Gray Water Package Units from Brac Systems
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.29.07
It seems like only the day before yesterday we were talking about gray water recovery systems and how they are legal, and how that guy in Atlanta was talking through his hat.
Then we walk into Construct Canada and find Chris Thompson wrapped around a complete package unit available off-the-shelf right now, approved for use almost anywhere.
The Brac system includes "state-of-the-art components that filter used water from your shower, bath and laundry(*1), and then reuses it for your toilet’s evacuation system. The recycled water, which we will refer to as grey water, is strictly used for your toilet or for irrigation, and cannot get in your drinking-water system.
Foreign particles are filtered, so it is like using normal water, but without having to pay again, while also doing something effective for the environment. Furthermore, once integrated into your existing plumbing, the system operates seamlessly, so the only difference you will notice is on your water bill."
I asked Chris why they did not include the washing machine as a recommended connection; he said that the sinks and showers generally produce enough water to run the toilets and any excess will just go to the overflow.
I mentioned that in Atlanta there was a big need for landscaping water; he said that if that was the case it would make sense to have the biggest tank and connect the washer to it. He noted that you can also connect your downspouts to it and collect rainwater.
I also asked if the unit coloured the water; he said it is not necessary here, and that the unit could be set up to do so, and it also mildly chlorinates the water. (Faq's here)
So it is not pie-in-the-sky; for two thousand bucks you can have a complete package that is well resolved and relatively carefree, just clean the filter every three weeks and add a chlorine tablet every six. Anyone who has ever had a pool had a harder job. ::Brac Systems
Does that include the installation cost?
Can't wait until these system become standard in all new houses.
No reason not to. Some will say "cost", but not really if you actually take into account the real value of water and the price of new water treatment facilities.
I believe that the vast majority of the time, the sink output is graywater as well as long as you are using biodegradable soaps and cleaners and such...
This system takes a failsafe approach to handling graywater and only really mitigates the effect of flushing your toilets. All in all a nice system geared toward a semi-indifferent user, however efficiencies could be improved for someone willing to go the extra mile.
Here's another system that's available now...
http://www.gizmag.com/go/6810/
Grey water systems will work their way in to the national plumbing code no doubt.
www.equaris.com
www.equaris.com
The most expensive way to produce safe clean water is from seawater. It costs about 40 cents per cubic meter (or 4KWh of energy - see wiki).
Our average consumption is 500 litres per day.
That's half a cubic metre.
Or 20 cents per person per day.
Or $73 per year !
In a fair water market, this system could never pay for itself. It would destroy more resources than it claims to save.
Plus the house might not feel so hygienic.
This is a really cool idea, but $2k for that system.
That is a fairly large price for what looks like a tank and some pipes. I am willing to do all the installation myself, but justifying such enormous cost makes this product similar to Solar Panels. Great idea but just don't make fiscal sense.
I wish it was around $600-700 instead.
The Brac Greywater Recycling System is available in Atlanta and all of Georgia from Southern Energy Solutions, Marietta, Georgia.
On the Web: www.soenso.com
Are you interested in a UK distribution arrangement>