Cooperative Extension Service
College of Agriculture and Home Economics
Greywater is water that has been used for washing dishes, laundering clothes, or bathing.
Essentially, any water, other than toilet wastes, draining from a household is greywater. Although this used water may contain grease, food particles, hair, and any number of other impurities, it may still be suitable for reuse. Reusing greywater serves two purposes: it reduces the amount of freshwater needed to supply a household, and reduces the amount of waste water entering sewer or septic systems.