INTRODUCTION

Fresh drinking water is something many of us take for granted. We're so used to turning on the tap every day that we don't really think about it. Think what it would be like if we had to walk a few hundred meters to get our water, and walk it back home in a big container. It's heavy! Remember that water weighs 1 kg/L (8 lb/gal). How many trips would we have to make to supply our needs for one day? Our familys needs? Having to carry our own water might change our whole outlook about how much water we use daily. One way to conserve water is to find ways to use it twice. Many households use more water to keep their lawn and garden green than they use for cooking, cleaning and drinking. Could it be possible to take water that has been used once for washing (called greywater) and use it again to water outdoor plants? Or would the soap, detergent, oil in the wash water harm the plants and soil? It is important to note that used toilet water (called blackwater) is most definitely not suitable for re-use. To maintain public health, blackwater must pass through a water treatment plant or septic system before being released back into the environment.

OBJECTIVES

1. So we have decided to try an experiment with greywater and plants for our project. 2. We have designed a well-controlled experiment to test whether or not greywater would damage plants. 3. Half of the plants in our study would be watered with greywater, and the other half with normal tap water. 4. We will make daily observations and measurements to assess the health of the plants in both groups. 5. As a result we will find out if greywater is suitable for irrigating ornamental plants.