Grey Water Systems: Shower, Bathroom Sink, and Laundry Conversion!

This update to the Epic Homestead is the one I'm MOST excited about, because I'll now be watering my citrus hedge with mostly shower and bathroom sink water, and the artichoke patch near the house will be watered primarily with laundry water! This is more of the process video, I'll film another addressing common questions!
0:00 - Project Overview
1:48 - Shower Plumbing Breakdown
4:37 - Shower Greywater Trenches
5:35 - Surprise Salamander
6:00 - Rotohammering Trench
7:11 - Laundry Greywater Trench
8:48 - Shower Valve Installed
9:15 - Shower Test
10:04 - Finishing Touches
11:28 - Laundry Valve Explanation
11:52 - Shower Switch
IN THIS VIDEO
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[@epichomesteading]

What questions do you have about these systems? I'll answer them all in a follow-up video 💦💦💦

[@morganpresley496]

what do you need to look for in laundry/shower/cleaning products to make sure they're safe for your plants?

[@TheVeteranDavid]

My same question. Does the mulch and fill filter the water? What will you fill the basins near the citrus trees?

[@michaelagibbs9695]

Is there a chance you could overwater your trees?

[@isoldefrancis2688]

Do you know if this grey water use is legal in all of California or does the authority lies with the Counties? I had people give me conflicting information and I just would like to be sure.

[@Smacsek]

Does the mulch in the basins eventually ya r to be dug out and replaced as it breaks down?

[@lucasbronstein8165]

If you haven't already, please make sure to transition to garden safe soap and install a microfiber filter so the polyester fibers from your clothes don't leach into the plants!

[@robjenkins494]

What are some good grey-water shower soaps?

[@tamtam4049]

@@robjenkins494 Aubrey Organics Shampoo. Aubrey organics Conditioner. Alaffia Face Cleanser. Dr. Bronners's Pure-Castile Soap.

[@DLlama]

I was wondering about that. Tide-flavored artichokes and Irish Spring citrus sounds...not delicious.

[@DLlama]

⁠@@tamtam4049Just Googled it and Aubrey Organics was acquired by Nutraceutical International Corporation about five years ago. Some say the formula changed so do your research before using

[@AsTheWheelsTurn]

very good comment.We re-use out washing machine water to water trees and grass but it is a very crude system, basically just dumps out into the center of the back yard thru a pipe I played underground from the washer. we for sure have issue with clothing fibers especially right around where the water exits, it looks ugly just creates an area with lint stuck to the lawn. we do use bio safe plant based detergent and that works well, so far after 15 years of doing this the grass is still thriving and it doesn't get all sudsy looking out there. maybe I will change to a little different system with a filter to get rid of the lint that collects on the grass around the outlet! I wish everyone around here would try to re-use even just some of their grey water, we are in phoenix and water is getting increasingly limited and expensive.

[@sparkasaurusdonna]

Thank you for wearing shoes that covered your toes when working with the jackhammer (once a mother, always a mother! I feel protective of my youtubers). Way to go Jacques!

[@epichomesteading]

I almost left the sandals on 😂

[@jokesonu6369]

Need a mask too. Don't want to get silicosis

[@arifali6762]

So sweet a mom’s comment

[@zaderq1]

@@epichomesteadingshould wear closed toe shoes and pants the whole time

[@Toodle.Pipp001]

Every house should be like this. Zero waste all the way! 💚

[@josdesouza]

The environment obliges. A no-brainer.

[@Mike__B]

@Zachary Chenoweth Out of curiosity, where does the waste water go? Does it get treated and then "dumped" back into the aquifer.

[@stefan514]

Actually many cities (at least in germany, but the problem should be the same) have huge problems with sewage systems not being used enough (as once speced) because people conserve water. As a result the systems don't work well anymore and stuff (no further comments ;)) isn't moved through the system correctly and settles in the pipes. The normal fix is, that the cities use huge amounts of water to flush the sewage systems. So in the end no one really wins.

[@Luckingsworth]

@@stefan514 Wow that's interesting never really thought of that. I think it makes sense for more rural area where people use septic tanks anyway but for the city and large suburbs obviously It has negative consequences.

[@la24dogg21]

@@stefan514 another reason why I don't understand why the hell I still wanna save water and Doo aquapinics and all this crud because the rich noooo mater what are eventually gonna be saving every last drop they can if they ain't already. Then when they take as much as they can to space all the homeless can take there old property's....... O wait by that time they will have ak robots standing gard every one sooooo never mind they can do an digdiggieholehole and go F off sadly...

[@shinsanhughes629]

Kevin, there are so many people asking questions about soaps and detergents affecting plant growth that I think you may have to devote a vid purely to address that particular problem. You might also check out the use of reed beds as a way of treating your grey water before directing it to the garden. A chain of several second-hand bathtubs installed in-ground can be used for this purpose as they would be easy to maintain.

[@melissasullivan1658]

Ooooh, reed beds as a filter sounds fancy. I would definitely be up for a video on that!

[@shinsanhughes629]

@@melissasullivan1658 Not just fancy, Melissa, but they can be productive food-wise too. For example, Kang Kong, also known as water spinach, and perhaps the fastest growing plant on the planet can be grown in them, as can several other edible plants.

[@epichomesteading]

Yes I def have to, I can't answer them all individually

[@katiecardone9557]

Yes please do!! Cause this is awesome but I was wondering about soaps and detergents the entire video.

[@shinsanhughes629]

@@katiecardone9557 Katie, There are quite a number of detergents, soaps and shampoos on the market that can be used. (For laundry powder/liquid choose one that is phosphate free as well as bio-degradable.) Using a reed-bed filter is an excellent addition to a grey-water system to remove residues, often along with heavy metals. If you have the space, (and I realise many people don't,) a series of 2 or 3 bathtubs can be linked together to make a good system. Check out the use of Duckweed as it is an excellent filter medium.

[@matthysloedolff]

For such a large property, every drop of water saved makes a difference. Well done! Also, well done Jacques for doing so much hard work!

[@nenemaria-cornfieldsgarden]

Such a great idea, especially for your hot, dry environment. Certainly an improvement on dumping the washing up bowl in the flower bed like my Granny has always done ;) Even in the UK where my garden is a bog half the year we still get drought conditions/hose pipe bans in summer, it's important for us all to look at how we can utilise our precious water more efficiently.

[@epichomesteading]

Couldn't agree more!

[@joedecook]

When going under walkways, I usually put a much larger pipe in, as a conduit. That way, if you ever need to run more pipes or irrigation wiring, etc, you only have to dig out the ends.

[@shinsanhughes629]

Very practical suggestion Joe.

[@theresaanndiaz3179]

Very impressive. Last year, we had to replace a lot of our plumbing ( the house was built in 1946) and I wish we had thought about doing it then. Jacques is quite the Jacques of all trades, you are lucky to know him.

[@epichomesteading]

Bahahaha love the pun

[@Riverrockphotos]

I'm thinking I could do this with my washer pretty easily even it only pumps out onto the lawn.

[@hoperules8874]

@@Riverrockphotos I have found it helpful (even using the bio-safe soap) to pump the washer water into two bins first. One to act as a primary sediment filter going through many layers of furnace filters that cover many scrubbie pads (i used plastic ones, but copper is an option-the point is to also aerate to prevent anaerobic growth). The next filter was a mini peat bog that had water cress or horse tail or reeds in it. That stage removes heavy salts that some plants would not be able to tolerate (especially over time). Now, we had a third tank that was the holding tank until scheduled watering. It was a cattle trough with feeder goldfish a tank heater in winter but most importantly a solar powered/backup battery fountain. It had several plants in it as well. We had zero mosquitos and zero probs with plants. A solar powered timer & drip irrigation fed from there. *there was a quarantine bucket for new plants to sit and soak their nursery soil off their roots and it was innoculated with quite a few really good strains of mycelia-must've worked--the yard was stuffed with planters with really happy plants--and the normal temps were between 101-114*F daily for months Even strawberries! Good luck to you! edited: typo

[@hoperules8874]

O! Just saw this one which is a little different than mine because it has a grease trap & that is a great idea and lowers system maintenance. He has a catch basin with worms, but our composting & worms were separate to protect against fire ants invading. We also did this on a family house with kiddos so our water volumes were probably way too high to use his style.

[@randlyo1]

Y husband did this for our shower and washing machine and honestly I wish we had the money to do this for every sink in the house!!! It makes so much sense and is a great motivator to switch to more sustainable and bio-friendly soaps and such.

[@epichomesteading]

I wish I could have done it to the kitchen sink!

[@randlyo1]

@@epichomesteading Right!?

[@shinsanhughes629]

@@epichomesteading In Oz water from a kitchen sink is not considered grey water and must be directed to the sewerage system. Apart from that we are installing a grey water system for our laundry, two showers and all hand basins and floor drains in laundry and bathrooms. Luckily the son of the previous owners of the house had begun installing the same system but after stopping when he found it was actually illegal to do left all the unused pipes in place (thus saving us quite a few dollars.)

[@katiehemstreet8939]

Talk about a busy day! I'm proud of myself when I dig a hole to get a single tree in the ground.

[@roseannekinney6942]

Me, too!!

[@xanderkane2953]

Jaques needs a raise! Haha sweet set up guys!

[@Lauradicus]

On the soap/detergent/cleansers issues: Grey water is safe for your garden. Grey water doesn’t contain chemicals, black water does. So if you are using detergent or cleansers “flip your switch” to black water. Soap is safe. Detergent isn’t. Biodegradable is best. Products with microbeads should be avoided at all costs. More difficult to avoid is products with essential oils but important because of the VOC contents. Your plants can tolerate most of them but some can cause damage. It’s a lot of research to do and I find it easiest to completely avoid EOs.

[@rfldss89]

Thanks for the info, that's definitely the question most people were asking themselves :)

[@Christodophilus]

In Australia, black water is from the toilet, so contains fecal matter. Grey water, is tap water from sinks.

[@Mr77caprice]

Black water is not chemical, it is fecal. You can not have feces going into the ground. Black water is from the toilet, grey water is everything except toilet water. Because water coming from the toilet has feces. The toilet does not release chemicals. Unless someone uses drop in toilet bowl cleaners, that should not be used anyway.

[@Lauradicus]

@@Mr77caprice “You cannot have fecal matter going into the ground” ?!? Oops, better tell all the birds and mammals and reptiles they aren’t allowed to poop on the ground anymore. (Sorry, you set yourself up for that one.) Actually fecal matter is safe once it has composted down to its individual components.

[@DrewDubious]

Yeah this isn't correct.

[@jezica624]

Thank you for doing your part in saving so much water! 🌎

[@beardfootofficial]

I had a system at my last house and grew the most epic blackberries I've ever seen. all the neighbors would come by with their kids and pick them. I miss it.

[@cozmicxcruz]

I have to preface this by saying I had never subscribed to anything on KZbin before I found your videos. I only ever use KZbin to learn how to do something or music. I found your main channel during the beginning of the pandemic when I was trying to learn how to grow microgreens(which I'm pretty good at now partially thanks to your video). I've watched a lot of instructional videos and you are one of the most eloquent, straight-forward, and entertaining teachers on KZbin. You're up there with the best of them when it comes to teaching, you're very knowledgeable and it shows because you're able to break it down in simple ways. I know I'm hooked because I'm watching this video that isn't even relevant to me but you actually have me following along your journey! I just had to let you know as I think it's a pretty big deal that you're the first person I've ever subscribed to and I'm pretty sure this is my first ever KZbin comment lol It's dope to see your journey and I wish you the best of luck, I'm rooting for you! Keep on doing what you do man and enjoy every moment of it because you got an awesome draw of the cards and life is short! The cool videos I see on your channel are making me get obsessed with gardening(need a dragonfruit cactus ASAP) lol May our paths be destined to cross one day. 🤝

[@rebeccabenson6922]

Yaaay Brooke!!! Good to see you getting some recognition on utube ❤️👏. Hey public, she gives classes to teach you how to do this yourself, as well as reclaim rainwater.... Big fun as well! 👍

[@KatarinaClaire]

Another excellent addition to the homestead! MAJOR kudos to Jacques, that was a LOT of digging. Thank you for taking us on another informative tour. It's so invigorating and inspiring to see the many ways you're making your home more sustainable and efficient!

[@jackmartin4737]

So cool! I work in the pool industry and we use those Jandy 3-way valves and Actuators all day! Cool to see that being put to use for the garden!!!

[@joshuamc96]

Your soil is looking better every time you dig compared to when you first moved in! That salamander was probably loving life under the pot, perfect moisture and humidity with lots of delicious worms and bugs for it to eat! 😂

[@mauradonahue9647]

Im really proud of the work you've accomplished. You're doing awesome things. And Jacques is too of course.

[@TheAdhdGardener]

What a great idea! Nice way to use up that H20

[@shamancarmichael5305]

Amazing system, beautiful sunset, awesome Jacques, brave Brooke for working under the house (shudder)! A great day on the Epicstead!

[@anthonyshea5946]

Up in Oregon- some municipalities have ordinances against grey water use due to detergents. But it’s really common outside city limits. Grew up with ours watering our orchard.

[@epichomesteading]

The ordinances are so odd to me!

[@jujube2407]

@@epichomesteading I wondered how your shampoo and soap would affect your plants?

[@CherryxBlossomxMist]

@@epichomesteading Rules that were often designed many years ago when most soaps and laundry detergents contained sulfates (I think) which caused all sorts of problems up the chain, Lower oxygenation causing algae bloom, fish kills, etc. Those nasty chemicals also eventually made it back down the chain into the aquifer, right back into your house and irrigated crops. This is my understanding as a layperson of the science behind those rules.

[@peep3616]

@@CherryxBlossomxMist Great info! I wonder if Castille and other SLS-free soaps are fine to use?

[@eugsmiley]

@@CherryxBlossomxMist Phosphates. You'll notice on the back of most laundry detergent that it says "Phosphate Free".

[@grandpaslakehouse-homestea6113]

We have been planning a future grey water system and I never even thought about bleach cleaners. I three way is now added to the plan. Thank you.

[@SheplerStudios]

This gives me a lot of ideas! I have a whirlpool tub I seldom use due to the large amount of water it takes, this gives me a reason to use it more! Thanks.

[@cindycash1772]

💚 always wanted to do this... yeah Jock (sorry if I misspelled your name) you're a good man !!! Glad to see Brooke with your know how !!! Great job everyone !!! Love your videos of the new Epic Garden !!! Blessings...

[@MrKim-kv2vv]

I never had luck with citrus! Well, actually I did once. I planted an orange tree and grew into a large lemon producing tree... Usually I collect my dish water and pour in a plastic 1/2 wine barrel outside. Then use the water for watering plants.

[@AZHighlandHomestead]

I’ve been wanting to do this with my shower water for a decade, since we lived east of you in Spring Valley, CA. This looks awesome. Congrats!

[@melaniegonzalezart8506]

Shout out to Jacque, Brooke. Epic indeed!!! I enjoy the nerdy homesteading projects. Good luck with the new build.

[@hollybacon3172]

Way too go!!! I have a makeshift washer grey water system, cant wait to do the bath and sink!

[@SonOfAGun1814]

citrus like deep infrequent water. a good flood once every 7-10 days and like to dry out in between

[@KerriGilpin]

That’s awesome! A Ton of physical labor but for the life of your plants and the environment: priceless!

[@nlcpope]

So appreciate Jacque! Many hands make light work! Great job you guys!!

[@LindsayHaven]

I watched this one twice because I'm so interested in this topic and excited to see how this works out for you!

[@hhwippedcream]

Thank you Brook and Kevin! So valuable in CA and unfortunately in many other places right now!

[@rancisgamer]

Don't forget to label the switch and laundry lever. 4 months later you will wake up and forget the same way your mind plays tricks on if you locked the front door or garage or iron or (insert what your brain plays games with here) 😄

[@epichomesteading]

💯

[@anthonymullins5916]

@@epichomesteading No need for that, you've got a video record of it now! 😉

[@carrieraupp757]

In the laundry room I noticed that the pipes were color coded for quick visual reminder

[@judywilder3243]

I was thinking the same thing! LOL. But if you paint the outlet cover bottom half gray, that is a cool solution

[@theryanwitski]

Been researching this for months! Glad to see it done now!

[@christopherbaby3842]

Finally!! Been waiting for this one!

[@practicalgardening4631]

When drilling into a dwelling you want to have a bit of an angle going up so that water drips out/can’t enter the house. Even though you seal this is important .

[@chrisinmarin415]

I want a garden hermit. ‘J’ rocks, you 2 are a great team.

[@noheanaka]

Gotta love a friend who isn't afraid to pick up a shovel. Go Jacque!!!

[@kentvandervelden]

This is absolutely epic! Have wanted to do something like this for a long time. Thanks for showing your system.

[@melatn]

This is great. Everything you're doing to capture and save water 💧 is so important. Wish we could all do that

[@TurtleColonel]

Kevin I really appreciate these videos. Helps me train up and learn before getting my own homestead. Cheers!

[@tobias-holub]

Shoutout to Jaques! Love all the teamwork and mutual respect in these projects!

[@suekuly4723]

What an awesome system.

[@GCaF]

Love the recycling! Amazing job Kevin!! Maybe make sure you cover the bathroom switch with some waterproof materials, steam from the showers and even droplets of water aren't gonna be friendly to it...

[@epichomesteading]

Good call!

[@clairemcconway6266]

@@epichomesteading maybe you could re-route the wire up into the inside of your under-sink cabinet and put the switch inside :-)

[@anniecash1933]

Loved this! Been looking at setting up a grey water system but have been scared to tackle because I wasn’t sure how I’d go about doing it. This video helped me understand what I need to do now!

[@kaileyhuckaby8825]

That was the coolest idea! That’s giving me so many ideas for water saving in my home! Love the set up. Keep putting these kind of videos up 👍🏻

[@garyhovey9305]

Super cool idea! So smart to turn shower water into useful garden water!

[@daniellelady27]

Loveee the water system. So cool.

[@charlsdulos]

This is the best grey water management system I've ever seen so far. Thanks so much.

[@heatherdalton8698]

I have started looking into greywater use. Thank you so much for this video! It inspires me to do more!!!

[@soralaexploradora]

Brooke and Jacque are great friends to have! I didn’t even know this was a possibility. Very economical~ 👍🏽👍🏽

[@just1voice994]

Thank you awsome idea for a clip. Iv been wanting to do something like this, it’s like you read my mind. You da man

[@lilacmoonbeam2988]

Props to Jaques! His help has helped make the Epic Homestead truly EPIC

[@epichomesteading]

Very true, he's been amazing to have on the team

[@leoalcaraz6153]

I did not know this was a thing so glad you posted this I’m going see about doing this at my home

[@breanicapereira]

YEASSSSSSSSSSS. Ive been telling my husband about you and your amazing lifestyle that Im trying to get him on board with! HUGEEEE FAN!

[@auniciasharpe7293]

This is sooooo excellent! This is what I'd like to do - urban self-sufficiency!!! Thank you for doing this so that we can learn!!!

[@Randarax]

So cool! Irrigation is one of the the features of the Epic Homestead I am the most curious about!

[@journeyoflovelight]

In one day...WOW.. Im tired just thinking about the work.. Thanks for the info.. Its very interesting. -Melanie

[@PatriciasPrimerJardin]

An exceptional way to save money and water💧Jacques and Brooke👏👏👏

[@eandrgoodwin]

I doubt he's saving any money. Municipal water is really cheap. Even in San Diego area, I'd be surprised if he was paying more than a penny a gallon! It's going to take a LOOOOONG time to reach the point of payback on the systems he just installed in this video! But then, he's doing these things for the principles, not to save money! (As any Tesla Model S or X owner will confess!)

[@susanturner9023]

Jacq is appreciated. Awesome reuse of gray water! Great stuff! ✌🏻❤️

[@preshussunshine]

You're giving me so many ideas to become more self sufficient and you're in my state makes me proud. Thanks for sharing the knowledge

[@epichomesteading]

🙏

[@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920]

You've really created something wonderful 👍

[@lauricejennings8825]

Well done!

[@trini18alday]

This was super helpful! Thank you so much.

[@kanedaku]

This stuff is so fascinating.

[@erikaskaar]

Hooray hoorah, thank you so much Jacques!

[@olivergarcia2459]

Great Job Kevin keep up the good work and keep on growing

[@chonichon07]

Kevin selling bath water coming soon 👉👈 😏

[@epichomesteading]

LOL

[@minhasentertainment8479]

That's alot of work done in 1 day. Great job

[@SamundraDarion]

Thanks for digging Jacques

[@majoyap3403]

Hands down to Jacques...he's been with Kevin every time he build anything with his own hands. It's nice to have someone to help you

[@katharinavonborcke4144]

This is so cool. Thanks for sharing!

[@jordycorvers7465]

it takes some planning and defenitely there are some costs involved. but I have to say. from a water saving standpoint. this makes a Big difference! considering the climate where you live this will be a big benefit for the plants and trees. Also an important motivator to really keep you pipes "clean" as in not flooding them with harmful chemicals.

[@carlosmaldonado9510]

Great system

[@CJ-zx4zt]

love it!!!! thankd again for a great video

[@aurelia4297]

this is so cool....im definitely getting this once i get my own house

[@heatherjolly8389]

I love that your homestead is an average sized property it's neat to see what can be accomplished.

[@samsmith7242]

Soooo cool! thank you for sharing the whole process :)

[@laurafedora5385]

My lemon tree really sulked when I first brought it home. Hopefully your trees will perk up! Great idea about using the grey water! PS good job to both you guys, that looks like hard work!

[@leeannmillet8215]

Cool idea

[@fignewton0000]

Thank you Jacque

[@brewskimckilgore6796]

excellent work jacques couldnt have done it without ya

[@alongley521]

This is a phenomenal video. Very informative. Thank you!

[@terrellroederer]

I cannot wait to be able to do this to my home one day.

[@TininessMonster]

I Just keep sharing your video to my husband and telling him next house project 😂. Jacque 👏👏👏 you are the best!!

[@normanbabbitt8876]

I feel you Jacques, did skilled construction labor in orange beach condos, a work out at a job is rewarding but rough. Thanks for the ideas as always kevin ☺️

[@rivertam7827]

This is a very cool system. I just run a PVC pipe from my washing machine outlet through the louvre window out onto the back lawn 🤣

[@epichomesteading]

Whatever works!

[@simplifygardening]

Well I missed this channel mate. but here now :)

[@katharinehammond3215]

Well done Jaques xx

[@jcleaver2364]

This is great! The only thing I'd recommend is labeling the switch in the bathroom and the ball valve in the laundry room so anyone can know which position the switch/valve should be in when they need to direct the water to the sewer.

[@Christy_D]

Brook is the best! She put in my rain tanks and greywater system. It has transformed my garden!

[@adrianpoe4416]

Do you use it for edible plants? I want to do bananas on a washing machine exit. What soaps do you use? We use bronners for whites but tide free and clear powder for colors and blacks.

[@Christy_D]

@@adrianpoe4416 yes I water one garden bed with it (using oasis soap) and the rest of my garden gets water from the rain tanks

[@vulk86]

Charles Dowding wont like all the digging! Great project, I want to see more!

[@epichomesteading]

Hahaha

[@eandrgoodwin]

🤣

[@thanielxj11]

I think this is fantastic

[@luanllluan]

You're such an inspiration!!!

[@flatsville1]

Good job.

[@lynzysconstitutionalcrashc7836]

Cara Cara oranges are my FAVORITE!!