Today in Sustainable Agriculture, we had an Issue with our water system which cut off water supply to our drip irrigation system and many of the hoses around the farm. As a current member of the watering group, my work on the farm today consisted mostly of addressing the situation by finding ways to get water to where it was needed. While I diverted water with hoses and used the sink to fill watering cans, I noticed how much dripping water we were able to catch and save simply by strategically placing buckets.
Once collected, this water is called 'grey water' and is defined as "gently used water that may contain traces of dirt and/or other materials." While this grey water would not be safe for people to drink, it can be used in many places around the farm. While California still in the midst of a major drought, as Sustainable Agriculturalists we have a duty to conserve water however we can. Increasing our grey water use would be an excellent way to do so.
Many plant families including small trees and shrubs are especially tolerant of grey water, so perhaps we could have a bed that thrives entirely on recycled water. Additionally, similarly to how we collect compost from the CEA, grey water could be collected from other parts of the school which would further reduce our farm's water needs. When it comes to Sustainability, every action counts and increasing our grey water use could be one more step to increasing our overall sustainability.
-Lucas
Captions:
Dripping water being collected
Alex watering dwarf apple tree with recycled grey water
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