Achieving benefits through greywater treatment and reuse in northern buildings and communities

N.A. Poirier and R. Pristavita

Greywater is waste water from activities like showering, bathing, or laundry. It is less contaminated than blackwater, which is waste water from toilets, urinals, kitchen sinks, and dishwashers. In many regions of the world where water is not plentiful, people re-use greywater for things like toilet flushing, irrigation, and cleaning. Standards in various plumbing and building codes ensure the safety of those using treated greywater for various purposes.

Nunavut does not have a shortage of water, but it is very costly. Delivering water by truck to individual homes and businesses is expensive. As a result, Nunavut uses less water per person than in other parts of Canada. This project studied the potential to treat and re-use greywater in Northern communities. A demonstration of a new greywater treatment system designed for the North was began in May 2018 in a Triplex residence of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station in Cambridge Bay. Nunavut Arctic College students will engage with community residents and business owners to hear their perspectives on greywater treatment and re-use. To prepare for this demonstration, a Montréal college tested the treatment system for six months. It was used to treat shower and laundry water from the sports complex. The system performed reliably and was able to meet all of the requirements of a widely adopted standard for greywater.

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