of the yard got more water that the rest.

I really wish we would deal with so called waste water more effectively.   I once calculated the my a/c puts 20 gals per day down the drain, then I pay the city to filter that water, add chlorine and fluoride,  and sell it back to me to water my plants.  My roof runoff is around 1000 gals per inch of rain.  This too eventually gets to a water treatment facility then sold back to me to water my yard.  I would love to have a big ass cistern in my yard to catch all of this water.  City code only allows me on 55 gallon rain barrel per downspout. 

[banjarian]

I used dehumidifier water to water potted vegetables inside for a long time with no issues. Maybe consider giving the bucket a scrub once in a while?

Even if you decide not to use it on veggies, is there anything else on your property that could benefit from some extra water? I have some household byproducts that get recycled into different parts of the yard/garden; even the ones that aren't appropriate for food plants can still end up on a flower bed or something.

[merula]

My roof runoff is around 1000 gals per inch of rain.  This too eventually gets to a water treatment facility then sold back to me to water my yard.

I read that and was astounded. How big is your roof!?!?!

But then I did the math and since 1 cubic inch = 0.004329 gal and 1 square inch = 0.0069 square feet, we're only talking around a 1,600 sq ft roof. Which isn't unmustachian assuming it's only one floor.

[Catbert]

For the past 6 years I've used washing machine water to water my veggie garden.  No problems so far.  While it doesn't bother me I could see someone worrying aobut root veggies with grey water.  But humidifier water wouldn't bother me at all.

[TheAnonOne]

I can't imagine you're getting a whole lot of water from a dehumidifier. What exactly is the issue here--is it the cost of water?

Would it really cost you that much to use fresher water instead? I mean, really, why take the chance? Maybe the research is bogus, but maybe it's not. Better safe than sorry, even if it costs a little?

2.5 gallons in my area is about 2.5 cents, over a 3 month period it works out to $2.25. Obviously its not just about the money, I'm sure the OP knows how little it is.

Its a reasonable question, what to do with water instead of flushing it.  Apply to the base of plants, not on the fruit, and it'll be great. If in doubt just use it in the early season and stop 2-3 weeks before you eat the vegetables, pour the water on something else that needs it. Personally I have strawberries that still require water after they're done fruiting, perfect for late season, while peas/cucumbers require water in the early season.

Its really not much different than a rain barrel, rain is also pulled from the air.

The average water cost in the US is $1.50 for ONE THOUSAND GALLONS or 15% of 1 cent per gallon.

Where do you live???

[Choices]

Here's an article on whether the laundry detergent residue is harmful to your garden, which is controversial. If you're worried, you could always make your own--lots of good DIY recipes out there--or try soap nuts.

https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/laundry-and-cleaning/washing-machines/articles/using-greywater

[Syonyk]

Dehumidifier water isn't grey water.

It's closer to distilled water.

Grey water is shower/laundry/sink water.

At least in the terms I know...

[Rural]

That's not gray water. No problem. Scrub the bucket if it molds - that will be good for your air as well as your veggies.


we all let it rain on our gardens...

[Rezdent]

I think that greywater should be used much more than it is because it is wasteful to dump it into sewers. Local regulations can get in the way, though.

Here's a link to a book that I like:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.com/Create-Oasis-Greywater-Choosing-Building/dp/0964343398&ved=0ahUKEwi51r374ObNAhUJ5iYKHeapD3IQFghHMAg&usg=AFQjCNEkDB9v5zyoqrVV_8tL-FGnLruViA

From the Publisher: Greywater is laundry, shower, sink, and dishwater. It may be reused for other purposes, especially landscape irrigation. Create an Oasis with Greywater thoroughly covers all greywater basics.

[Jim2001]

+1 for using the de-humidifier water on the plants.

In California, things have gotten a little better for grey water enthusiasts (see http://www.thegreywaterguide.com/california.html).

I've plumbed my washing machine output to water the yard and fill a rain barrel for later use.  I've lost seven trees (four of them over 60 feet tall) in the last four years to drought and bark beetles, so needed to do something without running afoul of the water use restrictions.  I was quickly amazed at how much water a load of laundry produces.

 

[Cpa Cat]

I wouldn't spray my lettuce with roof runoff, or baby bath water, or humidifier water, or dish water - but trees, blueberries, tomatoes? It's not like bacteria is going to crawl up out of the soil, up the plant and onto the fruit. And if it was going to - there's plenty of bacteria and fungus in the soil already.

Cucumbers and basil, I might be more careful about. Primarily, because full-grown cucumbers often rest on the ground and I don't peel mine, and I don't normally wash (or cook) my basil before using it.

[Sjalabais]

We have a well and during dry spells I use bathing water, soapy and gooey as it is, in the garden. Honestly, I haven't noticed any adverse reactions by plant or animal life. When it rains again after these dry spells, I pull water from an opening/spring uphilland flood the garden though.

[Prairie Stash]

I can't imagine you're getting a whole lot of water from a dehumidifier. What exactly is the issue here--is it the cost of water?

Would it really cost you that much to use fresher water instead? I mean, really, why take the chance? Maybe the research is bogus, but maybe it's not. Better safe than sorry, even if it costs a little?

2.5 gallons in my area is about 2.5 cents, over a 3 month period it works out to $2.25. Obviously its not just about the money, I'm sure the OP knows how little it is.

Its a reasonable question, what to do with water instead of flushing it.  Apply to the base of plants, not on the fruit, and it'll be great. If in doubt just use it in the early season and stop 2-3 weeks before you eat the vegetables, pour the water on something else that needs it. Personally I have strawberries that still require water after they're done fruiting, perfect for late season, while peas/cucumbers require water in the early season.

Its really not much different than a rain barrel, rain is also pulled from the air.

The average water cost in the US is $1.50 for ONE THOUSAND GALLONS or 15% of 1 cent per gallon.

Where do you live???

Did you read the article on water costs or just the headline? I include water, sewer and infrastructure rates which are all based on water use. The cost of my water is much lower; just like most cities.

[BudgetSlasher]

My roof runoff is around 1000 gals per inch of rain.  This too eventually gets to a water treatment facility then sold back to me to water my yard.

I read that and was astounded. How big is your roof!?!?!

But then I did the math and since 1 cubic inch = 0.004329 gal and 1 square inch = 0.0069 square feet, we're only talking around a 1,600 sq ft roof. Which isn't unmustachian assuming it's only one floor.

your math inspire me to do the math for my roof . . . in an average year 66,440 gallons of water fall on the roof.

[jacksonvasey]

Gray water with detergent mixed in is full of phosphates, which tend to be good fertilizer for plants.  Phosphates and nitrates (i.e. runoff from overfertilized lawns) end up in ponds and lakes, contributing to algae blooms, so you don't want to overdo it with gray water runoff if your yard drains to a lake or pond.

If anyone is bored, you should look up EarthShips.  They harvest rain water, and use it for showers and laundry.  The shower drains directly into an indoor garden bed, usually in a greenhouse connected to the house.  The garden bed sucks up the nutrients, and the mostly-purified water gets pumped into the toilet tank.  Once the toilet flushes, it runs outside to basically a leach field to grow vegetation.  Pretty cool stuff.

[electriceagle]

My understanding has always been that water with detergent in it tends to be alkaline, and that repeated application of such water can cause alkalinity to build up in the soil, making it bad for plants. Is this wrong?

[Sjalabais]

You can counter that with, say, coffee grounds. The coffeine will also deter snails for a day or two.