Sloan's AQUS greywater recycler

The tank of the unit is quite small; it fits neatly underneath the sink in a manner that is perfect for a home without a basement or room for a large, unsightly barrel. It holds up to 5.5 gallons of filtered sink water for toilet flushing use. If  the tank is full, that equates to roughly 3 flushes provided that you are using a highly efficient toilet (1.5 or 1.6 gpf). So unless you are washing your hands very often or for an extended length of time, the tank may not have enough water in it at one time to flush. You may find yourself unnecessarily running the tap just to have enough water in the tank to flush the toilet. This negates the plus of cutting out 100% of the water used by your toilet, because you are adding that amount to the water you use for hand washing.

A better solution to these problems would be to have a larger tank for storing filtered greywater, or having the water come from a different source that accumulates more wastewater (such as the shower or washing machine). Someone wanting to stop flushing with clean water altogether would have to purchase one system for as many toilets they have in the house: that can start to add up, at nearly $200 per system.

Our solution is, if you're up to the challenge, to simply to build your own. A DIY greywater filter is cheap, easy to build, and specifically tailored to your needs and the layout of the house.

Do you own one of these systems? Thinking of getting one? Tell us about it!

Works Cited: