Water Shortages - possible solution.

Billy from Pukekohe

It's all about saving water these days.

So why hasn't a manufacturer devised what should be a simple solution to collecting waste water/green water from household taps (Bathrooms/showers/baths/laundry - not toilets - kitchens, other wash-hand basins etc) which would be filtered before going into a holding tank outside the house/premises.This water could then be used to wash cars/vehicles, windows, water gardens, for water blasting etc. Even if say 50% of 'waste' water was diverted in this way, the rest (which would still be wasteful) would go into the waste water system. Obviously this would be necessary to flush through the waste water system, but if up to 50% of the waste water/green water could be re-used in this way, it would be a huge saving on the water supply as a whole.

Consider how much water is used and wasted on a daily basis, not just by normal households, but hotels, restaurants, sports facilities, stores/shops, public use areas eg libraries, schools, hospitals (for toilets, washing, refreshments etc) and the waste is enormous.

It could well be that larger facilities who use high volumes of water daily, and had holding tanks for this excess water, could pass this on, sell to the farming community for example or even sell back to the water authorities to be purified if/as necessary and re-purposed for other uses, possibly to the industrial sector.


I have posed this initial question to a few companies who supply all manner of water filter systems for water coming into the household, business premises and other premises, who discounted my thinking without any clear reason.

Obviously there would be the necessity for this water to be filtered out to a satisfactory health safety level, which could be overcome with the addition of purifying tablets/powder of an organic non toxic nature.

Suitable equipment of this nature should not be any more expensive than 'normal' water filtration systems, probably less, not having to 'tap into' outdoor or internal plumbing fixtures as such.

This would solve to a great extent the problems of water shortages in this and many other countries.

There must surely be many large, or small, plumbing companies/ water filter manufacturer or R&D companies who could create an extremely profitable business with something like this. I and many others would certainly welcome such a system as a very necessary part of our water-wise solutions. It would of course greatly help the profitability of these businesses and, local and international companies.
Another step also to helping 'the economy' and creating more jobs. Isn't it time local/national businesses, and even the Environmental agencies did something about this, before others get in on the act?
I have written to some local stores supplying water filter systems for water going into households, businesses etc and the Environmental Agency. Let's see what the response may be.

Yours sincerely,

William Ross