Laundry to Landscape Greywater systems are legal and abound in San Diego! We have installed hundreds of these systems across the county. We love the opportunity to check back on how these systems are functioning over time. Check in with us if you need maintenance performed. We love to hear from you about what is working well and what is not working so well. Usually the calls we get are when things aren’t working, and surprisingly that is very rare.

We recently received a call for a “clogged” greywater system at an Encinitas site that is 5 years old, having not received any maintenance until now. This is a testamant to how resilient these laundry to landscape systems can be when installed right! The problem and the solution for this system reminded me that it is a GREAT time to perform a system check on YOUR greywater system.

In this example the machine itself functioned fine when switched to the sewer, but would not drain when switched to the landscape. After a basic check we found two emitter boxes totally full of dirt (from gopher activity), which means the flow from the pump on the washing machine was limited. By opening up the tubing and running hose water into the landscape portion of the system I was able to blow any clogs out of the system, and it then functioned fine. Once the emitters were cleared, the system was good to go.

 

So, what is the annual maintenance you should perform to avoid this situation?

1. Pull all the lids off your emitter covers so you can see the emitters. If these are full of mulch, spider webs, worm castings, gopher mounds, etc, clear them out.

2. Run a load of laundry

3. When the water starts draining check that water is coming out of all the emitters. Some installations require even distribution of water from emitters. Other installations have more water coming out of some emitters.

   • if you find that water is not coming out of some emitters, open the valve all the way to see if water will start to flood out, then close it a little bit to get the amount you want.

   • If you find that water is not coming out as much of some emitters as others and you want to distribute the water differently, open the valves more fully where you want more water.

4. As the water floods out, notice if it is pooling or soaking in. If you notice it is pooling for long periods of time above the level of the mulch, this means it’s time to dig out the basins (which are basically compacted compost) and relocate that amazing compost in your garden. Then refill the basin with mulch.

5. You may want to add a couple of inches of mulch (middle image below) to the top of your landscape each year (especially your mulch basins) to account for the biodegradation of the mulch in the basin. If water is not pooling, the soil is draining fine and you don’t need to dig the basin out.

Image Above: Compost on the left is the result of your mulch and greywater breaking down. It is much more absorbant than the native soils. However, it can become compacted and change the ability for your landscape to manage the amount of water being distributed. Bark nuggets, in the righthand picture, are useful in pathways, but may not be beneficial to your plants since they can rob nitrogen from the soil in order to break down. They are more uniform in size. Mulch, seen in the middle, contains wood pieces in a wide range of sizes that can break down at different speeds. This is the ideal topping for your greywater basins. Depending on how deep your basins are, you can fill them with larger chunks of woody material which will break down more slowly and act as super sponges. Still topping the basins off with mulch for a uniform, clean look.

6. Check the plants. You should probably do this more than once a year. Notice which plants are thriving and which aren’t. You can add plants closer to the flood patterns that need more water, or move plants that seem to be suffering from too much water further away. OR, you can move the emitters. As plants mature and their roots reach further out, you maybe be able to adjust the emitter by cutting the tubing attaching it to the main line back a little.

7. Check the soil. Do you see white residue in and around the your greywater basins. If so, you might want to consider flooding your basins with some stored rainwater regularly, or finding a downspout to redirect into this area so that when it rains, the soil gets cleaned up by the soft rainwater. You may want to mix the soil up with some compost.

Here are some things you might notice, outside of your routine maintenance, and troubleshooting tips:

1. The washing machine doesn’t drain. Remember how this story started? First thing to do is turn the valve to the sewer/septic direction and run the machine. If the machine drains fine, this is a clue that the problem is in the greywater line. If the machine still doesn’t drain. It may be time to replace your washing machine pump. To do this: find the make and model of your washing machine, find the right pump and order it. There are some great youtube videos that take you step by step through the process. It may take an hour or two, but it’s much less expensive than replacing your machine, and you don’t need a plumber/handyman to do it!

2. You notice smells coming from your garden. This may be a sign that your basins need to be cleared out of broken down mulch. Or it may be a sign that you are producing too much water for the area that has been created for your washing machine water. Have you started doing more laundry? Or did you do more when you had company over? Look back at your maintenance manual to see how many loads your system was designed for. You may want to check your soil percolation and recalculate your loading rate.

3. You notice smells coming from your washing machine. Turn the valve to the sewer position and run a load of laundry. Do you still smell the smell? If so, it may be your washing machine not draining all the way. Or some front load washers may need to be disinfected.

We hope you find this maintenance guide helpful. Fortunately, most greywater systems prove to be extremely robust. While a greywater system may not be as effective if it isn’t being maintained, it is probably still providing a great benefit to your plants and soil. Please contact us if you need help with your greywater system, want us to perform routine maintenance, or want to let us know how your system is working out!