Laundry Greywater System

Last week, a friend set up my clothes washer so that the greywater can be filtered into any of my garden beds or backyard. I was so excited about this project! It's good for the environment; reduces need to water plants; and is cheap, fast and easy to do. I'm so happy I'm green! Here's how it works:

The black pipe on the left above is the existing drain that goes into the sewer system, and previously the only outlet I had. My friend hooked up a parallel piece of PVC, so that I can manually switch from the sewer to a line hooked to a hose, that I can then point to a garden bed.

All I have to do to switch from one to the other is lift the tubing out, and place it in the alternate line.

There's even a coupling so that if the tube ever gets clogged, when it hits a certain level the water will overflow into the sewer line.

The white PVC line is simply connected to a garden hose

Which then drains wherever it is placed--like my tufty grassed yard.

Since we used hose I already had, the total cost for the materials was around $15. I think it took my friend under an hour, including shopping. I'm counting on this to save my yard and lessen my water bills!

What quick solutions for home improvements have you tested and found useful? Please leave a comment on the blog.