[Resist]

We plan on using rain water and recycle our house water for toilet water. So it got me thinking, can we recycle the regeneration water from a water softener for toilet water?

[Gary Slusser]

ummmm gray water will smell really bad.

The volume of discharge water from a water and salt efficient softener won't be enough to flush many times (about once or twice a day but the softener will regenerate about once every 7-9 days), and, pressurizing the water, you need a pump to do that, along with the plumbing would be a problem because of the 'salt' and hardness content of the discharge water. A pump that can handle it may be hard to find.

I hope you have done enough research on rain water to know how to treat it before use.

[Resist]

Gary,

Maybe you don't understand these water systems. They use raw sink/shower water that is filtered and sanitized, so it is not raw gray water. It is not drinkable water but it is clean enough water for flushing a toilet with. Just like with rain water off your roof, you don't want to drink it but can be filtered enough to be used to flush a toilet.

In these systems, after the water is filtered and sanitized it is kept in a storage tank for later use.

[Andy CWS]

Could you describe the filtering and sanitizing process you would like to use? Are you in an arid or severely restricted water service area? Technologies exist to make even raw sewage reusable.

Of course it is possible, but there will still involve some kind of waste and your expense may be prohibitive. Removing soaps, detergents, hair, etc., for reusable water has been achieved in large scale operations, but for typical households becomes expensive and systems will need extensive maintenance.

Unfortunately, using waste water from a softener requires elaorate equipment (RO) to remove sodium. Otherwise, I would not use it for plumbing fixtures, even toilets.

If you were conducting experiments with government grants, I'd say go for it. It would be interesting to see your plans, Thanks.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II

[Resist]

I am thinking about this system, http://bracsystems.com/products.php?...tion=view_prod .

[Gary Slusser]

Resist, how could anyone understand what you were thinking of buying if you didn't say anything about buying it or anything else?

I have talked to many people that want to collect water off their roof into a barrel, or many barrels, and then use it. So I replied in kind and correctly IMO but no, I am not familiar with that 'filter'.

Looking at it and reading a bit about it, my cautionary comment about a pump not lasting long when pumping softener discharge with salt and high hardness etc. stands as great advice. BTW, I sold pumps for about 18 years so I know a bit about them and how they might last in salty water (chlorides destroys stainless steel and salt rusts cast iron).