Subsurface irrigation reuse

Treated greywater applied below grade to landscaping; avoids surface contact. Passive only where the irrigation area lies below the treatment outlet, watering ground above it requires a pump.

Cost

Low

Upkeep

Occasional

Skill to build

Basic

Lifespan

Distribution piping/emitters: 15-25 years (subsurface drip emitters clog and need periodic flushing or replacement)

Embodied carbon

Low

Space / material use

Medium

Output timing

Continuous process

Skill to repair

Basic

Regulation (FR example)

Greywater reuse is permitted under decret 2024-796 and the arrete of 12 July 2024, on an experimental basis until 31 December 2034, for laundry, indoor floor washing and vegetable-garden watering. Not permitted for drinking, cooking or bathing.

Note: Cost, carbon and footprint are rated against the other options for this same need, not in absolute terms.

What your site needs

Landscaping/soil area suitable for subsurface application, and food-production reuse reactivated (currently deferred per Charter §3)

Inputs

• Treated Effluent

Outputs

none

What this page does not tell you

No sizing or quantities: how much a technique yields, and how much a household needs, both depend on the build and the people, so the catalogue compares options rather than dimensioning them. It carries no bill of materials and no build sequence, and it is written for an oceanic, clay-soil climate (Normandy, France). Regulatory notes are indicative and need confirming locally.