Greywater Management Meaning and Methods Explained
Greywater management refers to a combination of methods and measures that are implemented for the efficient handling of greywater. This article discusses greywater management meaning and methods, according to the following outline;
-Greywater Management Meaning: 4 Ways to Define Greywater Management
Greywater Management Meaning: 4 Ways to Define Greywater Management
Greywater management is a term which is used to describe all measures that can be taken to maximize the value of domestic wastewater.
It can be argued that the aim of greywater management is to mitigate resource depletion and other environmental impacts of unsustainable water consumption [1].
Because these impacts also tend to affect the economy, greywater management can be described as a measure that helps to establish circular economy and facilitate sustainable development in the water management sector, through effective recycling and reuse of water without energy wastage or excessive consumption.
This perspective is further portrayed in the greywater management meaning below;
Greywater management is the implementation of effective schemes to establish sustainability in the handling of domestic wastewater through resource/energy conservation, energy efficiency, and reuse.
The above definition can be elaborated to state that greywater management is a means of mitigating environmental degradation and protecting the ecosystem.
Components/methods of greywater management are mentioned in the greywater management meaning below;
Greywater management is the efficient handling of domestic wastewater through collection, treatment, reuse, and disposal; to mitigate resource depletion, while conserving energy and water resources.
Lastly, some benefits of greywater management are outlined in the greywater management meaning below;
Greywater management is the implementation of measures to handle domestic wastewater in such a manner that helps conserve electricity, mitigate environmental degradation, and prevent water wastage.
Greywater Management Methods
Greywater management methods include; collection/isolation, treatment, reuse/recycling, and effective disposal.
Each of these is discussed briefly below;
1). Greywater Collection
Greywater collection or isolation is the physical segregation of greywater from the point(s) where it is produced, such as bathtubs, sinks and dishwashers.
Pipes can be used to facilitate the process of greywater collection. These pipes can be used to drain and transmit the water directly from its source(s), to its point(s) of use such as toilets and gardens where the greywater can be used for flushing or irrigation respectively.
A storage tank can be used to store excess greywater from the source, although long-term storage is not recommendable, to prevent buildup of pathogens in the water.
2). Greywater Treatment
Treatment is an important stage or method of greywater management.
In greywater treatment, the wastewater is subjected to any of various processes, to remove its contaminants and improve its quality. Such processes range from simple filtration to anaerobic digestion and even reverse osmosis [2].
The choice of a suitable treatment method for greywater is influenced by the level of desired purity, intended use, and available energy resources.
It is not always recommendable to use energy-intensive treatment methods, as this contradicts the objectives of greywater management, which include sustainability through energy conservation, energy efficiency, cost saving, and the mitigation of resource depletion.
3). Greywater Reuse
Reuse or recycling is last among the main methods of greywater management.
It signifies the use of greywater for any applicable purpose like flushing and irrigation. The choice of use is most influenced by the level of purity of the water.
4). Greywater Disposal
Disposal of greywater is only compulsory when the water is either unwanted, or excessively polluted for reuse.
Excessive pollution of greywater may include high pathogen content, and presence of biomass or sewage. Greywater from sources like dishwashers can be considered excessively polluted when they contain large amounts of both particulate and soluble organic materials, and cannot be easily improved through filtration.
Some form of treatment is still necessary before the water is released into the ecosystem as waste. This could be filtration and/or disinfection.
Greywater can be disposed in artificial wetlands or may be placed in reactors where their contaminants can be broken down naturally through biodegradation and other processes. The restoration of polluted greywater which has been disposed, is similar in mechanism and context, to the process of bioremediation.
Conclusion
Greywater management is the implementation of measures with the aim to optimize the value of domestic wastewater in such a manner that ensures environmental, economic and social sustainability.
Methods of greywater management are;
1. Collection
2. Treatment
3. Reuse
4. Disposal
References
1). Hassan, T.; Al-Anbari, R.; Obaidy, A. H. (2021). “Greywater Environmental Management: A Review.” IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 779(1):012100. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/779/1/012100. (Accessed 21 October 2022)..
2). Oliveira, T. M.; Benatti, C.; Tavares, C. R. G. (2020). “Pilot system of microfiltration and reverse osmosis membranes for greywater reuse.” Desalination and Water Treatment 201:13-19. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2020.26020. (Accessed 21 October 2022).
