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How to Build a Graywater Filter Yourself

Graywater is water from a wide variety of domestic activities, such as bathing water and water from washing the dishes, that can reused. One way to reuse graywater, for instance, is to irrigate your garden. Before graywater is viable for use, however, it needs to be filtered. This design will take care of most grease, particulate matter and some larger microbes, but you should not drink graywater from this filter without first giving it additional treatment.

Things You'll Need

Electric drill
2-inch hole-saw bit
1/8-inch drill bit
1 1/2-inch pipe connectors - male and female
2 rubber gaskets, 2-inch-diameter
5-gallon bucket
Pea gravel
Terry cloth
Two-part koi pond filter
Sand
Clean water

Instructions

- 1
  Drill a hole in the bottom of the bucket for the pipe connector, which will connect to the rest of your water system. Be sure to use a circular drill bit that is bigger than the connecting parts of the male and female pipe connectors. Also, be sure to use a pipe connector that is the proper size to connect to your water storage device, or whatever device comes after your filter in your graywater system. Use 1 1/2-inch pipe for a 50-gallon barrel.
- 2
  Drill several small holes in to the side of the pipe connector that will go inside the bucket with the small-diameter drill bit. The pipe connector will stick up in to the bucket when installed, and holes in the side will allow water that filters down below the level of the top rim of the pipe connector to filter out.
- 3
  Place the rubber gasket around the hole inside the bucket. Place the side of the pipe connector that is going inside the bucket on top of that. Holding that side of the pipe connector in place with one hand, flip the bucket over. With your free hand, lay the other rubber gasket around the hole on the bottom of the bucket, and screw the other half of the pipe connector in to the one on the inside.
- 4
  Wash the pea gravel thoroughly to remove any dirt on it.
- 5
  Fill the bottom of the bucket with enough pea gravel to cover the bottom of the bucket, up to a level even with the top of the pipe connector.
- 6
  Lay the terrycloth rag on top of the pea gravel.
- 7
  Put the denser part of the koi pond filter in next. Depending on the size of the filter, you may need to cut it to fit in the bucket.
- 8
  Put another layer of terrycloth on top of the koi pond filter.
- 9
  Put roughly 4 inches of sand on top of the terrycloth.
- 10
  Follow the layer of sand with another layer of terrycloth.
- 11
  Lay the other half of the koi pond filter on top.
- 12
  Follow this with a final layer of terrycloth.
- 13
  Run several gallons of clean water through the filter system to remove any suspended dirt.

Nature