Gardening Tips – Drainage
Drainage tips when using greywater on your garden.
All greywater irrigation systems should be designed to ensure that greywater is not applied at rates which exceed the absorption capacity of the soil and the plants grown on it (AS/NZS 1547 2008, p 122). Care should be taken to ensure that the application rate does not lead to:
- Excess salt accumulation in the root zone during extended dry periods;
- Harmful long-term environmental effects to the soil of the land-application system or the adjacent surface water and groundwater
- Increased risk to public health from surface ponding within the land-application area or channeling or seepage beyond the land-application area.
Considerations are:
- greywater volume potentially available (L per person per day × number of people in the household)
- climate (incl. local rainfall)
- land fill
- groundwater
- erosion potential
- site shading
- soil conditions
- soil type/texture
- soil pH test
- slope
- design irrigation rate
- setback distances
- dwellings
- paths/hard surfaces
- swimming pools
- natural waterways
- land area available for greywater irrigation