I hear you on the greywater headaches. I tried a DIY shower-to-garden setup last summer, thinking it’d be a fun weekend project... but keeping the pipes clear and the smells at bay turned into a weekly chore. Rain barrels are just so much more forgiving—clean water, no mystery gunk, and my plants don’t seem to mind. Still, I keep tinkering with the idea of a better greywater system. Maybe there’s a sweet spot between “set it and forget it” and “full-time plumber”?
I get why folks lean toward rainwater harvesting—it’s simple, less to go wrong, and honestly, tenants don’t call me about it. But I wouldn’t write off greywater systems just because they need a bit more upkeep. In multi-unit buildings, the water savings from reusing shower or laundry water can be significant over time. The trick, I’ve found, is choosing the right filtration setup and making sure everyone in the building knows what *not* to send down the drain (no bleach, minimal soap, etc.).
You’re right that the maintenance can be a pain if you go DIY with cheap parts. I went through a stretch where I was unclogging lines every other week... until I invested in better filters and clear access points for cleaning. It’s not “set it and forget it,” but it’s manageable—kind of like changing HVAC filters regularly. If you’re already tinkering, maybe try a small test system with easy access for cleaning? Sometimes the headaches are more about design than the concept itself.
Here’s what’s worked for me over the years:
- Rainwater is dead simple—just clean the gutters and tanks a couple times a year. Tenants barely notice it.
- Greywater’s a different beast. You’re right, the filter setup makes or breaks it. I learned the hard way after a tenant dumped paint water down the drain... not fun.
- If you go greywater, label everything and give tenants a cheat sheet on what’s safe. Saves headaches later.
- For multi-units, the savings add up, but only if you’re ready to check filters and lines regularly. Not quite “set it and forget it,” but manageable if you build it right from the start.
Honestly, I’d do rainwater for lawns and greywater for toilets if I had to pick both. Just depends how much time you want to spend tinkering.
Rainwater’s definitely the easier win, but I gotta push back a bit on the “dead simple” part. Maybe it’s just my luck, but every time I think the gutters are clean, a squirrel decides to build a nest up there or some mystery gunk shows up in the tank. I swear, rainwater systems attract weird problems like my dog attracts mud.
Greywater, though... yeah, it’s more high maintenance, but I’ve actually found it less hassle for lawns than rainwater. Maybe because I’m not as worried about keeping it pristine? Plus, if you’re dealing with tenants who can’t tell the difference between drain cleaner and dish soap, you’re in for a wild ride either way.
If I had to choose, I’d probably just stick with rainwater for everything and skip greywater unless I was feeling extra ambitious. Less labeling, fewer “what is this smell?” moments. But hey, maybe that’s just me being lazy...
Greywater, though...
I hear you on the squirrel nests—last fall I pulled out half a bird’s nest and some weird black sludge from my downspout. Rainwater’s not always “dead simple,” that’s for sure. But with greywater, I’ve had tenants dump bleach down the laundry drain and kill off half my backyard clover overnight. You mentioned lawns—are you filtering your greywater at all before it hits the grass, or just letting it flow straight? Curious if that helps cut down on the weird smells.
