In Jordan, the demand for freshwater already exceeds the supply. With no new sources to tap, Jordanians must find ways to reduce their demand and make better use of existing supplies. One of option being pursued is greywater reuse. In a series of projects supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre, the Inter-Islamic Network on Water Resources Development and Management (INWRDAM) has developed simple, inexpensive systems that allow individual households to reuse the wastewater they once poured down the drain.

	IDRC / Andrés Veléz-Guerra
A researcher and urban farmer with a greywater treatment unit.

Unlike blackwater from toilets, 'greywater'—collected from laundry tubs, sinks, and showers—is easily treated at home and made safe for irrigating home gardens, says Dr Murad Bino, INWRDAM’s Executive Director. In the 25 low-income households where Dr Bino and his colleagues tested their greywater treatment units, produce grown in family gardens is a vital source of food and income.

"Because we were dealing with people with limited means, cost was always a key consideration in developing our system," says Dr Bino.

The units were constructed mainly of recycled and locally available materials such as 160-litre plastic barrels. Techniques used to build and install the systems were kept simple and required no special tools.

To overcome community skepticism, especially about odour and mosquitoes, the INWRDAM team enlisted the help of a local nongovernmental organization trusted by the community. They trained community members to operate and maintain the units. The importance of reducing or eliminating household cleaning products from the greywater was emphasized, as was the need for regular maintenance.

As results from household pilot sites filtered in, researchers found new greywater converts within the community. Water meters revealed that an average of 57% of the domestic water supply was being recovered as nutrient-rich greywater. Not only did this lower household water bills, it also reduced septic tank pumping fees. Family incomes increased by some $22 to $66 per month as a direct result of these savings and the improved crop yields from irrigating with greywater. This means that the cost of the units, which ranges from $300 to $600, can be recovered in two to three years. In a community where the average family has six members and household incomes average $300 to $400 per month, these figures made economic sense.

Jordan's government has also taken note of the Network’s success. The Ministry of Water and Irrigation examined the system’s potential in meeting the water needs of communities unlikely to be connected to the central sewage treatment system for 20 years. To ensure that the treated greywater met international irrigation standards, ministry officials monitored its quality for a year.

"Greywater from our treatment units met the World Health Organization’s standard for restricted irrigation," says Dr Bino. "This means it is fit for irrigating trees and crops that must be cooked before they are eaten."

Within the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, INWRDAM’s expertise was tapped to help revise Jordan’s national building code to ensure that greywater is separated from blackwater in all future construction.

At the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, officials approved the installation of greywater units in more than 700 households in 90 metropolitan areas.

With 300 additional units slated for installation and funding to promote water reuse in Jordan and across the region, INWRDAM’s greywater project appears to have struck gold.

Kevin Conway is a writer in IDRC’s Communications Division.

This article first appeared in the CorporateKnights – Waterlution The Water Issue magazine, distributed 15 July 2005 in The Globe and Mail.